The Gr8est
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
- Messages
- 9,344
- Reaction score
- 12,244
As we get more time to digest this and recover from the shell shock of surviving the ups and downs of a tough fought NFL season, endure the innuendos from the haters, and snatch a great SB victory from the jaws of defeat, we start thinking about themes that we may not have noticed in the moment.
During the video my thoughts were brought back to the 2001 season when we lost our franchise QB for the season in the second week and the Pats were now 0-2 and were going to have to rely on a 6th round draft pick going forward.
As a long time Pats follower, and being conditioned to events such as these I responded with thinking "OK this season is lost, let's lose out and get ourselves a franchise changing player in the draft."
I learned a big lesson that season that I never forgot, nothing good comes from losing, winning is a mind set and a culture, and that is a hard thing to change, and getting a high pick doesn't do that most of the time. How many times have the teams picking high had their fortune turned around 180 degrees by virtue of that pick? The answer, not very often, and losing becomes a bad habit.
This is a bit of a detour to getting to the main point, in 2001 the Pats began a dynasty with a young QB who came in and took over when things were dark and gloomy. Starting 0-2 and losing the heart of your team for the season is not generally conducive to winning a Superbowl.
We all know what happened after that injury; the Pats happened.
Now 13 seasons later that young QB has grown into a wizened veteran, who while he has become a sure first ballot HOFer, hasn't won a Lombardi for what seems like ages. We are always in the chase to the end, but have come up short for any number of reasons.
This season this future HOFer started the season looking mortal. There were cries for his head and suggestions that it may be time to play the 2nd round pick chosen just this past off-season.
The Pats were a shaky 2-2 and had just gotten demolished on national TV by the Chiefs, a loss so bad that Brady was pulled in the fourth quarter. The many haters who we all knew were just waiting for the chance to pounce, bared their teeth and claws and went for the Pats' jugular.
"The Pats just aren't good any more" gleefully proclaimed Trent Dilfer, and the media onslaught was on.
But a funny thing happened to the Pats on the way to the graveyard of NFL history; they began winning, and winning big. Slowly the haters faded back into their shadows, temporarily silenced, but biding their time for their next opportunity.
Their next opportunity was Deflategate, a media and haters contrived witch hunt. That's all I'm saying about that, because the important part is this.
Thirteen years ago the Pats followed a young, soon to be great QB, to a SB win, and subsequent dynasty, after they had suffered an apparent mortal wound, now, after looking decidedly mortal, to the haters glee, the aging warrior QB pulled this years Pats off their deathbed and led them to an incredible SB victory, sealed at the end by an absolutely incredible play, and the Pats finally ended their SB drought.
The first time this happened thirteen years ago, the Pats won three Superbowls in four years, now in this latest edition the Pats finally got back to their Superbowl winning ways, and that begs the question.
Can the Pats bookend Brady's career with dynasties?
Who knows, but we got the first, and there may be just enough magic left in TFB's body, and this young, still improving team, to pull it off.
I am looking forward to being there for the ride.
During the video my thoughts were brought back to the 2001 season when we lost our franchise QB for the season in the second week and the Pats were now 0-2 and were going to have to rely on a 6th round draft pick going forward.
As a long time Pats follower, and being conditioned to events such as these I responded with thinking "OK this season is lost, let's lose out and get ourselves a franchise changing player in the draft."
I learned a big lesson that season that I never forgot, nothing good comes from losing, winning is a mind set and a culture, and that is a hard thing to change, and getting a high pick doesn't do that most of the time. How many times have the teams picking high had their fortune turned around 180 degrees by virtue of that pick? The answer, not very often, and losing becomes a bad habit.
This is a bit of a detour to getting to the main point, in 2001 the Pats began a dynasty with a young QB who came in and took over when things were dark and gloomy. Starting 0-2 and losing the heart of your team for the season is not generally conducive to winning a Superbowl.
We all know what happened after that injury; the Pats happened.
Now 13 seasons later that young QB has grown into a wizened veteran, who while he has become a sure first ballot HOFer, hasn't won a Lombardi for what seems like ages. We are always in the chase to the end, but have come up short for any number of reasons.
This season this future HOFer started the season looking mortal. There were cries for his head and suggestions that it may be time to play the 2nd round pick chosen just this past off-season.
The Pats were a shaky 2-2 and had just gotten demolished on national TV by the Chiefs, a loss so bad that Brady was pulled in the fourth quarter. The many haters who we all knew were just waiting for the chance to pounce, bared their teeth and claws and went for the Pats' jugular.
"The Pats just aren't good any more" gleefully proclaimed Trent Dilfer, and the media onslaught was on.
But a funny thing happened to the Pats on the way to the graveyard of NFL history; they began winning, and winning big. Slowly the haters faded back into their shadows, temporarily silenced, but biding their time for their next opportunity.
Their next opportunity was Deflategate, a media and haters contrived witch hunt. That's all I'm saying about that, because the important part is this.
Thirteen years ago the Pats followed a young, soon to be great QB, to a SB win, and subsequent dynasty, after they had suffered an apparent mortal wound, now, after looking decidedly mortal, to the haters glee, the aging warrior QB pulled this years Pats off their deathbed and led them to an incredible SB victory, sealed at the end by an absolutely incredible play, and the Pats finally ended their SB drought.
The first time this happened thirteen years ago, the Pats won three Superbowls in four years, now in this latest edition the Pats finally got back to their Superbowl winning ways, and that begs the question.
Can the Pats bookend Brady's career with dynasties?
Who knows, but we got the first, and there may be just enough magic left in TFB's body, and this young, still improving team, to pull it off.
I am looking forward to being there for the ride.
Last edited:
