You Dolphins fans keep riding that "1 win less" notion.
It's 2006.
It's meaningless.
Go ask the Jets how getting a kicker to propel them into the AFC Championship worked last year.
Every year presents a new situation.
Does anyone think the Pats will have the same kind of injuries they had last year?
I know most people here have seen this list 10,000 times before, but I'll post it again:
(Starters - with Faulk listed as the 11th offensive player - from the 2004/XXXIX squad in bold)
QB – Tom Brady – 16 games active, 16 starts, sports hernia and shin injury
QB – Doug Flutie – 16 games active, 0 starts, no injury
QB – Matt Cassel – 16 games active, 0 starts, no injury
RB – Corey Dillon – 8 games active, 8 starts, 6 games missed to injury
RB – Kevin Faulk – 8 game active, 1 start, 8 games missed to injury
RB – Patrick Pass – 12 games active, 3 starts, 4 games missed to injury
RB – Heath Evans – Signed on November 2nd, 6 games active, 1 start, 3 games missed to injury
RB – Michael Cloud – Signed on November 5th, Released on November 29th, re-signed on December 2nd, released on December 13th, 6 games active, 0 starts, no injury
RB – Amos Zereoue – Signed on September 28th, Released on November 2nd, 3 games active, 0 starts, no injury
WR – Deion Branch – 16 games active, 16 starts, no injury
WR – David Givens – 13 games active, 13 starts, 3 games missed to injury
WR – Troy Brown – 13 games active, 2 starts, 3 games missed to injury
WR – Tim Dwight – 16 games active, 1 start, no injury
WR – Andre’ Davis – 9 games active, 0 starts, no injury
WR – Bethel Johnson – 11 games active, 0 starts, 4 games missed to injury
WR – Bam Childress – Signed on January 1st, 1 game active, 0 starts, no injury
WR – Michael McGrew – 0 games active, 0 starts, 16 games missed to injury
WR – Cedric James – 0 games active, 0 starts, 16 games missed to injury
TE – Daniel Graham – 9 games active, 9 starts, 7 games missed to injury
TE – Ben Watson – 14 games active, 9 starts, 1 game missed to injury
TE – Christian Fauria – 5 games active, 5 starts, no injury
OT – Matt Light – 2 games active, 2 starts, 14 games missed to injury
OT – Nick Kaczur – 14 games active, 12 starts, 2 games missed to injury
OT – Brandon Gorin – 12 games active, 8 starts, 4 games missed to injury
OT – Tom Ashworth – 14 games active, 10 starts, 2 games missed to injury
OG – Logan Mankins – 16 games active, 16 starts, no injury
OG – Steve Neal – 16 games active, 16 starts, no injury
OG – Gene Mruczkowski – Signed on September 28th, Released on October 10th, Signed on November 16th, 7 games active, 0 starts, no injury
OG – Billy Yates – Signed in November, 4 games active, 0 starts, no injury
OG – Ross Tucker – Signed on December 13th, 1 game active, 0 starts, no injury
OC – Dan Koppen – 9 games active, 9 starts, 6 games missed to injury
OC – Russ Hochstein – 16 games active, 7 starts, no injury
DE - Richard Seymour - 4 games missed to injury
NT - Vince Wilfork - no injury
DE - Ty Warren - no injury
OLB - Rosvelt Colvin - no injury
ILB - Tedy Bruschi - 6 games missed to the stroke recovery
ILB - Mike Vrabel - no injury
OLB - Willie McGinest - no injury
CB - Tyrone Poole - 15 games missed to injury
CB - Duane Starks - 9 games missed to injury
CB - Randall Gay - 11 games missed to injury
CB - Chad Scott - 13 games missed to injury
CB - Asante Samuel - 1 game missed to injury
CB - Ellis Hobbs - no injury
SS - Rodney Harrison - 14 games missed to injury
FS - Eugene Wilson - no injury
S - Guss Scott - 11 games missed to injury
S - James Sanders - 6 games missed to injury
S/CB - Artrell Hawkins (signed in mid-November) - 2 games missed to injury
S - Michael Stone - no injury
And better yet, 19 of the 21 XXXIX starters who were on the 2004 squad, about half of them injured in 2005, will be returning in 2006.