I finally did it. I watched the AFC Championship Game again

[3 to be 4]

there is no way im blaming the offense. Not when they scored 34 points, well, 27, since 7 came on Asante's INT.

the difference I think between the Patriots losing that game and winning a 4th Super Bowl can be boiled down to 3 words.

Richard Seymour's injury.

His going down during the first series, and never returning to full strength, was the huge, underplayed difference.

even so, they nearly beat the Colts in Indianapolis. Now add a healthy Seymour, and Adalius Thomas, not to mention a returned Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson. And add Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, the other FA pickups and 2 first round draft picks....

c'mon, im ready for some football!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Boston Jay]

Oh jeez. You are brave. I skipped the Broncos game coverage on the SBXL DVD and I will probably never watch that game.. well not for a decade anyway.

 

[3 to be 4]

Oh jeez. You are brave. I skipped the Broncos game coverage on the SBXL DVD and I will probably never watch that game.. well not for a decade anyway.

agreed. the only time I have TAPED OVER a Patriots playoff game. I was so disgusted by it.

 

[AVrabel50Fan]

Wow, I agree, you are brave!
I was on vacation at Disney during the AFC game and watched the game at ESPN with a bunch of Patriots fans! Around the end of the 3rd quarter, I left (I get so nervous watching the Pats in these games), so I listened to the rest on Sirius while on the way to Kissimmee.

I still haven't watched the end of the game...I just can't do it. I even avoided all the newspapers for weeks after. It is so heartbreaking to think that we were so close.

On a side note...it was awesome at Disney World though..there were so many people wearing Patriots jerseys. I was wearing my Vrabel, my son was wearing Brady, my husband was wearing Harrison and my daughter was wearing Bruschi and this kid walked by with his parents and says, "Look it is the Patriots family!" It was funny.

 

[rabthepat]

I still can't watch it. It is still too painful. We were so close to our 4th Superbowl. Just thinking about it, I see Reche Caldwell wide open on the top of my TV screen waiving his arms for Tom to quick snap the ball and throw it to him for a TD. I was screaming for Tom to take the free TD the Dolts were offering us. But no, it did not happen. I still mutter to myself, "How can the NFL's worst run defense when a championship?"

 

[He Ban Me]

I still can't watch it. It is still too painful. We were so close to our 4th Superbowl. Just thinking about it, I see Reche Caldwell wide open on the top of my TV screen waiving his arms for Tom to quick snap the ball and throw it to him for a TD. I was screaming for Tom to take the free TD the Dolts were offering us. But no, it did not happen. I still mutter to myself, "How can the NFL's worst run defense when a championship?"

Caldwell would not have scored, although they probably get first and goal. IMO, Tom saw him, but just stood there, when, IMO, he should have flown his butt to the end zone.

 

[AirForcePatFan]

I can't watch it... We lost the game because of defense... I mean, we had some guys in the backfield that I didn't even know was on the team playing out there... I can not ever remember a BB defense EVER giving up points like that... I can't watch that game or the Denver game, although Denver game was all Brady, the defense that night played a pretty good game.

 

[brdmaverick]

we lost the AFC Championship Game?

the only thing I remember is Ellis Hobbs dancing on the Chargers field, lol.

 

[He Ban Me]

I can't watch it... We lost the game because of defense... I mean, we had some guys in the backfield that I didn't even know was on the team playing out there... I can not ever remember a BB defense EVER giving up points like that... I can't watch that game or the Denver game, although Denver game was all Brady, the defense that night played a pretty good game.

How did you feel about the Colts Pats regular season game? While the Colts didn't put up 32 in the game, let alone a half, I think Manning completed 5 pass plays of 25 yards or more (I cannot remember specifics, but it was something like that, maybe 6 plays). Anyway, when is the last time you saw a BB defense do that? IMO, Colts were on their way to that again, but the Pats corners/safties made MANY clutch plays to break up some big plays. Plus the Colts just missed on a few. Case in point was Colts first series when Addai gets by Tedy, and almost comes down with the ball and a 25-30 yarder.

 

[Patjew]

I will never watch any part of that game again. I have literally repressed parts of it- I barely remember the second half, and I was stone sober. The mind is amazing.

 

[richpats]

Try being a Ravens or Chargers fan after last year's playoffs. Those teams haven't won playoff games in years and both let their inferior opponents off the hook with some bad play and bad coaching. And at home no less.

Just remember that the Pats really had no business playing in that game in the first place. Watching Brady for most of the SD game was excruciating. We had some good fortune in SD and bad fortune in Indy.

Next season we get HFA and take care of business

 

[BionicPatriot]

I will never watch any part of that game again. I have literally repressed parts of it- I barely remember the second half, and I was stone sober. The mind is amazing.

It really is. Because seriously the only thing I clearly remember was watching Addai friggin jog into the endzone and Sanders picking off Brady, or whoever it was. Outside of that, it's like a big, big blur.

I'll take a kick in the nuts and the face, 10 more times of the Denver loss before I'll ever take just one loss like that again to the Colts. The sad part is I'm not lieing.

 

[Brady to Brown]

The day after the Colts game I was watching tv and saw a Dungy interview. When asked about the game he said that the Patriots made a big mistake. I have been waiting to see or heard about this big mistake Dungy spoke of but I have not seen anything yet. Did anyone else see this interview or know what Dungy was refering to?

 

[MrClutch]

I'll just pretend as if I didn't see this thread

 

[homerpatsfan]

ditto isaw names i didnt even know, trying to coverguys ,and not doing very good. i couldnt believe that could happen in the title game.

 

[richpats]

The day after the Colts game I was watching tv and saw a Dungy interview. When asked about the game he said that the Patriots made a big mistake. I have been waiting to see or heard about this big mistake Dungy spoke of but I have not seen anything yet. Did anyone else see this interview or know what Dungy was refering to?

Dungy is being very generous if he only meant ONE mistake.

The 12 men in the huddle penalty stands out the most. I mean crappy defense and dropped balls can happen, but c'mon 11 on 11 guys.

The offense doesn't deserve the majority of blame but in typical Pats fashion, we put the offense back in 1st gear when we had a big lead. Same thing happened in Indy in '03, only we made the big stop at the end. This time we didn't.

 

[satz]

I did watch it to my amazement the ILB weakness was not their in the field till hawkins and sanders were replaced by their back up .the whole defence cracked.It was my way of confirming that the defence cracked due to injuries.Eric alexander got so much flack but when you watch the game you see with hawkins and sanders he was very effective .THe lack of safety help made the ILB look weaker.
Again , my observation if hawkins and sanders were back we would have won another 1.But its just a game and their is always next year.I do not think a play should be made the scape goat for a loss.Common if we had branch and he was in 3rd down against SD do you think he would have stripped the ball as troy did.Not a chance!!!

 

[IndyKen]

I will never watch any part of that game again. I have literally repressed parts of it- I barely remember the second half, and I was stone sober. The mind is amazing.

I'm with you. I have never watched even one second of that game on replay and probably never will. I'm totally focused on the future.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I can't even read this thread.
I was in FL and hosted a Pats TV party for NE friends.
That game cost me thousand$ as I then changed my plans and stayed longer in FL just to avoid attending a SuperBowl party in the back home neighborhood that I'd previously been invited to.
I just TRIED to pretend there was no such thing as football for a while.

 

[richpats]

Again , my observation if hawkins and sanders were back we would have won another 1.

Considering we had our backups to our backups playing safety, that gives you a pretty good idea what kind of trouble our defense was in.