I wanted to dump Brady back after 2016. Belichick wanted to go with Jimmy G. Garapollo was electric in his starts, made others better, etc. Brady was getting older, etc. In the end, Brady proved those that wanted to trade him wrong as the Pats went to the "Pro Football Championship Game" (said in tv ad voice for commercials not licensed to use Super Bowl) and won 2 Super Bowls in 2016 and 2018.
Moving on from Brady in 2016 or 2017 was the wrong move - Belichick was wrong, many fans were wrong...but now the reapers' calling...Brady should move on and the franchise should start anew. Those of us that didn't hop on the Pats bandwagon in 2007 because they loved the Pats in Madden or fantasy football are used to crappy teams. We're ready for it and can handle. Its the fanboys on here that can't handle a losing season or two.
I remember in the late 80s/early 90s the home games were rarely on tv. I remember the absolute shock in 91 or 92 when the Hugh Millen lead Pats were 3-4 and hosting Elway and a great Denver team. Lots of buzz on tv and in the papers - pre internets, you young whippersnappers - Pats a chance to win or tie the game and Hugh Millen scrambled from like 10 yards out and got stopped and the clock ran out. My friends and I couldn't believe the Pats had just gone toe to toe with Denver and Millen played better than Elway that day. Pats had won a big game the week before. Even after losing to Denver we all thought the Pats had a chance. Season went south fast from there, but that's the schitt we had to root for back then - meaningful games after the first month.
Fast forward to Bledsoe, etc., and we were hopeful to have games that mattered in December and I'm pretty sure the Pats went into December "alive" for the playoffs every year after 1993.
Just think, if the league adds another playoff team per conference (which I REALLY hope they do), the Pats should be playing games that mean something every season, even if they do go with Stidham next season.
