They never pretended to have as much talent as the superstar Rams. They just all pitched in and helped each other win the championship as a team. No giant egos, no prima donnas, no assholes distracting the team with legal/drug problems (see below), just a bunch of guys working selflessly together to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. A back-up quarterback who lost his starting job, but waited patiently and with a lot of class on the sidelines, supporting his team, until the team needed him to step in and win the AFC championship game last week.

The Patriots' coach did something very significant a month ago, when the one problem 'headcase' on the team, Terry Glenn, was missing practices, violating team rules, and becoming a major distraction. Despite the fact that Glenn was the leading receiver and probably the best player on the team, the Patriots suspended him for the rest of the year. That sent a very powerful message about the true priorities of the Patriots this year.