Troy B. on practice week of 2007 SB. Heads not right. (link)

scott99 said:

It's amazing to me that a team, about to play the biggest game of the year, and for some of them, the biggest game of their careers (Moss & Seau), couldn't get their heads right ? This just blows my mind. Especially a team that was 18-0 at the time, just insanely ridiculous that they'd even admit to that.

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Troy was being a bit too global with his assertion. I'm sure some players were fine and some cracking under the 18-0 weight and BB's heightened obsessive disposition.

scott99 said:

It's amazing to me that a team, about to play the biggest game of the year, and for some of them, the biggest game of their careers (Moss & Seau), couldn't get their heads right ? This just blows my mind. Especially a team that was 18-0 at the time, just insanely ridiculous that they'd even admit to that.

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Maybe the Tomase BS story two days before the game contributed to it.

I've always felt it may have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

I just had this argument with someone on twitter. I think that by the end of that season, every game was a SB trying to stay undefeated and by the time they got to the actual SB they were mentally and emotionally exhausted. Yeah, the Gints made an unbelievable catch but the Pats didn't look like themselves. They made mistakes they never make.
This is why I don't care about being undefeated. Too much pressure. On the other hand, I don't want to lose so I don't know what to do with that.

Brady had a high ankle sprain, sure that didn't help the team's mental approach.

There were some odd comments leading up to the game that certainly indicated that their heads were not in their normal laser focused state. I remember Tedy Bruschi, of all people, saying something about their "chance to make history" when he, all team leaders in fact, and BB were always focused on doing you job for one game while ignoring all the hype about how that one game changes history, or not.

I'm not blaming Tedy, I guess it's human nature to let it get to you some.

We can't ever know, but I suspect that if we had gone into that game 17-1 instead of 18-0, we'd have sealed the deal. Just a little added pressure, then the added distraction of Tomase was the last straw.

excuse me while I go puke.

patsfan13 said:

Brady had a high ankle sprain, sure that didn't help the team's mental approach.

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Yeah. Way too many people forget all about that. That ankle destroying his mobility made him a sitting duck for the NYG pass rush, especially after Neal went down. If Brady was healthy and Neal didn't get injured, they win that game. Not easily, but they win it. Despite everything else going on.

Hoodie said:

I just had this argument with someone on twitter. I think that by the end of that season, every game was a SB trying to stay undefeated and by the time they got to the actual SB they were mentally and emotionally exhausted. Yeah, the Gints made an unbelievable catch but the Pats didn't look like themselves. They made mistakes they never make.
This is why I don't care about being undefeated. Too much pressure. On the other hand, I don't want to lose so I don't know what to do with that.

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Perfectly stated. My thoughts exactly. Although I would like to think that if this became a possibility that BB and Brady would not be as flustered by it as they have been through it before.

NashuaPats said:

I don't understand how he still has a job covering Boston sports. I haven't read any of his articles for years. People need to boycott him.

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LOL, I thought you meant Troy Brown. I was thinking, "Gee, that's kind of mean. I like Troy a lot." I haven't read the other guy in years and thought he had moved on. He should if he hasn't.

Tony2046 said:

Perfectly stated. My thoughts exactly. Although I would like to think that if this became a possibility that BB and Brady would not be as flustered by it as they have been through it before.

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If they are 18-0 and down 21-20 with :01 seconds left and Gost has a 50 yarder....

1/2 of New England would need to go on Vasotec just to recover

robertweathers said:

If they are 18-0 and down 21-20 with :01 seconds left and Gost has a 50 yarder....

1/2 of New England would need to go on Vasotec just to recover

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My blood pressure is elevated just reading your hypothetical.

That Giants Pats regular season game was played like it was the Super Bowl. That was one of the most entertaining regular season games ever played. Pats never refilled the gas tank after that game. Moss never was the same player and that was a big reason why those JAX, SD, and NYG playoff games were more competitive than they needed to be.