The 2007 New England Patriots were on the precipice of history entering their Super Bowl XLII match-up against the New York Giants.

Following a record-breaking regular season that saw them become the first team in NFL history to go 16-0, the Patriots were about to be anointed the greatest single-season team in the history of the league.

It wasn’t the only record they achieved. They possessed the highest scoring single-season offence in NFL history, as Tom Brady and Randy re-wrote the record books.

New benchmarks were set for touchdown passes in a season (50), and receiving TDs (23).

Brady would throw for over 400 yards, Moss would make a spectacular one-handed catch, Bill Belichick would look as stoic as ever – it was the perfect script.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, the New York Giants didn’t get the memo. Led by a relentless group of pass rushers spearheaded by Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck, the Giants’ front four was able to sack Brady five times and register several more QB hits.

The Giants held the most explosive offence in league history to a pedestrian 14 points. Combined with the late game heroics of Eli Manning and the infamous helmet catch by David Tyree, the G-men went on to win Super Bowl XLII and produce the upset of all upsets. Even David and Goliath would’ve been proud of this tale.

Over the next half decade, the Patriots remained the gold standard of NFL franchises, yet, a world championship had eluded them for almost a 10 years. Gone were the old guard of Bruschi, Vrabel, McGinest, Harrison, Seymour and Samuel. The Patriots, for the first time under the Belichick regime, were a team in transition.

Excluding 2008, when Tom Brady missed all but the first five minutes of the season, the Patriots still made the playoffs every season, still won the AFC East every season (Dolphins 2008), aand still had a winning record every season. They even made it back to another Super Bowl in 2011 against their familiar foe, the Giants.

However, it was a case of de ja vu for the Patriots as the Giants were again able to hound and harass Brady. Once again, New England were on the receiving end of another miraculous Eli Manning pass, this time to Mario Manningham.

Brady and Belichick were in the process of having their legacies tainted as the Giants added another Super Bowl loss to their resume, making them 3-2 in Super Bowls.

Bring on 2014.

The team that was once in transition was now ready to bring another Lombardi trophy back to Foxbourough. Belichick had retooled his defence with several high draft picks such as safety Devin McCourty, defensive end Chandler Jones, and linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower.

Also making their debut seasons in Patriots uniforms were All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis and Pro Bowl cornerback Brandon Browner. The Patriots now had an athletic, dynamic defence to couple with their perennial high-scoring offence.

The pieces were in place, now it was time to execute. Following a thrilling game and dramatic fourth-quarter comeback engineered by Brady and the offence, the Patriots were leading the Seahawks 28-24. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Patriots Super Bowl without a miraculous catch, this time orchestrated by Jermaine Kearse of Seattle.

It looked like history was about to repeat itself. In very same stadium that produced the Tyree catch no less. With under 45 seconds remaining, following a game-saving tackle by linebacker Hightower, the ball was placed at the half-yard line.

Rookie free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler beat Ricardo Lockett to the football and intercepted the Russell Wilson pass, securing the fourth world championship for the Patriots.

After narrowly missing out on another Super Bowl berth in 2015, the Patriots were once again back on the biggest stage in 2016, this time against the high-powered Atlanta Falcons offence led my MVP Matt Ryan and the NFL’s best receiver, Julio Jones.

Through three quarters, the contest resembled more of a Madden video game demolition rather than a battle between the AFC’s and NFC’s best teams. However, I’m sure you’re fully aware at this point, no Patriots Super Bowl would be complete without the customary circus catches.

This time Julio Jones of the Falcons and Julian Edelman of the Patriots produced during a frantic fourth quarter.

With just over 20 minutes of regulation to play, Brady produced his best football to help his team erase a 28-3 deficit. After winning the coin toss in overtime, Brady led his team down the field and won the game on a rushing touchdown by running back James White. It completed the greatest comeback in the history of the sport.

Brady had now eclipsed his childhood hero and 49ers Hall of Famer Joe Montana with the most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback with five. Likewise, Bill Belichick surpassed former Steelers head coach Chuck Noll for the most Super wins as a head coach with five.

Brady was now, unquestionably, the greatest quarterback of all time. Belichick, the greatest head coach of all time. All the records, all the silverware, what else did they have to accomplish? Simple, what no team in the 16-game era had ever done. Go undefeated.

Fast forward to the off-season and the Patriots began to lay the foundation for a special 2017 campaign. With several key contributors from the Super Bowl team now eligible for free agency, the Patriots faced a steep task in bringing back their core.

Or so we were made to believe.

New England entered free agency with more than an astonishing $60 million of cap space at their disposal. They kicked off free agency with a bang, signing former Bills Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year $65 million contract. They also managed to retain Duron Harmon, Hightower, Alan Branch and All Pro cornerback Malcom Butler.

After saying goodbye to Logan Ryan, Jabaal Sheard, LeGarrette Blount and Martellus Bennett, the Patriots traded for former Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, former Panthers defensive end Kony Ealey and signed running backs Rex Burkhead, previously of the Bengals, and Mike Gillislee to pair with former Bills teammates Chris Hogan and Stephon Gilmore.

Allen is regarded as one of the better dual tight ends in the game and provides the Patriots another red zone target to go alongside the best tight end in football, Rob Gronkowski.

Had the Panthers gone on to win Super Bowl 50, Kony Ealey would’ve been named Super Bowl MVP after he recorded three sacks and an INT of Peyton Manning. As for the running backs, Gillislee will step into the Blount’s role as the primary ball carrier, where he averaged over five yards per carry last season.

Burkhead will be a ‘swiss army knife’, contributing in both the running and passing game while helping out on special teams. Gilmore and Butler will help form one of the better cornerback duos in the league and along with McCourty, Chung and Harmon behind them could bolster the best secondary unit of the Belichick era.

As for the trump card? New England traded their first round pick to the New Orleans Saints for one of the more dynamic receivers in the league, Brandin Cooks. Cooks is one of the more electrifying and fastest players in his position and was timed at an impressive 4.33 seconds during his NFL Combine 40-yard dash.

The Patriots further improved their depth on both the offensive and defensive lines by drafting defensive ends Derek Rivers, Deatrich Wise and offensive linemen Antonio Garcia and Conor McDermott.

So just to recap. The defending world champions will begin next season with an offence that was already ranked third in PPG (points per game) at 27.9, featuring Tom Brady (the odds-on favourite to win league MVP), and a backfield of dynamic playmakers such as Dion Lewis, James White, Rex Burkhead and Mike Gillislee.

And a receiving core that includes Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Malcolm Mitchell and Dwayne Allen.

In addition, they will an offensive line anchored by two Pro Bowl calibre tackles in Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon as well as a young trio of interior linemen in Joe Thuney, David Andrews and Shaq Mason.

Defensively, the number one defence in point allowed the previous year (15.6) are set to have a secondary that can rival both Seattle’s ‘Legion of Boom’ and Denver’s ‘No Fly Zone’. There’s time to give them a nickname later.

Couple that with a front seven that has a mixture of youthful exuberance from players such as Malcolm Brown, Trey Flowers and Elandon Roberts with the veteran savvy of former Jets LB David Harris and Rob Ninkovich.

What about special teams you say? Enter Pro Bowlers Stephen Gostkowski, Matthew Slater and the Pro Football Focus’ number one ranked special teams player Nate Ebner. And as if the rich needed to get any richer, the Patriots also retained the services of offensive and defensive co-ordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia.

The possibility of going 19-0 and the quest for redemption is as real as it’s ever been post 2007. The Patriots are favoured to win every game of the upcoming season and are a historic 6-1 favourites to win the Super Bowl.

The teams who will provide the stiffest competition? The Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans. I use the term ‘team’ loosely with all due respect.

The Steelers and Raiders both possess dynamic offences featuring superstars like Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Marshawn Lynch. However, their defences are mediocre at best and their head coaches, though good, are not in the same realm as Belichick.

The Texans, on the other hand, frustrated New England in the divisional playoff game last year. With star pass rushers such as Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and JJ Watt returning from injury, they have the pieces the replicate the problems the Giants have given the Patriots in two Super Bowl loses.

They will, however, be led by rookie quarterback DeShaun Watson, and if there’s anything Belichick loves more than giving short answers to the media, it’s game planning for rookie quarterbacks.

The Patriot way of handling business won’t allow them to even entertain such a fantasy as an undefeated season. When recently asked about the off-season narrative about the team going 19-0, wide receiver Julian Edelman responded, “it’s stupid”.

This coming from a guy who recently posted a picture of a letter he received from his old English teacher apologising for laughing at him when he said he wanted to become a professional athlete. Ask head coach Bill Belichick about this topic and best case scenario, you’ll get something along the lines of ‘we’re just trying to better every single day’ or maybe even the infamous ‘we’re onto Cincinnati’ quote.

The point is, you don’t get to play in six consecutive AFC championship games, win 14 out of 16 division titles and capture five Super Bowl titles by being a results oriented team.

For the New England, it’s all about embracing the process, building good habits and letting the results occur as a natural by-product of their hard work. Their main aim right now is to have a successful training camp and pre-season.

But make no mistake about it, barring any significant injuries or suspensions to their star players, the Patriots will have an opportunity to write their names in the record books again.

This time, there are no excuses.