Rob Ninkovich details why the Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl in 2007

Everyone who watched football thought the New England Patriots would win the Super Bowl in 2007.

Tom Brady was in his prime and the addition of Randy Moss helped cultivate one of the most potent offenses in NFL history. Brady had the regular season record 50 touchdowns and Moss broke the regular season record for receivers with 23 touchdowns. The defense was unreal and everything clicked, except in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

There was too much pressure to have the perfect season and the Patriots couldn’t pull it off. After defeating the Baltimore Ravens this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are heading down the same path. Pittsburgh is 11-0 and they have three formidable teams ahead on the schedule.

According to former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich, the Steelers should lose a game to alleviate pressure in the playoffs.

“I felt that pressure relieve,” Ninkovich said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Because a perfect season doesn’t mean anything unless you win the Super Bowl.

“That 2007 Patriot team, I feel, If they would have lost maybe one game in the regular season and didn’t have that pressure of being perfect going into the playoffs, I think they would have won the Super Bowl.”

That pressure could be daunting for players.

“But they’re starting to creep up into that high-pressure, undefeated season status and at 11-0 it’s gonna start coming on real hard and fast right now.”

With the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills ahead, it’s hard to imagine a 16-0 finish for Pittsburgh.