2007 Patriots Matched in Rare Feat?
The 2007 New England Patriots have some new company. Maybe in the end? But definitely at the start.
On Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the New York Giants 30-12 to become the first team to reach 3-0 this season. In doing so, the 49ers joined an exclusive club, as they've scored the same number of points in each of their wins. Previously, they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-7 in Week 1 and the Los Angeles Rams 30-23 in Week 2.
According to CBS Sports, the last team to accomplish such a feat was the 2007 Patriots, who did so en route to an undefeated regular season. New England defeated the New York Jets 38-14 in Week 1, the then-San Diego Chargers by the same score in Week 2 and the Buffalo Bills 38-7 in Week 3.
The 2007 Patriots were one of the most dominant teams in NFL history, and only the second ever to finish the regular season undefeated. New England scored 589 points, an NFL record until the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos broke it six years later, and outscored its opponents by 315 points, still the best point differential in history. Tom Brady threw 50 touchdowns, an NFL record until Manning threw 55 in 2013, and Randy Moss' 23 receiving touchdowns still stands as the most ever.
Despite New England's dominance, it wasn't enough to get a Lombardi Trophy. In one of the most famous upsets in NFL history, the Patriots fell to the Giants in Super Bowl 42 for their first and only loss of the season.
Aside from the 2007 Patriots, the only other team to accomplish this dubious feat is the 1936 Pittsburgh Pirates. Not the baseball team, but rather the original incarnation of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That team opened the season with a 10-0 win over the then-Boston Redskins (now Washington Commanders) in Week 1, a 10-6 victory over the now-defunct Brooklyn Dodgers in Week 2 and a 10-7 win over the Giants in Week 3. Unlike the 2007 Patriots, the Pirates couldn't carry their early-season momentum with them and lost six of their final nine games.
Through three weeks, the 49ers certainly look like one of the NFL's elite teams again. Maybe not a team that can go undefeated like the 2007 Patriots, but are definitely in the mix for a championship.
