miDeuce

Game 1: NE 38, @ New York Jets 14
This game looked a whole lot better when the Jets were still considered a playoff team. The Pats whooped them good and we got our first glimpse of the Brady to Moss bomb that would set records.


Game 2: @ NE 38, San Diego Chargers 14
This was supposed to be San Diego's "revenge" game. They didn't realize that the Pats were roughly four times as good as when they upset the Chargers at home in the playoffs last year. The Chargers got better toward the end of the season and could give the Colts a game in the AFC Divisional game assuming they dispatch the Titans. Solid win for the Pats against a respectable AFC opponent.


Game 3: @NE 38, Buffalo Bills 7
Not as close as the score indicates. The Bills were almost decent this year but they lost a bunch of starters in this game that changed the dynamic of their team. They were still a month away from gelling and pulling off a few impressive wins (before the Pats slaughtered them again).


Game 4: NE 34, @ Cincinati Bengals 13
At the time this was a more impressive win than it seems now. The Bengals had lost two of their first three and really needed a win at home. After this one people starting talking about the Patriots as being scary good. Looking back it's probably about what they should've done to a Bengals team that was just realizing it was going to be a down year.


Game 5: @ NE 34, Cleveland Browns 17
Maybe bit more significant now than it was at the time since the Browns ended up showing they had an offense and almost made the playoffs. They lost Jamal Lewis early on, he could've helped them keep it closer. The Pats D picked off Derek Anderson three times, he's overrated anyway.


Game 6: NE 48, @ Dal 27
This one was alot closer than the score indicates. Dallas had the lead in the second half before the Pats erupted on them to close it out. Dallas had an impressive season and this could be a potential Super Bowl preview. They could beat the Patriots. A solid win over one of the top five teams in the NFL.


Game 7: NE 49, @ MIA 28
Randy Moss made two of the most ridiculous catches I've ever seen. A blowout of an inferior team. Things will be different with the Tuna.


Game 8: @ NE 52, Washington Redskins 7
Another blowout, the Redskins finished the season strong but this was a much different team that the Pats killed.


Game 9: NE 24, Indianapolis Colts 20
The most impressive win of the season. The Pats were down late in the fourth quarter, in a hostile environment and showed the first signs of being a team that has the ability to pull games out late. A rematch looms but this time it would be at Foxboro. The Patriots homefield is no longer a muddy mess, it's field turf which could benefit the Colts as much as the Pats. Would be one of the greatest games in NFL history - an almost role reversal for the two teams from their previous playoff matchups.


Game 10 NE 56, @ Buffalo Bills 10
This was a quality win for two reasons: Buffalo was playing well at the time (they had won five of their last six with the only loss being to Dallas by one point) and the Pats were just coming off the bye. It was a Sunday night game on NBC and everyone expected it to be close. It wasn't.


Game 11: @ NE 31, Philadelphia Eagles 28
The first game the Pats probably should've lost but were bailed out because of the other teams mistakes. The Patriots are not unbeatable, but they will not beat themselves. If AJ Feeley doesn't throw a late interception we would've been going to overtime.


Game 12: NE 27, @ Baltimore Ravens 24
The Pats should've lost this game four times. Four times it was over. And four times the Ravens handed the game back to the Pats and said "please beat us". Every team in the NFL has down periods where the defense doesn't play quite as tough and the offensive line tends to get a tad pourous. The Pats were lucky enough to get through this down period without losing a game.


Game 13: @ NE 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 13
This was the game the Pats were supposed to lose. Pittsburgh was being hyped as the third best team in the league (though they really hadn't beaten anyone good and had lost to Arizona and the Jets) and the Pats had just almost lost to the lowly Ravens. However the Pats ended their down period with a message to the rest of the league in the form of a Brady to Moss to Brady to Gaffney sixty yard bomb.


Game 14: @ NE 20, New York Jets 10
People expected this one to be a whole lot more ugly. The Pats seemed determined to get their run game jump started for the playoffs as Tom Brady failed to throw for 100 yards or a touchdown. Sure, everyone wanted them to run up the score but the Pats had other goals.


Game 15: @ NE 28, Miami Dolphins 7
A relaxed win for the Pats with Laurence Maroney doing most of the work. Seems to many that the Pats have gone into lockdown mode with their offense until the playoffs, not wanting to give anything away to potential opponents.


Game 16: NE 38, @ New York Giants 35
This game sums up why the Patriots will be such a hard team to beat in the playoffs. Are they beatable? Of course. New York is headed to the playoffs and they played out of their minds. It might've been Eli's best game as a pro. But the Pats found a way to win, in a game that was almost as hyped as a Super Bowl.


If someone is going to beat the Patriots in the playoffs they will have to play sixty minutes of mistake free football at their highest level. If they get a lead they must continue to add to that lead because if they leave the door open even a crack the Patriots will take advantage. Should make for an amazing January.

xmarkd400x

Nice recap. Good post.