Change the result of any playoff game in Pats history... at a price

[slam]

Here's my contribution to the offseason slow time threads. Which Pats playoff game in history would you choose to have gone the other way. Whichever game you choose to reverse, the Pats would inherit all the success of the team that won in reality. However, the price you have to pay is that you must give back an equal or greater magnitude game in return, and that team inherits the Patriot's success. So if you have the Pats win an AFC Championship game that they actually lost resulting in another Super Bowl, you must give back at least an AFC Championship game in a Super Bowl winning year.

Somehow this messing around with the timestream has no effect beyond the years in question. The same players are kept and released, the same coaches move or stay.

So my game that I will reverse is the 2006 AFC Championship. Peyton's comeback falls short, and the Pats go on to trounce the Bears in the Super Bowl. Peyton spends the rest of his career as the pre-emininent choke artist of all time before somehow landing a pity win as ballast in the last game of his career.

The game I will give back is from the first Super Bowl year. No, not the AFC Championship. I don't want to give the Steelers another championship. I will give an extra week and reverse the Snow Game. The Raiders go on to beat the Steelers and upset the Rams. Then Gruden immediately ditches them to go to Tampa, setting up next season's Super Bowl trouncing by the Bucs. The Raiders are then rendered irrelevant until 2016, wondering what could have been if Gruden stayed. Belichick somehow weathers the popular sentiment that Bledsoe should have been given the job back over Brady and still sends away Drew. Now Tom takes two years of starting before breaking through in 2003, 2004, and 2006 before Spygate and everything that follows that.

If given this power, what would your pick be?

 

[Julius]

The Pats blow the SuperBowl vs the Eagles, but complete the 18-0 Season.

 

[supafly]

The Pats blow the SuperBowl vs the Eagles, but complete the 18-0 Season.

Sounds about right. I agree with the OP that the '06 AFCCG loss is right up there for me too, though. Probably #2 behind the 2007 SB loss.

 

[jmt57]

Excruciatingly difficult hypothetical trade:

1.) Patriots win the Ben Dreith game when robbed of what would have later resulted in a Super Bowl victory following the 1976 season.

2.) In exchange, one has to give up the 2001 Snow game and let the Raiders (or Steelers) play the Rams in Super 36.



Some thoughts:

- For those too young to remember the 200th centennial, I understand that the vote on this trade off makes your objective answer nearly impossible. While your input is more than welcome, please at least attempt to consider the circumstances.

- Does waiting 41 years for a championship make that celebration better? Or does having that one ring make the interim more tolerable?

- Fans don't have to wait much longer than '01, since the Patriots still win SB 38 and 39 (and 49, and 51, etc.)

 

[VectorPrime]

I'll trade 2004 for 2007 any day of the week. No doubt about it.

 

[drewskie]

Would trade the Snow Game for SB42.

Who knows if we go out and get Moss/Welker if we dont blow the AFCC at Indy...

 

[ALP]

yeah...id trade any superbowl for 2007 (even 2001, and that's the toughest one to give back)

 

[signbabybrady]

01 has to stay

Giving up 03 or 04 means no 3 out 4 but if it gave me an undefeated season then so be it. But I actually think I would rather keep these intact.

So that leaves 14 or 16. Too hard to give up the epic come back. So for me as hard as it is to do I'd trade Seattle for the undefeated season.

Think about it 14 becomes less needed if we had won in 07 as the drought would have been shorter. The win in 16 still serves as the cherry and grrr to mention but still gives post deflategate redemption.

Now you could argue the win over Seattle was a better win vs a better team than Atl but imo that comeback trumps it.

In the end we still have 5. We still have the comeback. We still have 3 out of 4. And then we'd have undefeated too. All we loose is the Butler play.

Truthfully though as sweet as 19-0 would have been I don't think I'd trade anything. This teams story is amazing as is. That sting doesn't go away but it made 4 and 5 as sweet if not sweeter than the first.

 

[nabwong]

I want the superbowl in 2007. It would mean the perfect season and taking away Eli's shot at the HOF.

01 - Hell no. No way I'd concede to Faulk and Warner.
03 - Maybe...but to lose to Jake Delhomme. Can't do it.
04 - Don't mind Andy Reid winning one. I'll trade this one.
14 - No way i'll trade that butler pick and a 10pt comeback against that D.
16 - My favorite superbowl. This one made Brady the undisputed GOAT.

04 for 07.

 

[bbobbo]

i hate to give up any of the patriots super bowl wins, so...1996 for 2009. the '96 patriots lose the divisional game to the steelers. the '09 patriots make it to SB XLIV and lose to the saints. gives tom brady one more super bowl appearance and 3 more playoff wins.

i would have chosen the '85 patriots, but that means the jets beat them in the WC and make it to the super bowl, so can't have that happen.
.

 

[Joey007]

I'd trade that 07 Super Bowl for Goddamn anything.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Trade 2003 for 2007. Pats pulled a lot of those 2003 games out of their butts, so the narrative simply becomes "Bag of clutch plays simply ran out during SB38." 2004 becomes the "Unfinished Business Tour". Assuming 2006 ends the same way, 2007 is also viewed as a UBT. After 2015 got away from the Pats, this latest title then is not just remembered as the greatest comeback, but also as "Another example of how nobody handles unfinished business like New England."

Regards,
Chris

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I'd trade that 07 Super Bowl for Goddamn anything.

Strange that many of us have experienced the paradox of the greatest run in modern sports and also the biggest single game disappointment.

Would you trade a SB42 victory for (any) TWO other Super Bowl losses? Four championships including the perfect season, or five championships including the biggest missed opportunity? Now that's a tough question.

Because of the undefeated aspect of the 2007 season, it is difficult to compare that loss to any other franchises, but in fact many teams have not won the SB with their best overall team from top to bottom...they've just peaked at the right time of the season and gotten some luck.

2004 Steelers were much better than the 2005 Steelers and also better than the 2008 Steelers.

2006 Colts was one of their worst teams in that long run of contenders. The 2005, 2007, and 2009 teams were all much better.

2010 Packers peaked at the end of the season, it the 2011 and 2014 teams were better by a wide margin.

2008 Giants were the best of the Coughlin era, not that it's saying much. Just a lucky couple of runs, particularly in 2011.

2012 Ravens were really not a great team compared to the previous four variations (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.). The 2012 team was falling apart at the end of the year and had stacked up injuries.

2015 Broncos were definitely not the best of the Manning mini-era. That defense finally reached its potential in the postseason, but overall they were nowhere as good as the other the preceding three seasons. A whole bunch of close victories.

 

[everlong]

Since the Raiders was only the divisional round I'd trade that for any divisional win where they lost in the AFCCG. Maybe they don't win the SB but an 8 year old me would love to have known.

I'd trade the 2006 AFFCG for the 1985 AFCCG. The Pats would have beaten the 06 Bears vs getting destroyed by the 85 Bears, plus who doesn't love symmetry.

I'd trade the 96 AFCCG for the 15 AFFCG. Odds are the Pats beat Carolina and Parcels could have made his moving plans that much earlier, all right?

As much as I want to trade one of the other SBs for 07 I don't know that I can. I can't imagine giving Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner rings. Dexter Mccleon "Tom Brady, overrated". Ditto for Ricky "a dynasty is born tonight" Phoehl X2 even though I don't hate him I love when they show him saying that. That Carolina team that talked so much smack? No, thanks. Donovan "puke" McNabb or Freddie "that was a safety covering you" Mitchell? There's some *****es on that Giants team as well but I think because of 14 and 16 I've moved on from 07 and in some ways 07 made those latter two championships even sweeter.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Trade 2011 AFCCG win v BAL for the 2006 AFCCG win. They beat that Bears team in the SB. That way they have 6 banners.

As much as I want that 07 team to have a title, I won't sacrefice a SB win for another. However, seeing the 85 Patriots beating that Bears team in SB 20 would be the upset of the century. I was a teenager back then....when football was just a game and not a $14b monster.

 

[DarrylS]

Cannot imagine any scenario where I would trade the Snow Bowl for any game.. this was the game, imo, that solidified this team as a champion and winners under any adversity.

After 41 years(mostly of futility and idiocy) to have won this game was beyond my wildest dream for this franchise..

 

[sb1]

No brainer for me.

Lose to the Chargers in the 06 divisional round if it means we beat the freaking Jets in 2010.

 

[borg]

I'll trade 2004 for 2007 any day of the week. No doubt about it.

Because I consider the Patriots' 2004 championship team the organization's greatest all-time team, I can't toss the 2004 Super Bowl win.....but......I'd do the 2003 for 2007 swap every day of the week.
Even then....I'd still elevate 2004 over an undefeated 2007 SB champion ...JMHO
History would inevitably classify the undefeated 2007 NE SB champs as the greatest NFL team of all time...but I would still give it to the '85 Bears.

Now...if this exercise allowed us to pick the new score in the title game ....and the '07 Pats beat the NYG 49-0.........then prepare the elevator to the Pantheon of Gods and tell Zeus to move over, BB wants the center throne.

PS....the one monkey that still stands on both the Patriots ' and Brady's back is the reality that NE has never humiliated a team in the SB via a blow out. My suggestion for BB and company....try scoring in the 1st quarter of a SB.

 

[lancerman]

Realistically I wouldn't.

You lose the 01 you lose probably the most important season in franchise history and the Cinderella season.

You lose 03 or 04 you lose the back to back that created the dynasty and probably are most impressive 2 season run ever (even if 04 wasn't an impressive Super Bowl it was the toughest playoff series we ever had and probably the peak Patriots team).

You lose 14 and now Seattle's a dynasty like team and they just beat Peyton and Brady back to back. So we aren't even the top team anymore nor the last team to repeat. Also one of the most important plays in franchise and NFL history don't happen.

You lose 16 and what will go down as the greatest comeback of all time and arguable greatest Super Bowl of all time that firmly established Brady and Belichick as a tier above the rest gets wiped out.

It would have been nice to have 07, but in the grandscheme of things, the overall narrative of a Cinderella team rising up and beating a juggernaut becoming a dynasty, having a few set backs, and then coming back with two of the greatest Super Bowl wins with arguably the most memorable play in Super Bowl history and most memorable game in Super Bowl history is better than getting the undefeated season is better to me. Nobody is going to forget the 07 team EVER. Even if it didn't work out for us at the very end. And taking Manning's best win away isn't worth losing what we have.

If 03 wasn't part of a back to back and our giant winning streak maybe a consider it. If 14 didn't have the comeback and the Butler play and the Seahawks weren't on the verge of having a dynasty (where we stopped them where Manning got stomped) I might consider one of those. However, losing those changes the way we look at the early years of the team or the latter years of the team and 06 was far more important to Manning than it ever would be to us and 07 is still something we will be get some measure of credit for. Sucks but it is what it is. I like where we are at now and wouldn't go around and pick and choose.

There's no game I'd change that doesn't result in a Super Bowl and there's no Super Bowl that isn't important enough to flippantly reverse. Even if we get 07, then the Giants still beat us in 11.

 

[Biffins]

I'll take beating the Raiders in 76 and taking all the success that came the raiders way from '76-'83 (won multiple championships in '76, '80 and '83) and swap that for a loss to the Dolphins in 85 and let Marino deal with those Bears and let Dolphins take our horrible legacy/ performance from '87-'93 when we didn't make the playoffs.