Would you want a 2008 Patriots or a 2011 Colts if Brady went down with an injury?

[Brady6]

The backup QB has become one of the most talked about subjects this offseason, with Mallett in the final year of his contract and likely to move on after this season for a chance to start added to some trade rumors of Mallett going to Houston to start for O’Brien. That started the discussions and then Bridgewater, Manziel, and the other QBs rumored to be looked at by the Patriots have brought the discussion to an even higher level.

I was reading Mike Reiss chat recap and I saw a poster say that he did not want the team to win if Brady went down with an injury; he wanted the team to suck for Luck, which in this case would likely be suck for Mariota or Winston. After reading that I am actually divided myself, I love to see the team win and I think that the organization, and all us fans took tremendous pride in the 11-5 season in 2008 after losing Brady 15 plays into the season. Then the other side of me thinks we did not make the playoffs so would we have been better off with a top 10 pick instead of that respectful season. Realistically the Colts were very lucky to have the Manning injury take place in the season it did because Luck was a once and a generation prospect, that is not necessarily the case for Mariota or Winston so you must also consider that.

I put in a poll, but I would also like to hear others thoughts and opinions, personally, right now I do not have a decision one way or another so I am looking to hear something that would sway me one way or another.

 

[Mike the Brit]

The injury to Brady apart, 2008 was, in retrospect, one of my favourite seasons. It was amazing to watch Cassel learning on the job and I still think that, if the team hadn't unluckily missed the playoffs, they would have gone a long way. So there's no question for me. If Mallett were to come in and develop, who knows? Perhaps the Patriots would have the future of the franchise right there? #optimistic

 

[doesntmatter1]

08. never tank a season. just imagine if we had tanked it when Bledsoe went down.

 

[Wildo7]

It depends entirely on the QB draft class, most of the time I'd tank it

 

[mosey threetupu]

There's no Luck this year so the poll is technically irrelevant.

 

[Bonzo]

Oh man, it's not even close. And I don't care if it's Andrew Luck or a 22-year-old Joe Montana coming out in the draft.

2008 was friggin' magical - never been prouder as a Pats fan. Belichick's "magic touch" that year was simply his decisiveness: he immediately circled the wagons around this (rather universally-loathed) QB who hadn't started a game since HS, calling off the previously-scheduled visits of (IIRC) Chris Simms and Tim Rattay. Plus, it was super fluky to miss out on the playoffs with 11 wins. After that debacle in the rain against Pittsburgh, the team really started to find its groove; I don't think anybody in the AFC would have wanted to draw the Pats that year.

Also - "tanking" doesn't guarantee you a #1 pick. Lots of crappy teams in the NFL each year.

 

[Kontradiction]

Depends on the quarterbacks coming out the following year in the draft. Realistically, if Brady goes down, the team is probably not winning a Lombardi anyway. So if a guy like Luck or Winston is coming out, I would fully support tanking the season.

 

[Wildo7]

Oh man, it's not even close. And I don't care if it's Andrew Luck or a 22-year-old Joe Montana coming out in the draft.

2008 was friggin' magical - never been prouder as a Pats fan. Belichick's "magic touch" that year was simply his decisiveness: he immediately circled the wagons around this (rather universally-loathed) QB who hadn't started a game since HS, calling off the previously-scheduled visits of (IIRC) Chris Simms and Tim Rattay. Plus, it was super fluky to miss out on the playoffs with 11 wins. After that debacle in the rain against Pittsburgh, the team really started to find its groove; I don't think anybody in the AFC would have wanted to draw the Pats that year.

Also - "tanking" doesn't guarantee you a #1 pick. Lots of crappy teams in the NFL each year.

It's not a good comparison because when Peyton went down that was seen as the end of his era as a Colt. 2008 was seen as a hiatus in Brady's tenure.

If Brady were to go down with a season ending injury in 2014 and you had a shot at Luck it would be completely lol to sacrifice the next however many years throwing darts at the draft board in exchange for a "magical" non-playoff Cassel season like 2008.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Since an 11-5 team has only missed the playoffs twice in the annals of NFL history and a 32 year old Brady took over the next 5 seasons after healing which included a SB appearance, 3 AFCCG and all 5 division titles, why, on God's green Earth, would anyone have wanted us to tank '08?

I, for one, am glad "suck for Stafford" didn't become our mantra that season. This year it could have been "suck for Clowney", because this years QB class, IMHO, "sucks ass".

 

[lurker1965]

Frankly, my answer would change as the season went on. While their is still a glimmer of hope, I could not root for them to lose. However, as soon as I lost hope I'd root for the draft.

I'm not proud of that statement, but when you've seen 1-15 you drink lemonade.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

In most cases I'd want a competitive team because it is the NFL, really anything can happen. However in certain circumstances I won't lie I'd be tempted to say I'll take a dismal season. If there is an Andrew Luck/Peyton Manning/ Lebron James/Tim Duncan "can't miss" type of prospect waiting to be picked #1 and the team starts out 0-5/0-6, I would likely say give me my 1-15 this season and watch my team contend virtually automatically over the next 10 seasons.

In the NFL though that has happened (IMO) once in the past 17 or 18 years (Luck). so it's a rare case.

 

[Tunescribe]

"Tanking," in my opinion, is contrary to the essence of competition and should NEVER be an option. It cheats the fans and promotes a loser mentality. Plus, it's never guaranteed that who you get in the draft is going to pan out. Luck could've been the second coming of Ryan Leaf.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

to be a stinkin' quittin' Coltish turd of a franchise?

no freakin' way

 

[Danger Zone]

I actually feel that the #1 pick should be rewarded to the loser of the Superbowl.

It would make getting to this game a win/win for everybody. And you know no team is going to tank the Superbowl just to get the #1 pick in the Draft.

I am NOT a trophies for participation kind of guy, but this would also make tanking the season a bit more of a risk for teams. I also feel the the Superbowl loser should be viewed as winning the Silver and not as the Biggest Losers of the entire season (as much I laugh out loud at random times when I remember how badly Manning and the Broncos lost this one).

As for picks #2 to #32, I dont know. I'm just not a big fan of rewarding GMs for mismanaging their teams, such as what we saw with Polian and the 2011 Colts. Was it him or Irsay that was criticizing Belichick for wasting picks on a backup QB?

I suppose I wouldnt mind the #2 pick in the Draft being given out to the team with the best record not in the Playoffs. Draft picks can then work itself down to the team with the worst record then pop back up and include all the Playoff teams, -worst to best records.

Let's reward those teams on the cusp of success and not reward the teams that suck the most!

This system should ensure that all teams fight their hardest at all times and win as many games as possible.

Anyway, Bill Belichick for his 2008 season doesn't get the respect he deserves.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I actually feel that the #1 pick should be rewarded to the loser of the Superbowl.

It would make getting to this game a win/win for everybody. And you know no team is going to tank the Superbowl just to get the #1 pick in the Draft.

I'm not sure I like this idea—but I certainly can't say I hate it, either.

I certainly agree that teams should not be rewarded for going in the toilet. I'd be perfectly fine, for example, replacing the Pro Bowl with the Toilet Bowl (a game between the teams with the top two picks in the Draft, with the winner getting the top overall pick).

As for picks #2 to #32, I dont know. I'm just not a big fan of rewarding GMs for mismanaging their teams, such as what we saw with Polian and the 2011 Colts. Was it him or Irsay that was criticizing Belichick for wasting picks on a backup QB?

Ironically, it rewarded the Colts franchise, but cost Polian his job.

 

[supafly]

Geez B6--I hope that this isn't another jinxed thread like last season's "which player would be worse to lose," and consisted of Gronkowski, Mayo, Wilfork, and Talib Just the thought and discussion of it makes me woozy.

 

[Nikolai]

It's too bad we didn't still have an NFL Europe or a minor league type of league to relegate the bottom few finishers, so they can get that #1 draft pick but they won't have a shot at the Super Bowl until they can earn their way back in. This would never fly in the NFL, of course, but it sounds like a fine solution to me.

As for the OP; 2008 Patriots. Never tank a season, especially on a bet.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Geez B6--I hope that this isn't another jinxed thread like last season's "which player would be worse to lose," and consisted of Gronkowski, Mayo, Wilfork, and Talib Just the thought and discussion of it makes me woozy.

Oh dear #%%@!%!% God.

 

[supafly]

Oh dear #%%@!%!% God.

I'm just joking around with him, but yes--he started that gem of a thread which I stated right off the bat was just bad mojo to be bringing up. Unfortunately, my concerns proved to be true as the majority of the players in the poll all ended up becoming significantly injured.

As a superstitious Italian, I don't like to rock the boat

 

[Danger Zone]

I'm just joking around with him, but yes--he started that gem of a thread which I stated right off the bat was just bad mojo to be bringing up. Unfortunately, my concerns proved to be true as the majority of the players in the poll all ended up becoming significantly injured.

As a superstitious Italian, I don't like to rock the boat

E dopo buona notte al secchio!