Missing Ted Johnson in the last 3 seasons playoffs

[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.

 

[BadMoFo]

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

Damn ted johnson.

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

 

[JoePats]

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

Damn ted johnson.

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]

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.

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]

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.

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]

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.

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

 

[Ring 6]

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]

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.

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.

 

[Rob0729]

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

You can't assume that any one player would have made a difference like that. Besides, Johnson was more of a run stuffing specialist. The Giants only ran on third down once. I still don't know if Ted Johnson would have made a difference.

 

[dhamz]

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

Yeah I'm serious.

You may have missed the final drive since you think the running game was a big factor with 3rd down conversions. The Giants ran once on the drive on a 4th and maybe a foot - a play where Wilfork hit Jacobs behind the line and he fell forward for the 1st down. Maybe you think Johnson was going to be quicker to that hole than Wilfork and hit Jacobs further behind the line. I just don't see it.

Other than that play, Johnosn or any run stuffer would never have gotten off the bench on the final drive.

 

[signbabybrady]

Too bad we still didn't have John Hannah he would have really helped us win that game.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Yeah I'm serious.

You may have missed the final drive since you think the running game was a big factor with 3rd down conversions. The Giants ran once on the drive on a 4th and maybe a foot - a play where Wilfork hit Jacobs behind the line and he fell forward for the 1st down. Maybe you think Johnson was going to be quicker to that hole than Wilfork and hit Jacobs further behind the line. I just don't see it.

Other than that play, Johnosn or any run stuffer would never have gotten off the bench on the final drive.

Maybe not but I do know this - The front 3 had virtually no pressure all game and sucked and were dominated by an offensive line that bullied and beat them all game and a good hard hitting linebacker would have been nice to have in there to help out,It would definately not have hurt.

 

[Clonamery]

Must suck to be stuck in a world of "If."

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I like Bryan Cox better. he was a crazy dude

 

[pats1]

If you mean a Ted Johnson in his prime, how would that have helped the Pats? The ILBs stopping the run wasn't really an issue at all. And that's all TJ could do.

If you mean a 35-year old TJ with painkiller addiction and concussion problems, give me a break.

 

[PittPatriot]

I feel bad for the guy. The whole concussion thing followed by accusations he was forced to play by BB...and then the whole domestic squabble leading to the arrest of he and his now Ex-wife.

The guy was a stud player and his legacy will always be going 3/4 in SuperBowls and fortifying the middle of our defense.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Please...... Ted Johnson looked totally lost out there in his final season 3 yrs ago. Poor Teddy shows signs of Alzheimer's disease, so thinking that he could be here right now contributing is just impossible. If only Tippett and Vincent Brown were still in their prime, that would be totally sweet - we'd dominate! Oh, and if only the Pats had access to a time machine.

 

[Ring 6]

Maybe not but I do know this - The front 3 had virtually no pressure all game and sucked and were dominated by an offensive line that bullied and beat them all game and a good hard hitting linebacker would have been nice to have in there to help out,It would definately not have hurt.

What game were you watching? They had 3 points through 3 quarters. And they scored their 2 4th quarter TDs by throwing for 152 yards.
When were they being dominated, bullied, and beat.
Which of our linebackers would you take out in order to put in the guy who we converted Roman Phifer into an ILB at 37 years old to play ahead of?

This is a silly discussion.