1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

Who remembers the bizarre final few weeks of the 1977 season, another year when the Patriots were in a tight 3-way battle for the division titles and tiebreakers were the dominant discussion.

This was the year following the amazing 1976 season and going into it the Patriots fans and the media were gushing about a possible Super Bowl season.

It was marred by a holdout by Leon Gray and John Hannah to start the season and the Patriots stumbled out to a disappointing 5-4 start. But finally they caught their stride and won 3 straight. With 2 weeks remaining, the standings were:
Baltimore 9-3
Miami 9-3
New England 8-4

The Patriots seemed to have their destiny in their own hands. Their final 2 games would home to Miami and at Baltimore. The Colts were playing at home on Week 13 to the weak Detroit Lions and the Dolphins were playing a weak Buffalo team at home Week 14. If the Patriots won their 2 games against their rivals it seemed assured the 3 teams would all finish 10-4 and the Patriots would win the AFC East on tiebreakers.

It all started perfectly. The Patriots scored on their first 2 possessions and rode those touchdowns to a 14-10 victory at Foxboro over Miami. Patriot fans were ecstatic about the chance to go to Baltimore and win the division the next week.
Then, the news APPEARED to get even better. In the last minutes of play, the Lions blocked a Colts punt and ran it in for the score that upset Baltimore!!
This was great, right?? It was now a 3 way tie at 9-4.

But wait a minute.........after tiebreakers were pondered it was realized that this was disatrous for New England. Now if the Patriots beat the Colts, and Miami won as expected against the Bills on Saturday, Miami and New England would both finish 10-4. In a 2 way tie with Miami, MIAMI would beat New England on tiebreakers. If the Colts had created a 3-way tie, The Patriots would have won.

Incredibly, The Patriots were virtually eliminated because Baltimore LOST!!!!

as us oldtimers would often say, this could only happen to the Patriots.

The next Saturday the Patriots were officially eliminated when the Dolphins crushed the Bills. Then on sunday, to rub salt in the wound, the Patriots were screwed when a Bert Jones fumble was called not a fumble and the Colts won the AFC East. Ironically, the team that was really screwed by the blown call was Miami, who would have won the division with a Patriots victory.

I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Hopefully this season will end better!!!!!

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

Out of all of that, I only remember the Colts-Patriots game when Bert Jones DIDN'T fumble.

I became a fan in 1976 at the age of 9.

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

sadly, all i remember were the holdouts.

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

Man, did I ever hate that smug doofus Bert Jones.

It's SO easy to forget the 4 decades of nightmarish frustration that preceeded the 2001 Patriots.

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

i feel blessed to have not had to go through the first 15 years of it. But I had my share:
1974 - team starts off 5-0 and 6-1. finishes 7-7
1976 - Playoff nightmare
1977- See above
1978 - they finally win AFC East. then the Sullivan/Fairbanks nightmare
1979 - team chokes up playoff spot
1980 - starts 6-1, chokes up another playoff spot
1981- 2-14
1983 - loses final game at Seattle to finish out of playoffs
1984- starts 8-4, loses 3 straight
1985 - Magical season up to Super Bowl 46-10 loss. Drug scandal.
1986 - playoff loss at Denver
1988 - team on a roll with Flutie, Berry decides at the end, what the heck, lets change QB's. Loss at Denver out of the playoffs
1989 thru 1992 - need I say more????

things changed when Parcells was hired, we had ups and downs but you felt like, for the first time, there was some football credibility coming,

finally in 2001, Brady to Brown, Adams kick, and it all changed.....

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

Nice recount of a tough finish...

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

I remember a 4 O'Clock game at Foxboro when they beat the Colts 17-3. It was National TV game with Curt Gowdy doing the call and I thought to myself how the Patriots had finally arrived.

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

I remember well. I also remember how darn-near homicidal I was when Berry sat Flutie. The fans were screaming for Flutie, and I remember watching Berry turn to face the crowd and do everything but flip them off.

It's no wonder I drink. Sigh. I hide the grey hair by shaving it off. :)

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

But that 1981 team was by far and away the best 2 win team in NFL history!!!

Re: 1977: Another 3-way race and a bizarre conclusion
 

didnt Ron Airhead say something like that? I remember they lost a lot of close games. And they were 4-0 in preseason.