Hey Pats fans - I have another question for you guys...

[InRodWeRust]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I would have bet my house that the Pats would not have won 3 Super Bowls in the next 5 years. Even though I was very happy to get rid of Carroll, it seemed like another bonehead Patriot move to get snookered for a 1st round pick for a head coach. Then when they gave cement feet a 10 year deal it assured the Pats of 10 years of mediocrity. This was on my mind! Mo Lewis Rules. But it also took Belichick to have the guts to stick with Brady. And it also took miraculous dedication by Brady to do what had to be done to start winning. The Pats being arguably the team of the decade was as unlikely as the Raiders being the team of the next decade. Glad I was wrong. So all you fans of hopeless teams out there, your time will come. If the Patriots can do it, any team can.

This sums up my thoughts perfectly.

 

[SVN]

Something just occured to me - with the turn of a new decade just a few decades ago, it was only 10 years ago from a few days ago that the 21st century arrived.

Of course, it was around this time last year when Wade Phillips was forced to bench Doug Flutie, and then had to go through that "Music City Miracle".

Just curious - when Pete Carroll was fired like a week before the Music City Miracle, what were your thoughts when Belichick was hired, a #1 pick had to be forked over to the Jets, and the state of the franchise going forward? Did any of you in the back of your minds think you would pick up an elite QB from a late round, win 3 Super Bowls, and become the team of the decade fast forward 10 years later?

Funny how we're entering this weekend with Wade Phillips coaching a hot team, but with a 500 pd gorilla on his and his team's backs, while the Patriots has become the team of the 1st decade of the 21st century, and is making another SB run.

i actually didnt know football then or if a team like the pats existed. the question to ask the long timers is what they thought of the 5-11 2000 season and reactions to the BB hiring after that.

 

[RayClay]

i actually didnt know football then or if a team like the pats existed. the question to ask the long timers is what they thought of the 5-11 2000 season and reactions to the BB hiring after that.

As a fan since 61, I've seen a lot worse. Records don't tell the whole story and the Carroll Grier regime was obviously in disarray, having gotten worse each year.

I thought Belichick brought a sense of focus and discipline and hoped he might turn things around in a few years.

Of course, it went without saying that it would be with our franchise quarterback who had quite a creditable performance in the 1997 Super Bowl and, statistically, was still right up with his best years in 1998-2000 despite the loss of Ben Coates.

I seriously disbelieve anyone who says they figured Bledsoe was done and the new regime would do much better than 500 in 2001. Bledsoes lack of mobility was evident, but he used Coates as a dump off, much like Welker, to offset it. He was also tough as nails, completing passes with 2 or three guys hanging off him.

 

[PatsDeb]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

That's a great story! Too bad you didn't have a camera with a big telephoto lens to capture the moment. What an image; a man who has made it to the pinnacle of his profession, drinking it all in for a quiet moment before all hell broke loose. Add to that the story of Brady taking a nap in the clubhouse before the game and you have a picture of confidence. Thanks for the post!

I think the only camera we had was one of those disposable types that we bought on our way into the stadium. Needless to say, we were not able to "capture the moment" except for ourselves!!

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

All I remember hearing from WEEI after BB's first 5-11 season was that he needed an 8-8 season in 2001 to keep his job...

I remember that year, especially BEFORE the season started - not only Belichick, but Mike Martz was also on the hot seat, largely b/c the year prior, the Super Bowl defending champion Rams he took over for Vermeil, the defense just stunk it up in 2000(and barely got in as a WC b/c the Lions blew it at home against the lowly Bears in the last week).

It was after that season when Martz just REVAMPED the defense - signing over 10 new starters(both FA and the bunch of draft picks they had), and Lovie Smith became popular for the first time(although he was one of Dungy's top assistants in Tampa) b/c the schemes he brought to the Rams just turned them around 180 degrees. And then of course we know the rest of the story with Lovie to this day.

Of course, after that Super Bowl game, Martz got exposed, and even the most ordinary of teams and coaches knew how to scheme against him(i.e. when Dallas beat them the following year, Dave Campo celebrated like he just won the Super Bowl) - he became nothing more than an afterthought and footnote in NFL history.

Anyhow - it seems like alot of things that happened in 2000/2001 had long effectiving footprints to this day. For example, in wk1 of the 2000 season, the Eagles and Cowboys clashed at TX Stadium - Andy Reid started aggressively and did a sneak onsides kickoff, and the Eagles rolled from there pounding the Cowboys, which pretty much put the stamp on the long Reid/McNabb era.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

As a fan since 61, I've seen a lot worse. Records don't tell the whole story and the Carroll Grier regime was obviously in disarray, having gotten worse each year.

I thought Belichick brought a sense of focus and discipline and hoped he might turn things around in a few years.

Of course, it went without saying that it would be with our franchise quarterback who had quite a creditable performance in the 1997 Super Bowl and, statistically, was still right up with his best years in 1998-2000 despite the loss of Ben Coates.

I seriously disbelieve anyone who says they figured Bledsoe was done and the new regime would do much better than 500 in 2001. Bledsoes lack of mobility was evident, but he used Coates as a dump off, much like Welker, to offset it. He was also tough as nails, completing passes with 2 or three guys hanging off him.

Bledsoe actually didn't do that badly in Dallas - 1/2 through the 2005 season, he was on his way to the Pro Bowl/Comeback Player of the Year honors, until our LT(Flozell Adams) went down in the 2nd half.

Yes - Bledsoe REALLY stunk it up(even against some of the poor pass rushing teams), but at the same time, some of the blame should have been layed at Parcells. Parcells did NOT fix the RT positon - he drafted some guy from USC who had lazy work ethics and was always injured, and his backup was a 6th round rookie who had no business being in the NFL.

Guess what happened - the USC guy merely sprained his knee in TC in 2005, and for some reason instead of letting it heal and gutting it out, he wanted to just sit back, have surgury, and get paid while he sat out the season. So while it worked for a bit while with Parcells giving his 6th round rookie backup help with one of out TEs, when Flo went down, the backup RT ended up being ON HIS OWN, as Flo's backup needed help in blocking. Also - Parcells ended up misfiring by giving a 34 year old RG in Marco Rivera a big contract - Rivera ended up injuring his back during offseason workouts, and he never was the same since.

Overall - our whole OL was in shambles in 2005 - couldn't fault Bledsoe completely.

 

[BelizePats]

I was really unhappy when I first heard that BB was going to be hired. And then when I found out we had to pay a first to the J-E-R-K-S for doing so, I was about as disgusted as I've ever been with this franchise. After Carroll and the comically horrific drafting of Bobby Greir, I didn't think that was possible. I cried when we won our first Super Bowl. There is no way in hell I ever saw our success that quickly after what i thought was such a huge mistake!

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

So you're basically you're asking if any of us were psychic back in 2000?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

I think the only camera we had was one of those disposable types that we bought on our way into the stadium. Needless to say, we were not able to "capture the moment" except for ourselves!!

still, it's a great story...thanks again

 

[PatsDeb]

Re: Hey Pats fan - I have another question for you guys...

still, it's a great story...thanks again

You're welcome. I would love to come up with another one this year in Miami!