Ugliest Win in Brady-Belichick Era

[brdmaverick]

With the current state of the NFL, actual football is rather slow these days. Many threads have been made regarding your favorite Patriots games, but what do you think has been the Patriots ugliest win in the Brady-Belichick Era.

I realize that "ugly" in the football sense can have many meanings (game they had no right winning, penalty filled game, worst defensive game, worst offensive game, most boring game), so I'll leave that up to you. What game was the ugliest win in terms of your definition of ugly.


I would strongly consider the 2010 Patriots - Chargers game to be their ugliest win.

I chose this game for the following reasons.......

1.) The loss appeared to be more a result of the Chargers playing poorly than the Pats playing well. (P.Rivers backwards lateral recovered by Pats, Chargers wide receiver spiking the ball after the catch even though he had not been downed). Those were mental errors, not great defense. [side note: McCourty's pick - well that was great defense]

2.) Near disaster. Dispite the Chargers playing terrible, they had a furious rally in the fourth quarter that only Kris Brown could ruin.

3.) No offensive rhythm - The offense was in a funk all day. With the exception of 1 long TD drive, their points were all basically setup by turnovers. Oh, and that one long TD drive was helped by a Chargers personal foul. Again - mental mistake by the Chargers instead of good play by the Pats.

 

[Froob]

Without putting too much thought into it 2006 opener vs bills 19-17.

 

[Dufflebagz]

We've had too many "ugly" wins over the past 10 years to pick a clear cut "ugliest". The Chargers game last season was probably one of them though.

 

[LetsGoPats36]

The 9-3 win over Cleveland in 03 stands out as ugly. Same with the Giants game from that year.

The Ravens game in 04? The Dolphins win to set the record at 21 from this year was also heinous. Brady had like >75 yards.

Buffalo 01?

 

[jmt57]

Week one win over the Chiefs in 2008 was an ugly win. ...


Other than the ones already mentioned I might consider nominating the 2001 late season 12-9 OT win at Buffalo; perhaps the 12-0 win in 2003 against the Cowboys; the 28-21 8-combined-turnovers win against the Lions in 2006; though it was Cassel and not Brady, the 2008 wins at SF and Seattle; the win two years ago at Buffalo when the wind was blowing so hard the goal posts were twisted and stadium crew were trying to hold them straight with ropes.


Tough to argue with that Charger game as the ugliest though. As Belichick said, we were lucky to get out of there with a win.

 

[khayos]

The intentional safety win over the Broncos. Giving up points to win is as ugly as it gets.

 

[Nikolai]

2001 - @ Buffalo
2007 - @ Baltimore
2007 - vs. NYJ
2009 - vs. Buffalo

 

[BradyisGod]

2003 versus the Texans. Needed 14 minutes and 19 seconds in overtime to secure the win on a 28 yard field goal. I think Santos (I think) closed the broadcast with the line, "lets get the heck out of here".

 

[TealSox]

@ Chicago 2002

"And it wasn’t over. The defense held the Bears once again giving the offense a chance for the win, albeit with no time outs and under two minutes. But when Brady threw an interception to Bryan Robinson it looked like it was over.

Hold on, the play was reviewed since Robinson fumbled and recovered and the question was, did he have possession at all.

He didn’t. The Patriots had 54 seconds in which to win the game but were facing a fourth and 3 from the Bears 30. Brady kept, made the first down and then spiked the ball.

Forty seconds, first down from the 27. Incomplete, intended for Patten.

Second down, 37 seconds left. Brady drops back, looks, looks, looks and appears to be dragged down from behind but amazingly manages to get rid of the ball for a 7-yard pick-up.

Twenty-seven seconds, third and 3 from the 20. Brady drops back again, avoids the rush, looks to the end zone and, somehow, finds David Patten just as he steps over the end line."




Read more at: Amazing comeback downs Bears, 33-30

 

[supafly]

The intentional safety win over the Broncos. Giving up points to win is as ugly as it gets.

@ Chicago 2002

"And it wasn’t over. The defense held the Bears once again giving the offense a chance for the win, albeit with no time outs and under two minutes. But when Brady threw an interception to Bryan Robinson it looked like it was over.

Hold on, the play was reviewed since Robinson fumbled and recovered and the question was, did he have possession at all.

He didn’t. The Patriots had 54 seconds in which to win the game but were facing a fourth and 3 from the Bears 30. Brady kept, made the first down and then spiked the ball.

Forty seconds, first down from the 27. Incomplete, intended for Patten.

Second down, 37 seconds left. Brady drops back, looks, looks, looks and appears to be dragged down from behind but amazingly manages to get rid of the ball for a 7-yard pick-up.

Twenty-seven seconds, third and 3 from the 20. Brady drops back again, avoids the rush, looks to the end zone and, somehow, finds David Patten just as he steps over the end line."




Read more at: Amazing comeback downs Bears, 33-30

Oh, c'mon guys!! These 2 wins were GORGEOUS.

 

[supafly]

Week one win over the Chiefs in 2008 was an ugly win. ...


Other than the ones already mentioned I might consider nominating the 2001 late season 12-9 OT win at Buffalo; perhaps the 12-0 win in 2003 against the Cowboys; the 28-21 8-combined-turnovers win against the Lions in 2006; though it was Cassel and not Brady, the 2008 wins at SF and Seattle; the win two years ago at Buffalo when the wind was blowing so hard the goal posts were twisted and stadium crew were trying to hold them straight with ropes.


Tough to argue with that Charger game as the ugliest though. As Belichick said, we were lucky to get out of there with a win.

All good examples, IMO.

 

[randomk1]

a win is a win and i don't care if it's ugly or pretty.early pats were masters of winning those ugly grind it out games which i miss to be honest.

it's the losses that bother me.

 

[PatsFan24]

What about the Thanksgiving game in 02 against the Lions? That was awful. Or Miami in 02 the last game of the season. The Packers game in 2010 was ugly. The Saints in 05.

 

[supafly]

Lots of great examples to a very debatable question.

Come to think of it, the past few times we've beaten SD have been decent examples (with the exception of 2007 week 2). Speaking of the 07 season, there are some examples there too--the BAL game was an 'ugly' win, and we really had some luck there. To me, those games are the 'pretty' ones to me. I love the comebacks in that regard, but some will surely see them as 'ugly.' It's pretty much a question of opinion though.

I'm pretty sure that the ugliest game I have seen ever in the NFL was the MNF game in Pittsburgh where the ball stuck in the mud. They beat MIA 3-0 in the lowest scoring game ever. It took place in the 07 season. That is hands down the ugliest overall NFL game, and I don't even know how you could beat that one, lol!!

Somehow Miami always ends up in those ugly games, maybe they are just overall an ugly team ?

 

[randomk1]

Lots of great examples to a very debatable question.

Come to think of it, the past few times we've beaten SD have been decent examples (with the exception of 2007 week 2). Speaking of the 07 season, there are some examples there too--the BAL game was an 'ugly' win, and we really had some luck there. To me, those games are the 'pretty' ones to me. I love the comebacks in that regard, but some will surely see them as 'ugly.' It's pretty much a question of opinion though.

I'm pretty sure that the ugliest game I have seen ever in the NFL was the MNF game in Pittsburgh where the ball stuck in the mud. They beat MIA 3-0 in the lowest scoring game ever. It took place in the 07 season. That is hands down the ugliest overall NFL game, and I don't even know how you could beat that one, lol!!

Somehow Miami always ends up in those ugly games, maybe they are just overall an ugly team ?

i definately agree on the close tough "ugly" games part. Wins like that are the ones that build character and show character.Lucky calls,ball bounces etc. are irrelevant imo because this is football and these things happen.These 09,10 teams haven't really shown that they can win against a quality opponent when things aren't going their way.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Week one win over the Chiefs in 2008 was an ugly win. ...


Other than the ones already mentioned I might consider nominating the 2001 late season 12-9 OT win at Buffalo; perhaps the 12-0 win in 2003 against the Cowboys; the 28-21 8-combined-turnovers win against the Lions in 2006; though it was Cassel and not Brady, the 2008 wins at SF and Seattle; the win two years ago at Buffalo when the wind was blowing so hard the goal posts were twisted and stadium crew were trying to hold them straight with ropes.


Tough to argue with that Charger game as the ugliest though. As elichick said, we were lucky to get out of there with a win.

You're kidding! That was one of my favourite wins of all time -- the "Tuna Bowl", the "Battle of the Bills". It was fantastic, relentless, overwhelming, unyielding defense, one huge goal-line stand, like watching a boa constrictor strangle an alligator ... [edited for too much caffeine]

 

[Spiral]

I go back to the overtime win against the Chiefs in 2002. That win really felt like a loss. The Chiefs ran the ball at will and Trent Green tore them up through the air. That game was the pin to the balloon that was the 2002 season.

 

[GostkowSKI]

Games that I don't think have been mentioned yet...

2010: Home vs. Green Bay. At the time we didn't know how good Green Bay was, but the Pats needed every last second to hang on and beat the Matt Flynn led Packers.

2009: Home vs. Carolina. Just an ugly 20-10 win, where Randy Moss was widely criticized after the game for quitting on routes.

2007: Home vs. NYJ. That was about as ugly as it got for the 2007 Pats in the regular season. Maybe I'm putting this one up there because I was expecting a bloodbath - first game vs Jets post Cameragame - but it felt like the Jets hung around far too long in that game.

2005: Home vs. Saints. The Pats weren't a great team that year, but the 2-7 Saints had no business hanging around, and the Pats needed an INT in the endzone to eventually clinch the victory. If my memory serves me correctly that's the game where afterwards we all found out that Belichick's father had passed earlier in the week.

 

[PlainOldEd]

Oh, c'mon guys!! These 2 wins were GORGEOUS.

Exactly. These were beautiful wins.

 

[stinkypete]

The 9-3 win over Cleveland in 03 stands out as ugly. Same with the Giants game from that year.

The Ravens game in 04? The Dolphins win to set the record at 21 from this year was also heinous. Brady had like >75 yards.

Buffalo 01?

The two games in '03 were the first that came to my mind.