2000's Patriots All-Decade Team released

[pats1]

On PFW in Progress. There will be a full release at 1:30. The Patriots Hall of Fame committee, which includes local writers as well as Ernie Adams, voted a few days ago.

Light - Kaczur
Andruzzi - Mankins
Koppen
Graham
Moss - Welker - Brown
Brady
Dillon

Seymour - Warren - Wilfork
McGinest - Vrabel - Bruschi - Phifer
Law - Samuel
Harrison - Milloy

Vinatieri
Miller
Faulk
Izzo

Belichick

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Jeez...it's like Branch never existed...let alone Patten. Bingo was lucky they remembered he did...

 

[Patsrock]

On PFW in Progress. There will be a full release at 1:30. The Patriots Hall of Fame committee, which includes local writers as well as Ernie Adams, voted a few days ago.

Light - Kaczur
Andruzzi - Mankins
Koppen
Graham
Moss - Welker - Brown
Brady
Dillon

Seymour - Warren - Wilfork
McGinest - Vrabel - Bruschi - Phifer
Law - Samuel
Harrison - Milloy

Vinatieri
Miller
Faulk
Izzo

Belichick

I agree with this team except I would have had Wilson over Milloy. I think Wilsons 03/04 seasons were better than Milloy's 00/01 seasons.

 

[Calciumee]

I bet the choice of Head Coach took a while

 

[emoney_33]

Jeez...it's like Branch never existed...let alone Patten. Bingo was lucky they remembered he did...

Where would you put them, would you really put Branch ahead of trusty Troy?

 

[JackBauer]

Jeez...it's like Branch never existed...let alone Patten. Bingo was lucky they remembered he did...

Who would you replace on that list? Moss? Welker?

 

[pats1]

I agree with this team except I would have had Wilson over Milloy. I think Wilsons 03/04 seasons were better than Milloy's 00/01 seasons.

What about Milloy's 2002 Pro Bowl season?

 

[upstater1]

Branch was certainly the best Patriots WR of the decade.

In the playoffs, he was excellent.

 

[miDeuce]

I'd say Antowan Smith over Dillon.

 

[StraightCashHomey81]

What about Milloy's 2002 Pro Bowl season?

You mean the one where he had 0 sacks, zero forced fumbles, zero fumble recoveries, and zero picks?

 

[emoney_33]

Branch was certainly the best Patriots WR of the decade.

In the playoffs, he was excellent.

Nostalgia aside, he is not close to Moss or Welker. BTW he was invisible in 50% of his playoff games.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

You mean the one where he had 0 sacks, zero forced fumbles, zero fumble recoveries, and zero picks?

Yeah, after which Bill cut him...

Hard to decipher what this all decade accolade encompasses. Most accomplished, most talented, I mean someone played RT on those 3 championship teams and I know it wasn't Kaczur...

I know a decade spans 10 years and that can lead to perspective issues but for example Branch was the MVP of the third superbowl and his QB was MVP of the second with him as the #1. And without Brown and Patten Brady and Belichick never get to the first. Without Branch and Givens...

Undefeated was nice...while it lasted. We'd won more than 18 consecutive before, just not in one regular season.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Nostalgia aside, he is not close to Moss or Welker. BTW he was invisible in 50% of his playoff games.

I really don't think you want to go there emoney...

Branch tied with Jerry Rice for SB receptions...

 

[Patsrock]

Yeah, after which Bill cut him...

Hard to decipher what this all decade accolade encompasses. Most accomplished, most talented, I mean someone played RT on those 3 championship teams and I know it wasn't Kaczur...

RT on SB winning teams
Randall
Ashworth
Gorin

 

[emoney_33]

I really don't think you want to go there emoney...

Branch tied with Jerry Rice for SB receptions...

Well I will go there quite easily. You have to get to the SB to get SB receptions, it's relatively meaningless happenstance. There is no magical clutch that makes a guy somehow MORE capable athlete in the SB.

Jerry Rice was the best, but his SB receptions were happenstance in the sense that he also happened to play with great QBs and great teams.

 

[Prufrock]

I would have put in Ted Washington over Wilfork.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I wonder if the backup QB would've been Cassel or Bledsoe.

 

[Patsrock]

I really don't think you want to go there emoney...

Branch tied with Jerry Rice for SB receptions...

In a game yes. Along with Welker, Ross. In a career he still is 12 behind. Vrabel and Givens have more TD's.

Branch had 2 awesome SB games. Welker has played 7 less games in a Pats uniform and has 133 more catches. Moss has played 5 less games and has 37 more catched but has 33 more TD's. So I would give them both the nod over Branch. I also would take Brown over Branch just because Troy Brown did more than Branch did.

 

[upstater1]

Nostalgia aside, he is not close to Moss or Welker. BTW he was invisible in 50% of his playoff games.

He produced more. He got open.

I mean, invisible in 50% of playoff games? Can you really use that criteria?

Randy Moss has 12 receptions for 132 yards in 4 playoff games for the Patriots.

Deion Branch was 41 receptions for 629 yards in 8 playoff games for the Patriots.

Branch has twice as much production in the playoffs.

And when you look at the 4 out 7 playoff games that he had big numbers in, Branch played great against Carolina in the SB, Pitt in the 04 CG, Philly in the SB, and Denver in the 05 loss. His non-factor performances all came early in the playoffs against teams the Patriots beat. In other words, Branch produced in the big games.

Who is the best WR of the decade when it came to Patriots regular season? Well, certainly not Branch. He doesn't have the production.
Who is the best WR of the decade when it came to the Patriots playoffs? It's Branch. This is absolutely indisputable.

And before you argue that Branch played on Super Bowl winners, realize that the 2007 Patriots were not chopped liver. They played 3 playoff games as well, just as the team around Branch did, so we're comparing apples to apples here.

I'm always surprised at how playoff performances get short shrift compared to regular season performance.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Jerry Rice was the best, but his SB receptions were happenstance in the sense that he also happened to play with great QBs and great teams.

Happenstance my foot. Thats a silly distortion, emoney.

Joe Cool and Young were great, but their numbers and stature were equally aided by Rice's greatness in getting open. Just as Rice rumbers were aided by receiving passes from HoF QBs.