PATRIOTSFANINPA

Our defense in the middle,with all respect to Seau and Bruschi has not been the same since Ted Johnson's retirement in July of 2005.

Imagine if he had stayed healthy enough and still played here how it would have been a difference in the playoff games we lost as soon as he retired.

Ted was superb at stuffing the run and rushing the passer from the middle which is something Bruschi is not really known for,Tedy and Ted formed the greatest 2 ILB core together in Patriots history and when Ted left the defense suffered inside from 2005 to now especially when the playoffs began the last 3 years,Ted was always a force in the playoffs.

Obviously we can't bring back the past ..but only if Ted was able to stick around longer I imagine it would have increased our chances,to win at least another SB.

Remember back in 2003 when Ted was the first linebacker to have actually hit the OT on the head so hard that his helmet cracked in two? - Now that was a hard hit and I hope we can get someone like that again soon in the middle of the D which may get even softer very soon.

Keegs

if only we had Ted Johnson this year, we would have put up more than 14 points.

Damn ted johnson.

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BadMoFo

Yeah, seriously. He would have been the secret weapon on offense.

JoePats

Heh...Also Seau was hurt last year and Eric Alexander was running around chasing Dallas Clark all over the place.

Look---I think he just caught another one.

Halifax_Pats_Fan

sorry, i agree with the initial poster. Correct me if I am wrong but I think he may be saying that what he brought to the defense was something that could have helped us, maybe even have made a play to stop the last drive

....and in saying that, we may have won.

At this point coulda shoulda woulda.....we lost....it sucks.

At this point of the season the business side takes over....

Rob0729

Personally, I think the loss of Roman Phifer meant more to the defense than Johnson. That said, I think to argue that losing either guy contributed to our playoff losses the last three years is oversimplifying things to say the least.

dhamz

How would Johnson have made a play on the last drive? He was a run stopper. He didn't play in passing situations and would not have been on the field.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

Are you serious or did you miss the final drive of the Giants where they countered contnuous 3rd down conversions and had to convert a 4th and 1,With Ted helping out it may have been more difficult

AndyJohnson

We really miss Rohan Davey because we havent won a SB since he left.

Ted Johnson was a bit piece the last few years, and more a liability than asset. With the other LBs we have on the roster, if he was here he would have been inactive in the SB. If he hadn't retired, he would have been cut before this year.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

96 tackles/assists in 2002 and that was in 10 games and 86 tackles in 2004 = 'a bit piece' to you? - Thats nuts

If Ted had remained healthy he would have been just as important or even more so than Bruschi is 'right now'

And your reference to Rohan Davey is simply a stupid comparison,Davey was a backup QB and Johnson started and played in nearly every game pass 2000 and all 19 in 2004 but missed games over years due to injury (10 games in 2003) - so quit the ridiculous comparisons please and do a better job of comparing players next time,try starters for example before you respond in a snippy,****y fashion.