Everybody hates the New England Patriots, even the Patriots, if reports of a rift between Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Robert Kraft are to be believed.

Some of it is because of allegations of referee favoritism, others because of past transgressions and allegations of unfair play. But the majority of us don’t like them just because we’re jealous. Yeah, I said it. Let’s face it, the Pats are damn good and have been for a very long time, cementing their status as one of the best teams in history. Most of that success is due to Belichick and Brady, the most dynamic coach-QB duo in the league since the Bill Walsh/Joe Montana era in San Francisco. Here are the top moments where these two proved why they are the cream of the crop.

Tom Brady Takes the Helm

Tom Brady was considered a decent backup with some potential, he just need some time to learn under veteran Drew Bledsoe in 2001. Unfortunately, he was forced to take over prematurely when Bledsoe took a nasty injury which shredded a blood vessel in his chest. Fortunately for the Pats, Brady turned out to be a machine, leading the team to its first of seven Super Bowl Appearances, winning and pushing Bledsoe out of a job. But that was only the beginning.

The Pats go to 11 AFC Championships in 16 Years

You read that right. On top of never having a losing season together, Brady and Belichick have ensured that their team was, at the very least, the second best team in the AFC almost every single year from 2001 to 2016. Their record of 7-4 in these games is the gravy on this potato, proving that the road to the Super Bowl has gone through the Pats this millennium. With their twelfth on the horizon against a Jacksonville Jaguars team they have bounced twice before, they are hoping to erase all concerned over Guerrerogate (that’s what we’re calling it, right?).

They Go 16-0 for the First Undefeated Season in the Modern Era

The only team in NFL history to ever go undefeated after the switch to a 16 game season, the 2007 Patriots appeared to be unstoppable. Brady had Wes Welker, Donte Stallman, and a little fella named Randy Moss to toss touchdowns to — and so he did, setting a then-record of 50 passing TDs in a single season. Tossing teams aside in the playoffs, including division rivals the Miami Dolphins, who were the previous holders of the only undefeated record with a paltry 14-0 in 1972, they faced off in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. Unfortunately, they shot themselves in the leg as they let Plaxico Burress catch a long ball form Eli Manning to steal the game with 35 seconds left. The Giants are, to this day, the only team with a winning record against Belichick.

They Win Their Fifth Championship at Super Bowl LI

Rumors surrounding Brady losing a step with age are nothing new — take the 2016 season when he was dogged all season by the question after Jimmy Garoppolo filled in admirably during his suspension over Deflategate. But Brady wasn’t going down without a fight, having as good a season in 12 games as most quarterbacks have in 16 with more than 3,500 yards, 28 touchdowns, and an 11-1 record. But they arrived at NRG Stadium in Houston with a little too much swagger, quickly going down 28-0 to the Atlanta Falcons. However, it seems that Belichick was just being sporting and spotting the Dirty Birds four touchdowns, coming back to win the game 31-28 in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, and earning Brady the honor of being the only QB with a thumb ring.

(Image courtesy of Freepik.)