A Memorable Season: New England fans are blessed

[JSn]

I was looking at this picture in the other thread and got thinking... what an UNBELIEVABLE season this has been.

It's for other people to math out what may happen, but in reality, that we will end this season with a winning a record is amazing. There's been lot's of talk about why and who gets the credit, and whose failures could cost us, but it's pretty unbelievable to think that we will have had an amazing season of battle-testing a lot of young players and perhaps watching several legendary players finish their careers in a fight to finish (Harrison, Bruschi, Seau, Colvin). We will have seen something close to a brilliant season of Quarterbacking from a guy whose travels into the starting roll will be told a million times and whose year of progress has seen the peaks (team records) and valleys (death of a loved-one). A quarterback I assume all of us would now welcome back with open arms if Brady weren't coming back next year.

We will, in all likelihood, see the first starting season of a brilliant young quarterback set as we anticipate the return of a legend. And with him, a group of players, even before FA and the draft, most teams would envy.

It may be hard to sit back and reflect as the race comes down to the wire, but there is no doubt that we have all been given a one heck of a memorable season and it's hard to feel even a BIT worried about how next year will play out. As the interlude of a dynasty, this year has been a lot of fun to watch.

Who would have thought most teams would kill to have our record and success on the year we lost over a dozen major players to injury?

Are you guys enjoying it as much as me? Just a hunch, but I don't think we've seen all the high points this season has to offer, either.

2008

2009

 

[Garbanza]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

I am prouder of this team than I was last year. There is absolutely no quit in them. And with each devastating injury, their resolve and unity stregthens. Icing on the cake is hearing Seau and Colvin saying how much they love it here....especially Junior saying there is no other team he would have abandoned his surf board for. I love this team.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

2 be honest i wuz worried about week 2 when cassel 1st played. but they pulled it out that week. by week 7 i had faith in him 4 the rest of the season

 

[JSn]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

2 be honest i wuz worried about week 2 when cassel 1st played. but they pulled it out that week. by week 7 i had faith in him 4 the rest of the season

Yeah, now that you mention it I haven't seen a "Bench Cassel" or "Which Vet Should We Sign" thread in a while...

 

[Lifer]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Ive enjoyed this season more than last season. To me, a playoff berth will be right up as one of Belichicks greatest coaching accomplishments.

 

[MVPKiller]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Every year only 1 team out of 32 will win the Super Bowl. When you fall short, sometimes in hindsight the season ends up being about something else. in 2005, it was about Tedy Bruschi's return to our team, in 2006 it was the realization that our QB needed was going to need some serious weapons, in 2007 we might have fallen short of "perfection", but they still were the first team to go 16-0 in the regular season, broke two milestone records along the way and Brady finally got the NFL MVP award.

This season, was about Matt Cassel.

In 2008 Cassel has had his trial year. Being thrust into a spot held at the time by the greatest current player in the NFL, compounded now by the loss of his father, I don't want to dumb it down.. but to put it simply, Cassel "grew up" this year, and became something more than just an NFL Quarterback. I am glad that we had the opportunity to a part of it, and witness it.

If this season ends with a Lombardi (God willing), then there is no question it will go down as one of, if not THE greatest season ever. If we fall short of that, be proud of what our QB has done and what he has become this year. Matt will probably go on to another team, maybe become a superstar and win it all for another franchise, but after 2008 he will ALWAYS be a Patriot.

 

[Delicate Genius]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

I'm gonna miss Matt Cassel if he's not here next season.

Brady's obviously a Hall of Famer, but I'm very proud of what Cassel has done too. I was one of many that wanted him cut in preseason, but he's made me and a lot of people eat crow. There's been a few roadbumps along the way, which is expected, but he's played very good for the most part.

Whereever Cassel ends up next season, I hope he gets paid a ton and continues having success. He deserves it.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

I was looking at this picture in the other thread and got thinking... what an UNBELIEVABLE season this has been.

It's for other people to math out what may happen, but in reality, that we will end this season with a winning a record is amazing. There's been lot's of talk about why and who gets the credit, and whose failures could cost us, but it's pretty unbelievable to think that we will have had an amazing season of battle-testing a lot of young players and perhaps watching several legendary players finish their careers in a fight to finish (Harrison, Bruschi, Seau, Colvin). We will have seen something close to a brilliant season of Quarterbacking from a guy whose travels into the starting roll will be told a million times and whose year of progress has seen the peaks (team records) and valleys (death of a loved-one). A quarterback I assume all of us would now welcome back with open arms if Brady weren't coming back next year.

We will, in all likelihood, see the first starting season of a brilliant young quarterback set as we anticipate the return of a legend. And with him, a group of players, even before FA and the draft, most teams would envy.

It may be hard to sit back and reflect as the race comes down to the wire, but there is no doubt that we have all been given a one heck of a memorable season and it's hard to feel even a BIT worried about how next year will play out. As the interlude of a dynasty, this year has been a lot of fun to watch.

Who would have thought most teams would kill to have our record and success on the year we lost over a dozen major players to injury?

Are you guys enjoying it as much as me? Just a hunch, but I don't think we've seen all the high points this season has to offer, either.

2008

2009

This year's another chapter for sure, especially when you put it in the perspective of this entire decade and how much this season speaks to so much of what makes this team who it is and what it's about. Good post

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Great post. This year has redefined the greatness of BB as a coach and our team as a whole.

Fantastic year!

GO PATS!!!

 

[PatriotsInGA]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

many ppl said BB shouldnt go in the HOF becuz of spygate. Man screw that if u can lead a team with a backup QB who had about 3% of the talent TB had at the beginning of the season and possibly lead them 2 the playoffs thats amazin

 

[Calciumee]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

I agree, I will miss Cassel.

I was very sceptical about him at start of week 2. But since he has proved that he is a Patriot.

Even if he leaves, and was a playing Patriot for one season, he will always be a Pat to me.

And this Sunday may not have been an MVP performance, but the strength he showed just days after his father passing is incredible.

 

[Lampshade]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Hell yeah!

It's been a great season, regardless of what happens from here on out. Watching Matt Cassel grow has brought back all the memories from 2001; only this time it's bittersweet in that the best case scenario sees him somewhere else next year.

Also been fun, and frustrating at times, to see the young players on D: Mayo, Guyton, Meriweather, Wilhite, Richardson, Wheatley, Smith, even slightly older Pierre Woods. They've all had playing time in big games.

I've enjoyed this season very much.

 

[PatriotNMP43]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Yeah, now that you mention it I haven't seen a "Bench Cassel" or "Which Vet Should We Sign" thread in a while...

The offense is not the problem, we need to keep putting up big points in order to win, especially against Arizona.

 

[cincipatsfan]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Great thread. This will be a season that, no matter the outcome, we should look back on as a Belichick masterpiece.

Can't say enough about how Cassel has matured, especially so with the loss of his father last week. That's an awesome picture of him and plays nicely against the Brady spike in the "other" Raiders game. This one will definitely end up on my Pats wall.

I love the fact that all those who have said Brady made Belichick are choking hard on those words.

Next year is going to be a blast.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Great thread. This will be a season that, no matter the outcome, we should look back on as a Belichick masterpiece.

Can't say enough about how Cassel has matured, especially so with the loss of his father last week. That's an awesome picture of him and plays nicely against the Brady spike in the "other" Raiders game. This one will definitely end up on my Pats wall.

I love the fact that all those who have said Brady made Belichick are choking hard on those words.

Next year is going to be a blast.

Agreed, this has been an incredibly fun season. Despite all the amount of MAJOR injuries to key guys, heck, we have all pros on injured reserve (we have the NFL MVP on injured reserve), and to still be in it with 2 games to go, heck, to even have a winning season is amazing. This has been Belichick's finest coaching job ever, forget the SB's, this was it. And to see Cassel mature as a GOOD QB, not just above average, but good, has been the most fun aspect. Next year, good health willing, and if they improve both lines via Free Agency and th draft (and maybe the secondary), this team will be scary. I think the 2008 draft may go down as a historic draft (Mayo, Wheatley (who looked good when healthy), O'Connell, Crable, Willhite, etc) and undrafted guys like Guyton and BJGE. Wow, if we can duplicate that in the 2009 draft, watch out !

 

[DSal]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

I think we all, naturally, lowered our expectations for this team after THE INJURY. Slowly we were pleasantly surprised and all began thinking the Pats have a chance this season. As the season grew longer and the injuries mounted, my hopes would temporarily dash (thinking how can this team rebound from another injury to a key player?) and they would face adversity again and rebound. WOW!!! We've watched not only a geat coaching job but an assemblage of players that truly believe that you win as a team and that no one part is more important than the team as a whole. No matter how this season ends, it's been a success. I'm glad I was able to watch.

 

[mosi]

This has been a great season and an example of just how good this team is. A couple of more young players on defense and the offensive line, and we are good to go for 5 more years.

Just think about it guys, this team could end up 11-5. Man, in the 70's and 80's, having the Pats win 11 games would be considered a great season. I think we have all become a little jaded in these last few years.

 

[chech1965]

Re: A Memorable Season: New England Fans are blessed.

Ive enjoyed this season more than last season. To me, a playoff berth will be right up as one of Belichicks greatest coaching accomplishments.

Missing the playoffs with an 11-5 record will be just as amazing.

Heck, a winning record already says he's a genius with or without Brady.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Re: this post - yes it has been a great year. Good post. Look, I remember last year waiting in anticipation for next Sunday to come and this year, I am the exact same way, nothing has changed. It is nice as a fan to cheer for a competitive organization and be excited about what they are putting on the field.

Cassel, I have always liked him and had faith that he would keep this team competitive. I like cheering for the underdog and it was fun to prove the "experts" wrong as usual.

On to this week, I am predicting a breakout game for the defense. We are now in the playoffs for all intent and purposes and Bill knows a little about how to stop Warner & Co. I predict they will have a solid game (I sincerely hope I do not see a lot of O'Neal this week).

We just have to worry about what we can control, and let the chips fall where they may...

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

A lot of the soul that I though was missing the last couple years, has come in spades this year. With every player that takes the walk to the tunnel during the game as another casualty, you can almost feel this group notch their belts a little tighter and dig in.

A real lunch pal gang. It's really nice to see. Like I said, I felt a little of that soul from our SB teams had drifted out over the past couple years, but it is back now.

Cassell is an amazing story. Just amazing. He really is an poster boy for al those out there biding their time, watching for their chance to shine, and when it finally comes, they make the most of it.