1996 AFC Championship game - Jax @ NE

[sb1]

I was there and one of the most fun games I have ever seen in person power outage and all.
2:22:30 was the start of Otis’s fumble return play. Yes it really was that loud in the old place.

BuT tHe PaTRiOts Had No FANz BeFoRE BrADy!111!111!

 

[sb1]

Still have my blue BankBoston Pom Pom from that game lmao

 

[fightingirish595]

Coughlin was such a great coach

 

[sb1]

Still amazed the Donkeys lost to this Jaguar team at home. That’s right up there with Titans beating the Ravens this year. Maybe a bigger upset.

 

[upstater1]

In September, I booked a vacation in the Yucatan for January never imagining the Patriots would be in this position. The staff at the plantation on the grounds of Chichen Itza put the game on for us my crew of 6 friends. When the Patriots won and we celebrated, the staff started chanting "Campeones!" I believe they thought the Patriots had won the championship. The tequila then flowed free and freely.

 

[upstater1]

And two weeks later I was totally wrecked to hear about all the background conniving and backstabbing that had been going on.

I still think the Patriots win that game if everyone had been "laser focused."

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

-Those intros were so much better than today’s. Even the commercials were better.

-Jags honestly had better unis back then.

-Bill really shouldn’t have complaining about not picking out the groceries
because whatever combination we had with regards to the draft was working. We ended up with a 95 haul of Law, Ted Johnson, Curtis Martin and followed up with terry Glenn, milloy, and bruschi. I challenge any coach to pick better groceries.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Man look at that talent we had. Speed, Athleticism, Playmakers..we knew how to draft!

this current team would get blown out by the 96 team.

 

[upstater1]

-Those intros were so much better than today’s. Even the commercials were better.

-Jags honestly had better unis back then.

-Bill really shouldn’t have complaining about not picking out the groceries
because whatever combination we had with regards to the draft was working. We ended up with a 95 haul of Law, Ted Johnson, Curtis Martin and followed up with terry Glenn, milloy, and bruschi. I challenge any coach to pick better groceries.

I think Parcells was the one who picked Law, Ted Johnson and Curtis Martin.

Grier picked Glenn and Milloy.

Parcells may have come into the room again before the 3rd round and selected Bruschi. I know he returned at some point after blowing off steam.

The reason I say Parcells chose the '95 guys is because Kraft got wind of Parcells making deals with the Jets during the summer of '95. That's when they reworked Parcells' contract in order to eliminate Parcells' buyout, making it a one year deal. When Kraft figured out that's what was going on, he decided to protect the Patriots. No way was he going to allow the Jets' future coach to pick for the Patriots.

Parcells wanted DL Cedric Jones at the spot Terry Glenn was drafted. He would have been a bust.

 

[Hyped]

During my wedding, my best man gave a toast in which he said, "The happiest I have ever seen Hyped was after the Patriots beat the Jaguars to advance to Superbowl XXXI and he is similarly happy today".......

Good times man...until Desmond Howard broke the crease.....man...I could have murdered people who were cheering in my small one bedroom apartment that day.......but instead I watched helplessly as Max Lane got owned by Reggie White (R.I.P.).

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I think Parcells was the one who picked Law, Ted Johnson and Curtis Martin.

Grier picked Glenn and Milloy.

Parcells may have come into the room again before the 3rd round and selected Bruschi. I know he returned at some point after blowing off steam.

The reason I say Parcells chose the '95 guys is because Kraft got wind of Parcells making deals with the Jets during the summer of '95. That's when they reworked Parcells' contract in order to eliminate Parcells' buyout, making it a one year deal. When Kraft figured out that's what was going on, he decided to protect the Patriots. No way was he going to allow the Jets' future coach to pick for the Patriots.

Parcells wanted DL Cedric Jones at the spot Terry Glenn was drafted. He would have been a bust.

Then its a good thing kraft did what he did. Glenn was the correct choice given the players available/position of need.

 

[InRodWeRust]

Still have my blue BankBoston Pom Pom from that game lmao

Oh wow I was there too and I remember the blue pom poms! I think they were dark blue and had little 4 inch white plastic handles if I remember right. I don't remember ever throwing them out. I'm sure I have them packed away somewhere.

 

[upstater1]

2 comments after watching the 4th quarter:

1. In retrospect, I love watching Mark Brunell cry.

2. Holy cow, Todd Collins was still playing in 1996! Surprised to see him running around.

 

[Ian]

Still have my blue BankBoston Pom Pom from that game lmao

I was there also and still have mine as well

It was so cold that day, I remember not being able to feel my legs until I was about halfway home. But 100% worth it

 

[RobertWeathers]

2 comments after watching the 4th quarter:

1. In retrospect, I love watching Mark Brunell cry.

2. Holy cow, Todd Collins was still playing in 1996! Surprised to see him running around.

I loved Todd Collins. He left the team for a bit but came back.

 

[FCB02062]

I was there as well and I will second the op; no Patriots crowd has ever been louder than when O T I S made that TD return...the aluminum benches were shaking

 

[sb1]

Jambalaya

 

[Steve102]

I was there that day too. To your point, it was wicked loud when Otis went to the house. That was the first taste. We went to every game. Tickets were like $35. Everyone knew everyone, kinda like here.

Oh that's Jimmy. He owns a bakery over by Worcester.
That guy over there that looks like Stallone? That's Rocky (go figure). He'll yell at everyone to make noise then leave at halftime to beat the crowd.

Aside: Some kid made his way to me in my row, presented me with a ticket and said YOU'RE IN MY SEAT! The whole section shook their head... "nooooo." He asked me how they all knew... and I said we are all here every week. Your seats are over there.

Great memories.

 

[Hyped]

I was there as well and I will second the op; no Patriots crowd has ever been louder than when O T I S made that TD return...the aluminum benches were shaking

I do miss those aluminum benches. Yeah, there was always a fat dude or two taking up 1.5 spaces, but you could huddle up a bit and keep warm..then jump up and down on those benches....

Good old days....

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Still amazed the Donkeys lost to this Jaguar team at home. That’s right up there with Titans beating the Ravens this year. Maybe a bigger upset.

What a break! as big a homer as i may be , zero chance we go into denver and win that year, probably lower chance than beating gb on a neutral field. Not only was denver good as f***, but they absolutely owned us. 3 years in a row at least, don’t think any of those games were close.