Oldie/Goodie: Pats beat Raiders in '85 postseason (video)

[Off The Grid]

That really was a pretty good Pats team despite the limitations at QB. Beating the Jets , Raiders and Fins ( in the Orange Bowl!)...all on the road was insane.

They were so unlucky to get to their first SB ever only to have to face the best D in NFL history.

The first 60 seconds or so were good, though!!

I had the misfortune of watching that game in Mainz, which meant that it ended minutes before First Call!! Hah!! I remember that when we settled down to watch it, some time after MidNight, there were 5 guys rooting for the Patriots and 5 for the Bears...by about 0300, it was 8 to 1 in favor of the Bears Fans!! Chumps!!

Too bad the Bears didn't knock out Eason on the first play from Scrimmage...

We might've actually had a prayer.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Any team that makes the Super Bowl with Tony Eason at QB HAS to be good.

I know Eason gets a bad rap around here but in 1984, after Thanksgiving in 1985 and 1986, he was pretty solid. After 1986 he was hurt, whiny and had an awful sense of entitlement.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Millen hit Sullivan with his helmet blindside. Always a thoughtful guy, Millen.

Poor Howie, just trying to walk into the tunnel after a heartbraking loss and he gets the rat terrier Sullivan barking in one ear and his juiced out underskilled teammate on the other committing assault with a deadly weapon..

It was a punch, not a helmet.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Off The Grid]

Any team that makes the Super Bowl with Tony Eason at QB HAS to be good.

I know Eason gets a bad rap around here but in 1984, after Thanksgiving in 1985 and 1986, he was pretty solid. After 1986 he was hurt, whiny and had an awful sense of entitlement.

I have great respect for you, Brother Weathers, but we're gonna have to diverge on this one.

"The Difference between Steve Grogan and Tony Eason was that Steve Grogan looked for the Pass Receivers...and Tony Eason looked for the Pass Rush."

Do you know who I just quoted??

John Hannah.

Tony "Fetal Position" Eason was a disgrace.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

It's kinda funny. When I was a teenager back in the '80s and following the team, I thought that there were the luckiest SOBs to get a far as they did.

But when I look back, a few things stand out....

By any measure, this team was a Top 5 defense (TOs forced, YPP allowed vs the run/pass, sacks, INTs). They were simply dominant.

Offensively they were a Top 10 team in scoring and yardage. They were limited but I think that was a bit by design as they wanted their D to be in good positions for success and win games for them. They ran the ball extremely well.

3/4 of their roster were 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks. They has talent to spare and a 5th rounder (Fred Marion) was a Pro-Bowler. In all they sent I think 7 or 8 players to the Pro-Bowl that year.

In all, I'd put the 1985 Patriots up there are one of the most talented teams in Patriots history.

Their back-8 was arguably the best in the league. The LBs were right there with the Bears and Giants and their secondary was slightly better than those teams'.

The running game was stellar as the Pats used James, Collins, Weathers and Tatupu liberally. That game vs. LA was insane as the Pats continued to run that shotgun handoff successfully all game (the 3rd-and-12 conversion in the Part 3 video late in the game was ridiculous). It helped having a left side of the line comprised of 1st rounders in Holloway, Hannah and Brock. That AFC playoff run was Hannah's last hurrah before his awful SB20 and immediate retirement.

They sent the 2nd most players to the Pro Bowl that year after Chicago. I think the final tally was 8.

'85 was easily one of the most talented Pats teams of all time.

Regards,
Chris

 

[RobertWeathers]

I have great respect for you, Brother Weathers, but we're gonna have to diverge on this one.

"The Difference between Steve Grogan and Tony Eason was that Steve Grogan looked for the Pass Receivers...and Tony Eason looked for the Pass Rush."

Do you know who I just quoted??

John Hannah.

Tony "Fetal Position" Eason was a disgrace.

There is no question that Grogan was a better Qb than Eason. Thats not what I am implying. I am aware of Hog's disdain for Eason. I also think that hes being a tad unfair too. With that said, he was the beneficiary of a very good defense which allowed him to play within himself. He clearly lacked leadership, toughness and grittyness that QBs need. Eason was statistically decent during the timeframe that I cited. Thats all.

 

[Triumph]

It's kinda funny. When I was a teenager back in the '80s and following the team, I thought that there were the luckiest SOBs to get a far as they did.

In all, I'd put the 1985 Patriots up there are one of the most talented teams in Patriots history.

Tippett, Julias Adams, Don Blackmon, Ronnie Lippet, Ray Clatborn, Steve Nelson, they had some talent on defense.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I know Eason gets a bad rap around here but in 1984, after Thanksgiving in 1985 and 1986, he was pretty solid. After 1986 he was hurt, whiny and had an awful sense of entitlement.

His '86 season was actually pretty good, but a lot of that was Stanley Morgan finding the fountain of youth...80+ catches, ~1500 yards...totals that were insane back then.

Unfortunately, he finished that season turtling while getting sacked which became his lasting legacy. I believe it started on Thanksgiving in 1984 when the Cowboys sacked him TEN times. Guy got shell-shocked and never truly recovered, thus Hannah's comments.

Regards,
Chris

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

His '86 season was actually pretty good, but a lot of that was Stanley Morgan finding the fountain of youth...80+ catches, ~1500 yards...totals that were insane back then.

Unfortunately, he finished that season turtling while getting sacked which became his lasting legacy. I believe it started on Thanksgiving in 1984 when the Cowboys sacked him TEN times. Guy got shell-shocked and never truly recovered, thus Hannah's comments.

Regards,
Chris

Article in SI about Steamer's awesome 1986 season and how he started to take his conditioning seriously after 1985.

Regards,
Chris

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Apologies if already posted...

Here is a clip of the game-tying drive and the ensuing kickoff fumble recovery for the game-winning TD in that great Pats/Raiders playoff game in LA during their first Super Bowl run. The video quality is poor, but the memories are not.

R.I.P., Mosi.

Regards,
Chris

SI's postgame writeup, including a wonderful quote from Howie Long on the Pat Sullivan incident:

Said Long: "I didn't know him. He said, 'Let me tell you who I am. I said, 'Wait a sec, big guy. You might have 30 million in the bank, but you ain't telling me nothing.' I faked like I was going to hit him, just to see him jump. I'm not going to let a classless, silver-spooned, nonworking s.o.b. like that tell me anything. For me, it's God, Al Davis and my wife, not necessarily in that order. [Sullivan] doesn't sign my checks. He's the jellyfish of Foxboro. Anytime he wants to lock it up in a closet and waive all legal rules, he can give me a ring. I'm listed."

and Lester Hayes on the Pats' chances the following week in Miami:

"We put silver-and-black gift-wrapping on the Patriots for Don Shula," moaned Raider cornerback Lester Hayes. " Miami has the greatest home-field advantage in the NFL. I give the Patriots two chances. Slim and none."

Regards,
Chris

 

[rjw]

Bledsoe vs. Favre in 1994 before Favre became FAVRE. Brett leads his team to a go-ahead TD with just over a minute left, but they blew the PAT. Pats drive the field for the FG winner.

Regards,
Chris

Really like those uniforms in this one.
These are all cool.

 

[Delicate Genius]

Raiders v. N.E.- 1985 Div Playoffs p4/4 - Scuffle after game - YouTube

Having seen into the future, Sullivan notifies Millen he will become "the sorriest GM in the league" and advises he should learn to "act like you've lost a game before", foreshadowing the multitude of losses headed his way.

Years later Philip Rivers attempts to duplicate this incident by yelling at Ellis Hobbs.

 

[crew1954]

It was a punch, not a helmet.

Regards,
Chris

I swear I saw him swing his helmet. Help anyone?

 

[Ghost of Ben Dreith]

The old Patriot uniforms were absolutely awesome! :rocker:

 

[RobertWeathers]

I swear I saw him swing his helmet. Help anyone?

Going off memory (which isn't credible by any means) was Sullivan in Millen's face and with Millen holding his helmet kinda let it go as he punched him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Sullivan_(American_football_executive)

Matt Millen Punch Pat Sullivan | Millen and Long Put Late Hit on Patriots' GM - Los Angeles Times

As you can see the wiki and this article state that Millen hit him with his helmet.

So I guess maybe it was a combo of both?

 

[captain stone]

What are you JOKING???

The "High" was exactly one week later, my friend.

SQUISH...THE...FISH!!!

I can still remember the week before the SB; the 1st floor of Jordan Marsh downtown was
festooned w/ Pats gear, and the re-broadcast of the Squish the Fish game was running on
a loop throughout the week.
One vision which stood out: the field was sloppy, yet Eason's uniform remained nearly spotless,
a testament to both his protection & the effectiveness of the relentless running attack.