Patriots team with the highest points per game in a season?

[captain stone]

1961..........

Those 1961-66 Patriots went a combined 47-29-8, yet only made the POs in 1963. Until 1969, the AFL's final season, only division winners advanced to the POs, unless two teams were tied. Such was the case in '63, when both Boston and Buffalo finished 7-6-1.

p.s.: Had the '66 Patriots defeated the mediocre NYJ on the last game of that season, they would have won the AFLE and played KC for the right to go to the first AFL-NFL Championship.

 

[PromisedLand]

Absotutely. Kind of bashes the common misconception that the AFL was a far inferior league of castoffs eh?

Yeah, I'm an old AFL fan, they had an exciting brand of ball and were competitive very quickly, especially offensively.

I would say to be that competitive in 6-10 years they were the greatest rival league ever. Every single team was absorbed.

The ABA had Julius Erving and Moses Malone, among others, but the AFL still lives, really. Put the clock on the scoreboard instead of the refs pocket and the 2 point conversion.:rocker:

I knew the Jets did, obviously, and prompted the merger, and I knew Hank Stram's Chiefs won the next year too, but I wasn't sure if the merger was official yet. So, apparently it wasn't!

 

[RayClay]

Those 1961-66 Patriots went a combined 47-29-8, yet only made the POs in 1963. Until 1969, the AFL's final season, only division winners advanced to the POs, unless two teams were tied. Such was the case in '63, when both Boston and Buffalo finished 7-6-1.

p.s.: Had the '66 Patriots defeated the mediocre NYJ on the last game of that season, they would have won the AFLE and played KC for the right to go to the first AFL-NFL Championship.

Unfortunately for the Pats, LSD was invented, Clive Rush was hired and the bizarro Patriots era began.

Looking back, the slide began with Holovak and Huarte to Taliaferro to Plunkett until Fairbanks came. A real bad stretch from 67-73 compounded by Sullivan's financial, stadium and control issues.

Still, some damn good teams in the 60's, late 70's and 80's.

 

[Pats Fanatic]

Unfortunately for the Pats, LSD was invented, Clive Rush was hired and the bizarro Patriots era began.

Looking back, the slide began with Holovak and Huarte to Taliaferro to Plunkett until Fairbanks came. A real bad stretch from 67-73 compounded by Sullivan's financial, stadium and control issues.

Still, some damn good teams in the 60's, late 70's and 80's.

It makes one wonder what the team would have become if the the Pats hired Chuck Noll instead of Rush which would have happened if the Colts had beaten the Jets. Sullivan was only hiring a winning coach, kind of sad really.

 

[captain stone]

It makes one wonder what the team would have become if the the Pats hired Chuck Noll instead of Rush which would have happened if the Colts had beaten the Jets. Sullivan was only hiring a winning coach, kind of sad really.

More proof that Billy Sullivan didn't deserve to own or operate a professional football franchise. He should have moved to Milwaukee with the Braves.

 

[RayClay]

More proof that Billy Sullivan didn't deserve to own or operate a professional football franchise. He should have moved to Milwaukee with the Braves.

Who hired Holovak and all the players that we just named?

He didn't have the money, but neither di some other AFL teams. He certinly was a good football man as evidenced by some of the coaches and players he acquired.

Sullivan admitted he should have checked Rush out more thoroughly, but the guy was responsible, as offensive coordinatoror, of the most glamorous offense of the day and by hiring him it seemed the Pats were also weakening a divisional opponent. Hindsight is 20 20.

There's no evidence the Jets were aware of Rush's mental deterioration nor were the other teams that were after him, to my knowledge.

No one else stepped up to the plate to push for a franchise in 1959.