Did the failures of 2005-2013 make 2014 & 2016 that much sweeter for you ?

I've been watching a lot of Pat's stuff on YouTube. From 1970's-1990's as well stuff from the 2000's and 2010's (I'm a history buff as well as a longtime Pat's fan since 1975). And I've been thinking a lot about the teams from 2005-2013.

We had won 3 out of 4 Super Bowls from 2001-2004, a great dynasty with a solid offense and dominating defense. Brady and a good running game was key for the Pat's offense, and we had dominating playmakers all over the defense.

But starting in the 2005 season, the defense started to crumble as they started to age and get injury prone. And of course losses of key players. The team had started to lose its swagger, especially on defense. 2006 saw the offense struggle with a pedestrian receiver corp, yet somehow almost went to the SB after losing an 18 point lead after halftime in the AFCCG.

Then came 2007. Belichick goes hog wild in trades and offseason signings. The offense explodes, becomes one of the greatest offenses in the history of the NFL. Even signed key players on defense. I watch games from that era, and the Pat's were just killing teams. How this team went 18-0 and yet still lost the SB is still shocking to me. Credit the Giants and a brilliant defensive gameplan, but it's still the most painful loss in Patriot's history (IMO).

2008 we lose Brady, win 11 games but don't make the playoffs, but possibly the greatest coaching job by Belichick ever.

2009-2013, make the playoffs every year, including an AFCCG win in 2011 but another SB loss to the Giants. The season before the Pat's went 14-2 but lost a playoff game to the Jets. Believe me, I hate NY teams more now than ever.

After a 2003 like start to the 2014 season (2-2 record), including a horrific loss to the Chiefs in game 4, this team went 10-2 the rest of the way, on its way to its 4th title. Ten years after its last title win. 2015 season, the Pats had the most injured team in the league, yet is a 2 point conversion away from going to the SB (**** you Peyton). 2016 another GLORIOUS SB win.

So the Pat's went 10 years between titles. It seemed like an eternity to some of us now spoiled Pat's fan (speaking for myself). And as a spoiled Pat's fan, I ask you to PLEASE don't take the word "failures" in the title of this thread as in insult. I don't really consider 2005-2013 as an overall failure, we had some great seasons that most fans of other teams would kill for.

But for me, though waiting 10 years for Pat's championship ways to come around again, the last two championships have been so satisfying. It has been that much sweeter, because I wasn't sure if we'd ever see that again (and because of the ******** Deflategate). Now, once again, as Pat's fans, we have a chance to possibly see another dynasty 10 years later. How sweet it is.

No. These 2 have dulled the sting of 2007. Dulled not eliminated.

But these last 2 would have been just as sweet had there been another SB victory in there. That piece of **** Goodell and the whiny losers in Baltimore and Indy made sure of that.

And the "32" as well. F them too

No., As far as I'm concerned with a few obvious exceptions I try to make sure each season stands on its own merits. The Brady injury was helpful for that in 2008, sucked to lose him since he would have got us back to the playoffs, but having Cassell under center all that year really helped to create an emotional separation after 2007

As for 2011 that barely hurt. We were skating on thin ice with our D all that year. and it finally caught up with us I figure that team probably went farther than it should have, even if you take the stroke of good luck that was getting to clean up after Tebowmania into consideration. We got IIRC a pretty easy playoff schedule that year, one tough game in Baltimore, and then the easiest matchup in the world against a bad QB who's luck ran out. Then the Giants who had our number. Not even mad.

We got outplayed by a team that could hang with us on any given Sunday and as much as this might sound ridiculous, all we lost was the Superbowl, and we lost it fair and square, no cheating, no BS. I can't be sore about that. Champions don't get salty and abusive when they have to take an L.

05 and 06 sucked but the hit we all took and keep taking starting on 07 took a lot out of me on many levels. The constant cheating berating we took from not only the stupid public but from the media that jumped on us for ratings. But the tide is turning to borrow an overused phrase. Thank God for the last 2 Lombardis. They are indeed the sweetest.

Lady luck evens out over time generally. We were fortunate (but we were on the losing end of the tuck rule in the RS that same year) in the playoffs against OAK in the snow game, but I don't feel we were really the best overall team throughout 2001.

2007 we were absolutely the best team and IMO still the best team in franchise history. But Asante Samuel couldn't make the key INT, and Adalius Thomas couldn't get the key sack the next fateful play later.

2011 the Saints/Packers were probably the best overall team as the defenses was as one poster put it "on thin ice" all season. However, to be so close was the ultimate **** tease. We were right there but Manningham made a play and Welker didn't.

2014 Butler made the play (after another fluke catch this time by Kearse) which was justice, and then we had our Tyree moment with Jules in SB 51. Honestly, Butler's INT was the biggest "turning of the tide" play that changed our SB narrative from potentially being 3-3 in the big game..to now 5-2 and counting (in the current era).

I think the last two SB wins have somewhat offset the razor thin losses to the Giants that cast a doubt over our ability to win the big one for the better part of 10 years. It would have defninitely been a disappointment to me to see "only" 3 titles considering the level of consistency we've had in the BB/Brady era.

For me, 1960-2000 helped me appreciate everything since.

Failures? What team are you watching?

Yes, there were some painful losses (both SB's, Ravens playoff game), but damn, **** happens. Constant playoff appearances, never quit attitude, 11-5 without the GoAT, stopped only by a tie-breaker.

Since 2004 there has been one team, just one, that when knocked out of the playoffs every other team says a prayer of thanks because, in their eyes, they now have a fighting chance.

Sorry - I can see describing some of those years as disappointing, but failures - no way.

Simpelton said:

As for 2011 that barely hurt.

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Pretty much agree, and if the Pats had closed the deal in 2007 it would've been virtually painless, apart from the fact that they lost to the Giants, and it's always good to beat New York teams.

But yeah. To be honest, I'm glad there aren't clips of Aaron Hernandez celebrating a Super Bowl victory with the Patriots.

The "football gods" have a lot to say about what happens. One year you get the Tyree catch, another year you get the Edelman catch. Thus, all the wins are sweet, and all the losses are painful reminders of how many things need to go exactly right to get the ring.

These last to SB wins have absolutely been the sweetest for multiple reasons.

I watched the first three basically without kids and the last two with a 10 year old son and a 12 year old daughter. I don't have tell them any "back in my day" stories about Brady because they've witnessed it for themselves.

It also ended the "they haven't won anything since......" bull **** and shoved deflategate right up Roger's ass. The massive booing Roger received was just a two ton cherry on top.

So yes these last two were the sweet. An added bonus is hearing the mediots declaring Brady as the GOAT.

To answer the thread title.....HELL YES.

Without these latest SB wins to bookend the Brady/BB/ Patriots two decades of excellence, opinion/history would view this era far differently. Terms like "wasted opportunity", "over rated" , "frauds " , etc. would get attached to this team with not much argument outside NE. And Brady + BB critics would have a decades worth of Patriots shortcomings as ammo to suppress any attempts to elevate them into the pantheon of legends.
2014 was a relief
2016 let us all puff our chests out (you know exactly what I'm talking about)

I don't think I'll ever be over Macho Grande

No

Yea still can't believe they went 10 years without winning a championship

Chevy said:

Failures? What team are you watching?

Yes, there were some painful losses (both SB's, Ravens playoff game), but damn, **** happens. Constant playoff appearances, never quit attitude, 11-5 without the GoAT, stopped only by a tie-breaker.

Since 2004 there has been one team, just one, that when knocked out of the playoffs every other team says a prayer of thanks because, in their eyes, they now have a fighting chance.

Sorry - I can see describing some of those years as disappointing, but failures - no way.

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I agree. In terms of "failures" the only real standouts in the run of recent years are 2002 when the team was still struggling to find its identity, and 2007 when they fell just short of perfection. If you go into each season expecting a Superbowl win, you're going to have a lot of "bad" years.

In conclusion there's a subset of the fanbase here that is VERY spoiled by Brady and Belichick, and honest to God, I hope they stay that way for a long time.

No part of the last 16 years will I ever describe as "failure"

The 2007 ending was painful, but its's the nature of the game that sometimes the team with the most talent doesn't win. Hats off to the Giants for 1)doing their jobs, 2) winning some key matchups, and 3) making the most improbable play in Super Bowl history

2014 & 2016 make me get over it some, for sure

You guys are nuts. My father never saw the Red Sox or Patriots win a championship in his 70+ years on this planet. We have enjoyed five Patriots, three Red Sox, and one Bruins championships in this century. Time to smell the roses.

Tony2046 said:

These last to SB wins have absolutely been the sweetest for multiple reasons.

I watched the first three basically without kids and the last two with a 10 year old son and a 12 year old daughter. I don't have tell them any "back in my day" stories about Brady because they've witnessed it for themselves.

It also ended the "they haven't won anything since......" bull **** and shoved deflategate right up Roger's ass. The massive booing Roger received was just a two ton cherry on top.

So yes these last two were the sweet. An added bonus is hearing the mediots declaring Brady as the GOAT.

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I'm with you man. My 17 year old wasn't that aware of the Patriots in 2007. After 2011 he sadly told me "if they had won I was going to order 'the package'" - you know the hat, shirt, video combination they advertise. I was so sad for him but there was nothing I could do. Now he has two

For me - yeah it's better now. It would have been tough to win 3 out of 4 in Brady's first 4 years then never win another. We had a bit of luck in the last two to balance out the previous two so it's all good. The losses sucked BAD but you can't win them all. Every SB Brady has played in could easily have gone the other way. Imagine him being 7-0 or 0-7; either could have happened.

I enjoyed these recent superbowls more than the first ones a decade ago. Plus the way we won are recent ones have been extremely dramatic. Butler int and 28-3.

Also, only 2009 was a failure as far as I'm concerned. I hated that year.