SB Memory Lane: 2003 Patriots

[brdmaverick]

Hi Everyone,

It's the Friday before the Super Bowl, and while we're not in the big game this year I thought it would be a good time to reminisce about the good 'ole days....and specifically about the 2003 Patriots. Of their six Super Bowl-winning teams, I think this one often gets overlooked.

I mean, you always remember 'your first' so people naturally look at the 2001 season more fondly.
The '03 Pats also suffer from recency bias, so the 2014, 2016, and 2018 will get more attention for that reason.
They also get overshadowed by the 2004 team because well, rightly think of the 2004 team as the superior team becuase the '04 team was essnetially the '03 team with one MAJOR addition.....Corey Dillon.

But, but but....when you actually look at the season as a whole and how each game played out, I would never make the case that they were the best team, but they were quite possibly the most fun.

Think about it, despite winning in 2001, the pats were looked as a 'flash in the pan' and weren't considered Super Bowl contenders in 2003.

Not only did they deliver, but what a season! Think about it. During this season we had.......

-The spectacular 83 yard TD pass to Troy Brown in OT at Miami...a place we never win!
-We had the goal line stand at Indy....and you remember how important each win against Peyton was..and this was in dramatic fashion.
-The intentional safety against the Broncos followed by a last minute, game-winning touchdown
-The comeback and marathon game at Houston
-getting blown out 0-31 in Buffalo in the "Lawyer Milloy' game only to return the favor with a 31-0 domination of them later in the season
-the Ty Law pick six comeback game against a favored Tennessee team
-The Bruschi pick six game vs Miami in the snow where the fans celebrated by throwing snow to the beat of the music
-Shutting out Bill Parcells in our home game against the Cowboys
-And of course winning beating co-MVPs Steve McNair and Peyton Manning in the playoffs in back to back weeks
-Then the classic Super Bowl against Carolina which went down to the wire

Such a fund season to live through

Also for what it's worth, I have all of the Patriots Super Bowl blu rays/dvds, including the NFL verison and hte Patriots 'three games to glory'.

The Three Games to Glory for the 2003 is the best in terms of content. The bonus features of "Patriots All Access" , "Super Bowl behind the scenes" and "Winner Take All" are the best of any of the dvds (the only downside is it's STANDARD DEFINITION and not HD, but there's nothing that could have been done about that)

 

[signbabybrady]

IMO this was the best defense of the run.

04 had Corey but we lost Ty to injury. So add that context when choosing the best overall team. Which IMO might actually be the 07 team.

The 03 SB was nuts an absolute up and down slobber knocker.

Corey's running in 04 was physical and nasty might be the most fun pure football of the run.

 

[brdmaverick]

IMO this was the best defense of the run.

04 had Corey but we lost Ty to injury. So add that context when choosing the best overall team. Which IMO might actually be the 07 team.

The 03 SB was nuts an absolute up and down slobber knocker.

Corey's running in 04 was physical and nasty might be the most fun pure football of the run.

Right, absolutely no rebuttals to anything you are saying. Exactly, the 07 had the best roster and was most dominant.

Clock Killin Corey Dillon was an absolute beast and definitely gave them an 'added layer'.

But yes, the '03 team was just pure fun in terms of all their nail-biting games and suffocating defense. I believe they went 5 home games without giving up a TD.

 

[sb1]

Would have loved to have Big Ted anchor that DL longer than we did.

 

[signbabybrady]

Would have loved to have Big Ted anchor that DL longer than we did.

I'd like to see a tush push vs that man

 

[MahomestoKelce]

One of the greatest SB's played. Doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Fan on the field. Halftime nip slip. Kicker booting it out of bounds. Two completely different games within a span of four quarters. Looking back, the game was more entertaining than SB 39, *42*, 46, and 53. Entertainment wise, SB 52 probably matches or exceeds it.

John Fox cost the Panthers 4 points with those crazy 2 pt attempts. If he went for simple extra points, the final drives for both teams is probably different.

*SB 42 is more about the Giants upset and helmet catch. To me, the game itself was not that thrilling. It was 10-7 with three minutes to go. If you replaced the Patriots with the Chargers, that game is never really talked about. The story delivers. The game itself...really didn't.

I think SB 38 from start to finish had more on field explosiveness. It had everything.

 

[MahomestoKelce]

Speaking of 04 team, from top to bottom, would you say they were more balanced than the 07 team? The 07 team had more talent. But that 04 team seemed like a better TEAM as a whole.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Speaking of 04 team, from top to bottom, would you say they were more balanced than the 07 team? The 07 team had more talent. But that 04 team seemed like a better TEAM as a whole.

This question wouldn't have been asked had they found a way to beat the Giants in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady was playing on a high ankle sprain and could barely move. Stephen Neal left the game with an injury.

Their passing offense was clearly superior, but the running game was better in 2004. The injury to Sammy Morris in 2007 was very underrated.

2007 defense was 3 years older and was missing Law and Poole. Samuel and Hobbs had their issues against elite or big/physical WR's. Run defense got exposed when teams where able to keep the game within distance. Colvin's injury also was underrated as now Adalius Thomas had to rush the passer (which he was good at), but was brought in to erase TE's (which he did).

With that all said, the 2007 team was the best Pats team.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The 2003 defense is the most underrated and least talked about Super Bowl winning defenses. Imagine if Colvin didn't get injured?

The Pats had a ridiculous 56 passer rating (lead the league), 3 shutouts (assuming led the league), took out 2 NFL MVP's in consecutive weeks in the playoffs, 14.9 points per game (lead the league), almost 30 INT's (29 led the league) and a league leading by a large margin 121 passes defensed. To put the passes defensed in perspective, the leading team in 2023 had only 99.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Right, absolutely no rebuttals to anything you are saying. Exactly, the 07 had the best roster and was most dominant.

Clock Killin Corey Dillon was an absolute beast and definitely gave them an 'added layer'.

But yes, the '03 team was just pure fun in terms of all their nail-biting games and suffocating defense. I believe they went 5 home games without giving up a TD.

The '03 team was also peak opposition saltiness.

NE would win (yet another -- remember, this season was the birth of the record winning streak) tight game and the losers would just whine and whine about how they were the better team.

 

[Pape]

sucks... the ticket had a coating on it, made it stick to the inside of the vinyl ticket holder... can't get it out without tearing it...

had fun in Houston... stayed in Beaumont with friends, took a road trip to the Big Easy... and hot damn, kicked a regulation PAT at the NFL experience that year... good times...

and don't forget about the streaker hitting the field... getting shoulder checked by chatham... lol, hilarious

 

[Patriot Missile]

Last loss to Redskins and then a 21 game win streak would occur into the 04 season.

Next man up was born.

Won 8 1 score games.

Biggest trade impact for a defensive player with Ted Washington. The year before this team was a sieve letting Priest Holmes, Ladanian Tomlinson run for 180 and 215. 5 consecutive 100 yard runners in that span.

Stopped cold by the Mountain that rides the following season.

 

[MahomestoKelce]

Another underrated game was SB 43. That's a top 5 SB of all time imo.

 

[signbabybrady]

Another underrated game was SB 43. That's a top 5 SB of all time imo.

SB 55 was supposed to be epic but someone didn't show up and couldn't even score one TD. TB made it so 15 had zero chance to ever catch him that day.

 

[Tunescribe]

sucks... the ticket had a coating on it, made it stick to the inside of the vinyl ticket holder... can't get it out without tearing it...

had fun in Houston... stayed in Beaumont with friends, took a road trip to the Big Easy... and hot damn, kicked a regulation PAT at the NFL experience that year... good times...

and don't forget about the streaker hitting the field... getting shoulder checked by chatham... lol, hilarious

I was there. Same problem with the ticket. Had GREAT seats, on the visitors' side of the field right at the goal line about 12 rows up from the field.

What's interesting at Super Bowls is how much more intense things are. You can tell the players play harder.

 

[Pape]

Another underrated game was SB 43. That's a top 5 SB of all time imo.

43? stillers / cards? thats a random game...

I'm sure the pink hats here enjoyed cheering for another team though... But whatever...

 

[Pape]

I was there. Same problem with the ticket. Had GREAT seats, on the visitors' side of the field right at the goal line about 12 rows up from the field.

What's interesting at Super Bowls is how much more intense things are. You can tell the players play harder.

endzone nosebleeds for us... felt like we were right there in the thick of it though...

 

[signbabybrady]

endzone nosebleeds for us... felt like we were right there in the thick of it though...

We wound up in the same corner for both 38 and 51.

Been going through some of our post game memories in our group texts this morning. Bourbon St being the best. Me and my father grabbed extra seat cushions on our way out of the super dome and we bought every piece of merch we could find on our way to Bourbon St. We had to buy duffle bags to carry it all.

 

[signbabybrady]

Vegas is going to be fun for ever wins this year. Should probably just permanently be in Vegas.

 

[Pape]

We wound up in the same corner for both 38 and 51.

Been going through some of our post game memories in our group texts this morning. Bourbon St being the best. Me and my father grabbed extra seat cushions on our way out of the super dome and we bought every piece of merch we could find on our way to Bourbon St. We had to buy duffle bags to carry it all. View attachment 56490

If you went to The Corner in New Orleans for 36, you drank with us, lol...