Last regular season game with so much on the line??? - Page 2 - New England Patriots Forums

signbabybrady · 11-19-2008, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tombonneau

The flip side being you could easily argue the Pats looked better in their last two losses than the Fish looked in their last two wins. But you are what your record says you are ...

As far as a regular season game with as much on the line, at this point, divisional game with the loser going to 6-5, pretty much the loser is all but eliminated for the division crown and is outside looking in on wild card, so it's practically lose-and-you're-out.

I'd say ironically the last regular season game with this much importance was Week 17 2002 when the Pats played Miami and needed to win to even have a chance at the playoffs. They won 27-24, but as we know ultimately lost out on the division because the stupid Packers got crushed by the Jets.

Didn't think anyone would make it that far back

***Patjew*** · 11-19-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_in_sunnyvale

The bolded is very true. Cassel looked petrified to throw over the middle. When the Pats came out to start the 3rd quarter and every pass play was designed to go no farther than 5yds past the LOS, I knew then the game was over. The last several weeks he has improved immensely in hitting guys across the middle. This is also important in opening up the screen to Welker as the Pats were starting to turn that play stale and predictable.

If the Pats take off Cassel's leash in the redzone early instead of waiting to get down 24-6, I think the team has an outside shot of running the table, let alone winning in Miami.

Regards,
Chris

P.S. I think week 17 in 2002 was the last time such a pivotal game was played; Yes, I think this week is make-or-break for the playoffs.

P.P.S. Yes, I know the Pats didn't make the playoffs then, but since Pats/Miami was the early game and Jets/Packers was the late game, the Pats had no idea NY would kill their playoff hopes when they came back vs. Miami.

Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Pats had no business winning that game, but they did.

PatsFanSince74 · 11-19-2008, 04:18 PM

That's a really good question and a great thread topic. You disqualified the obvious answer, viz., the Jests game last week.

I guess I'd have to go back to 2002, Week 17, when we had to beat the Dolphins to have a chance at the Playoffs, ultimately winning that game but losing the tie-breaker for a Playoff spot.

I'd probably have said Week 17 last year, if we had won the SB and attained Sports Immortality by going 19--0.

signbabybrady · 11-20-2008, 08:58 AM

So that makes 3 people who vote for week 17 2002. That is really impressive, even if you figure there was one or two big regular season games being overlooked. Especially when you figure some teams can play multiple games with this kind of meaning down the stretch of a season to get into the playoffs.

What this means to me is that this team has always down a good job of taking care of business and not leaving their fate in others hands. So it is time to dig ourself out of this hole becaues we want to earn our own way in and not have to rely on other teams to lose.....that didn't work out for us the last time we had a game this big Vs. the Phins.