Robert Kraft sees similarities between this team and 01 champs

Photo from NBC Sports

Robert Kraft says this team reminds him a lot of the 2001 team that went all the way to a Super Bowl Championship, according to NBC Sports. This Patriots team has had to deal with season ending injuries to key players like Vince Wilfork, Rob Gronkowski and Sebastian Vollmer. According to Kraft, though, he believes the team has a lot of mental toughness, which he views as a necessity on any championship team.

“This team we have now reminds me of our ’01 team,” Kraft said on ESPN Radio in New York, via ESPNBoston.com. “It wasn’t the biggest names or collection of stars. It was a team that had a certain mental toughness and truly played together as a team. … I think this year the sense of team and putting team first is at the highest level. We’ve learned it’s not the teams that have the best collection of talent, but it’s the teams that really come together, especially in December and January.”

Well put, sir. While this team is no Denver talent-wise, Kraft is absolutely right to point to this team's mental toughness. Most championship teams have it. The 01 team certainly had it. This year's Red Sox team definitely had it. So, while they may not have Denver's talent, this team may be a "team of destiny," much like the Red Sox were in 2013, largely because of that toughness.

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