Does it haunt you thinking about 'COULD have''s?

[oldrover]

You know what I'm talking about. Here's my take:

2001: yes
2002: no way
2003: yes
2004: yes
2005: no, didn't even make it to the AFC Championship
2006: COULD have... the Bears stunk.
2007: COULD have
2008: no way
2009: ditto
2010: see 2005
2011: COULD have
2012: no; we weren't close to beating the Ravens.

...realistically... that's 6 Lombardis instead of 3. Now... I'm thrilled with 3, and the last ten years of football have been AWESOME. But... 6?!?!? Wow. You know what I mean.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Actually, the only "could have" that I think back on is 2008. They were playing great football with Matt Cassel by the end of that season -- annihilated the Cardinals, for instance, who went to the Superbowl. If the Jets hadn't kept them out of the play-offs, who knows? I think they could have done a "Giants".

 

[newenglandsports11]

2005- If Tommy throws a TD instead of a pick and ensuing 99 yard return and we take the lead (the defense was playing well that game), then we get a home playoff game vs the Steelers who we beat at Pittsburgh earlier in the season and had owned recently. Maybe we win, but everyone was gunning for us that year and the Super Bowl had such shady officiating, that I'm shocked Triplette and Blakeman weren't responsible.

2006- Had the Colts at home in the regular season, couldn't do it (Tommy sucked that game) which resulted in going to the noise pumping dome in Indy. Probably would've won if Doug Gabriel and Reche Caldwell weren't the worst receivers we've had since Vincent Brisby in 95'. Pretty sure Devin Hester on the Bears was the only one who came to play in the Super Bowl and we would have stomped them. Should have won that year.

2007- Incredible team, ***** Maroney, ***** Tyree, ***** Asante

2011- That was the only team I've ever seen that almost moved the ball at will. LawFirm was solid and never fumbled . Meanwhile, "The Gronk" (™Dan Dierdorf) and Inmate 174954 played incredible all year. Great team, still mad we let Sterling Moore go, he played a great AFCCG and an even better SB.

2012- ***** you Welker, that drop changed the whole game and most of all
**** YOU POLLARD

 

[jah]

2008 was most certainly a could have. That team was red-hot going into the playoffs regardless of who was playing QB and I think they could have gone deep into the playoffs if they made it.

2010 is the season that I'll always look at with the most disappointment. It seemed like everything was going perfectly--a big winning streak, Brady playing flawless football--and then they melt down at home in their first playoff game to the Jets at the height of the rivalry.

 

[resdubwhite]

Be happy with 3. Championships are tough to win. Plenty of opportunities during the winning years when it could have gone awry.

 

[juny]

2008 was most certainly a could have. That team was red-hot going into the playoffs regardless of who was playing QB and I think they could have gone deep into the playoffs if they made it.

2010 is the season that I'll always look at with the most disappointment. It seemed like everything was going perfectly--a big winning streak, Brady playing flawless football--and then they melt down at home in their first playoff game to the Jets at the height of the rivalry.

good ol' fake punt by chung

 

[Bella*chick]

2007 is the only thing that haunts me. I guess the 2006 Colts meltdown also, if I think too much about it, which I try not to.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

You know what I'm talking about. Here's my take:

2001: yes
2002: no way
2003: yes
2004: yes
2005: no, didn't even make it to the AFC Championship
2006: COULD have... the Bears stunk.
2007: COULD have
2008: no way
2009: ditto
2010: see 2005
2011: COULD have
2012: no; we weren't close to beating the Ravens.

...realistically... that's 6 Lombardis instead of 3. Now... I'm thrilled with 3, and the last ten years of football have been AWESOME. But... 6?!?!? Wow. You know what I mean.

I thought this was going to be a thread lamenting the injuries, but I'm not sure how you wouldn't wonder what could have been with 2008 and 2010. The 2008 team was bursting with confidence at the end of that year, and 2010 was a very good team led by Brady, who I think was having as good a year as he did in 2007.

We were a lot closer to beating the Ravens than you seem to be letting on too. We had a lead at the half, and the Ridley KO effectively ended the game for us. We were driving, and suddenly the lights were out. I don't think we would have beaten SF, but who knows? We COULD have.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

2007 is the only thing that haunts me. I guess the 2006 Colts meltdown also, if I think too much about it, which I try not to.

2007 doesn't bother me as much as it maybe should. They were going through completely uncharted territory, regardless of what Don Shula says. That was a historically tough schedule that they absolutely tore through while setting records. It was a shot at Mt. Olympus that they narrowly missed and very few would even dare to try.

 

[upstater1]

Only 4 things haunt me over the last 15 years.

1. 2006 OPI against Troy brown at the end of the first half in the AFCCG
2. 2006 No PI when Reche Caldwell was dragged down forcibly in the end zone in the AFCCG.
3. 2011 Safety on Tom Brady's Int'l Grounding on the Patriots first series.
4. 2011 B. O'Brien decides to go jumbo package running play after Brady completes 5 straight passes and puts Giants on their heels.

Those are the only plays that have stuck in my craw over the last 15 years.

 

[PatsSox363804]

Only 4 things haunt me over the last 15 years.

1. 2006 OPI against Troy brown at the end of the first half in the AFCCG
2. 2006 No PI when Reche Caldwell was dragged down forcibly in the end zone in the AFCCG.
3. 2011 Safety on Tom Brady's Int'l Grounding on the Patriots first series.
4. 2011 B. O'Brien decides to go jumbo package running play after Brady completes 5 straight passes and puts Giants on their heels.

Those are the only plays that have stuck in my craw over the last 15 years.

With the safety there are 2 things that will always bother me:

1) The ball went over Branch. It went far over his head, but you never see that called grounding. Similar to the flag against Seattle last season at the end of the half, you never see them throw a flag for grounding when the QB throws the ball out of the end zone.

2) Lawfirm was wide open, all Brady had to do was dump it off.

 

[PatsSox363804]

Also, 2006 and 2007 are the ones that bother me, 2006 more than 2007 because without that meltdown we have 4 rings, we get 4 out of 6 which matches Pittsburgh, and Manning is still ringless.

2007 should bother me more, I guess, but it just doesn't. Blowing that huge lead bothers me more than the Giants just dominating our offensive line.

 

[condon84]

The only thing that really bothers the hell out of me is the Tyree completion. How in the world did that duck Eli threw up get completed in the middle of the field with about 3 Patriot defenders standing around.

2006 AFC championship game, our defense just couldn't get off the field in the second half and our offense **** the bed in the second half. Credit the Colts for taking that game.

In 2011, the Welker drop, turns out that he has a thing about doing that. As well as Brady played in stretches, the bonehead play in the beginning and the INT to Blackburn were two significant plays that helped do us in. At the same time though, Brady kept us in the game with some stellar play. Giants just made more plays that game.

In 2012, the Ravens were a better team. There's no denying that. They physically kicked our butts.

 

[The_Riddler]

Think about Brady not getting hurt in 08. With the schedule as easy as it was and with that offense. That would have been the 4th ring. That team was loaded. Effin Pollard !

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

2006 and 2007 yes.

I'm over 2008, but the only part was Brady going down. I don't agree with the people that thought the Cassel led Patriots had a chance. I never saw Cassel do anything to make me think he should be a starter. Pretty unlikely you win 4 playoff games when you can't win the division.

 

[BlueThunder]

I don't care what anyone else thinks. Pollard is a sneaky dirty bastrd of a player.

One play comes to mind when he tackled Gronk by the ankles and then twists them when getting up.

F him

 

[Horace's Ivories]

2007 was absolutely awful - no question about it - it dwarfs all past and future "could haves"

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

2007 is the only thing that haunts me.

2007 - The World throws everything nasty against the Patriots and they are a single play away from immortality and shutting the remaining 1972 dolphins up.

I guess the 2006 Colts meltdown also, if I think too much about it, which I try not to.

Didn't half the defense come down with the flu the week leading up to the game. That team was gassed by the 4th and would of had trouble stopping any team. Even then the Colts needed help from the Refs. As i recall whoever walked into the SB from the AFC pretty much was going to win. the NFC was really that inferior that year.

 

[Bella*chick]

2007 - The World throws everything nasty against the Patriots and they are a single play away from immortality and shutting the remaining 1972 dolphins up.

Didn't half the defense come down with the flu the week leading up to the game. That team was gassed by the 4th and would of had trouble stopping any team. Even then the Colts needed help from the Refs. As i recall whoever walked into the SB from the AFC pretty much was going to win. the NFC was really that inferior that year.

Yup, the BEARS. The Rex Grossman Bears. That was a ring right there if we could have just held on.

As for 2007, the immortality of it. I still remember the stupid commercial they couldn't run, with the moving truck pulling up to the 1972 Dolphins house or something like that. Why I ever watched the damn thing I'll never know since I have never been able to forget it.

 

[upstater1]

With the safety there are 2 things that will always bother me:

1) The ball went over Branch. It went far over his head, but you never see that called grounding. Similar to the flag against Seattle last season at the end of the half, you never see them throw a flag for grounding when the QB throws the ball out of the end zone.

2) Lawfirm was wide open, all Brady had to do was dump it off.

On #2, that was a running play. Put them in 2nd and 12.