2001 Patriots

[Pats1989]

I enjoy football history, and the first time is usually the sweetest. Did you think they were going to beat the Rams in the Super bowl? Or were you just happy they got to the big game? Obviously pundits and the media didn't give them a big shot.

With 1:20 left, did you ( at the time) agree with the choice to go for the win? Madden kept insisting they play for OT. My thinking is this: The Rams had scored 14 unanswered points. They were rolling. I believe they would've marched down the field to win the SB had they won the toss. You had to stop the momentum.

Ironic that Brady was on both sides of huge SB upsets (01, 07). Both games occured on February 3rd too.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I didn’t know if we’d win but I knew it’d be close and we could win if we won the turnover battle. We went toe to toe with them in the regular season and would’ve won if not for an early pick by Brady and more importantly antowain Smith fumbling on the goal line (would’ve given us a 10 pt lead if we score instead). Turnovers equal = rams win. In the sb we won the to battle 3-0 and in turn the game.

As for the last minute, no doubt I wanted them to go for it. If we played for ot we would have lost, hardly any doubt imo.

 

[turkeyneck]

I was more confident in '86 than I was in '01.

 

[Bradyking12]

I was more confident in '86 than I was in '01.

I heard it was pretty big for them to beat the Jets, Raiders, Dolphins in a row in the playoffs sucks they got blown out by the Bears

 

[turkeyneck]

I heard it was pretty big for them to beat the Jets, Raiders, Dolphins in a row in the playoffs sucks they got blown out by the Bears

I was confident right up 'til Dawson wrecked his leg. Then the life went out of the team.

 

[Mack Herron]

Watched them pull wins out of thin air in 01. Find a way. Always believed.

 

[Ring 6]

I enjoy football history, and the first time is usually the sweetest. For old timers, did you think they were going to beat the Rams in the Super bowl? Or were you just happy they got to the big game? Obviously pundits and the media didn't give them a big shot.

With 1:20 left, did you ( at the time) agree with the choice to go for the win? Madden kept insisting they play for OT. My thinking is this: The Rams had scored 14 unanswered points. They were rolling. I believe they would've marched down the field to win the SB had they won the toss. You had to stop the momentum.

Ironic that Brady was on both sides of huge SB upsets (01, 07). Both games occured on February 3rd too.

I was confident because they had won 8 in a row and allowed 17 or less on all 8. They were playing the brand of football that wins big games.
Of course I expected them to go for the win. It would be moronic to give up with 1:20 and timeouts. I never understood how that could be a question.
FYI Madden didn’t keep insisting they play for OT he said it at the start of the drive as a guess. I think it was him just hoping for an OT SB because it mad no sense at all.

 

[fnordcircle]

Watching the 2001 squad is an 'old timer' thing now?

Jesus help me.

 

[MassPats38]

I only had hope in '85 (the Pats beat the Fish - the only team to beat the Bears that year) and '96 (more of the feel good story with Parcells at the helm but knowing the NFC ruled the NFL for a long time so it was unlikely), but I actually did believe they would win in 2001 (I have never bet on a game but really wanted to there - I was in CT and regret not figuring out how to do that as that would have been a cool bet).

I agreed with the decision because it felt like the Rams were regrouping and would win the game with additional time. It felt like I did with the 4th and 2 against the Colts (the dam was breaking), and I did not disagree with that decision either (even though it did not work out). The Rams were that better team that should have won 9/10 in matchups, so anything other than going for the jugular would likely have ended badly.

 

[MassPats38]

Watching the 2001 squad is an 'old timer' thing now?

Jesus help me.

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, U2 , all classic rock now. Deal with it.

If you remember those phones with curly cords that couldn't leave the house, then you are officially old. Here is a little walk down memory lane on the cell phones of 2001. Time has caught up with you, Fnord. You are now officially an old geezer.

 

[Mcp1982]

I was at the Sunday night rams game in foxboro that year. Smith fumbled going into the end zone or game may have gone their way. You could tell they could play with the rams, but of course was a home game on grass.

 

[mosi]

Gosh, 2001 is now an old timer? Man time flies.

I did not think the Pats had a shot. I was bummed that again, the Pats were playing in the Superdome against an unbeatable team. Felt jinxed. Still could not believe they won that game.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I enjoy football history, and the first time is usually the sweetest. For old timers,

Old timers? It was only 16 years ago. Its not like it was 1955 and we need a DeLorean to watch the game (now that is an OLD reference)

did you think they were going to beat the Rams in the Super bowl? Or were you just happy they got to the big game? Obviously pundits and the media didn't give them a big shot.

I loved how hard they played them in Foxboro earlier in the year but on turf I was concerned. I figured Rams 28, Pats 21.

I was no longer happy being there. I had my fill with 1985 and 1996. I wanted a win.

With 1:20 left, did you ( at the time) agree with the choice to go for the win? Madden kept insisting they play for OT. My thinking is this: The Rams had scored 14 unanswered points. They were rolling. I believe they would've marched down the field to win the SB had they won the toss. You had to stop the momentum.

Ironic that Brady was on both sides of huge SB upsets (01, 07). Both games occured on February 3rd too.

I wanted BB/Tom to go for it. Playing for OT was lame.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Watching the 2001 squad is an 'old timer' thing now?

Jesus help me.

Alas my son, I cannot help you because as you recall you sold your immortal soul to Satan's presence on Earth named Roger for "Just one, JUST ONE Patriots Super Bowl win!" My man Peter has a big X over your name.

/returning Patsfan account to Earthly owner

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I enjoy football history, and the first time is usually the sweetest. Did you think they were going to beat the Rams in the Super bowl? Or were you just happy they got to the big game? Obviously pundits and the media didn't give them a big shot.

With 1:20 left, did you ( at the time) agree with the choice to go for the win? Madden kept insisting they play for OT. My thinking is this: The Rams had scored 14 unanswered points. They were rolling. I believe they would've marched down the field to win the SB had they won the toss. You had to stop the momentum.

Ironic that Brady was on both sides of huge SB upsets (01, 07). Both games occured on February 3rd too.

It was huge that we played them before. We had great success in rematches that year.

As far as the game, it went very much like I would have expected SBXX to had Grogan started, with the Pats controlling the ball, getting turnovers and a big lead, followed by the inevitable comeback.

Yes everybody did their job, but the last drive was Brady's greatness. Grogan had that, too.

 

[BobDigital]

I wasn't confident they would win but i knew they had a very good shot for a few reasons.

The Rams weren't as good as people made them out to be. Odd thing to say for a team going for 2 out of 3 but it's true. In 1999 they were in one of the worst divisions in football and in one of the weakest conferences I seen in the last 20. It was arguably just as weak if not more so than the current AFC. Probably more so.

In 1999 they beat a fairly "meh" Titans team IMO. Yeah they went 13-3 but a good part by luck. To me they were more like a 10-6 team in most years. Their offense lacked a true play maker (Eddie George was a volume back. Not a particularly good one). That was a year that they won mostly cause there was no one else to really take it or worthy of doing it. Fun note BTW. Jags only lost 3 times that year... all of which was to the Titans.

2001 to me was a better Rams team but it had issues. The offense was one that really poured it on vs average or bad Ds. Against good solid Ds they were often stuck in the mud (not just against the Patriots)

Philly had a very good D. The Ramswon 20-17 (while getting a FG in overtime) so only 17 in regulation. Yes they scored 29 vs that same D in the playoffs... a fumble at the 23 (which lead to a TD) and the inability of the opposing offense to even get 300 total yards will help with that.

They' lit up' GB which was the #5 D in the playoffs but 2 pick 6s and 4 other picks had more to do with it then the offense to be honest. If not for a 4 yard TD drive from the Rams their OFFENSE would have only scored 17 points against that D.

Against the Patriots they scored 24 points but again an 18 yard TD drive helped that. If not for that they would have gotten 17 points.

They faced the #8 D and scored 17 in regulation and lost.

SF was the #9 D which they played twice. They scored 27 points.... TD drives of 41 and 38 yards and a FG on a -5 yard drive. You could again argue they got some free/easy points there. And another time they scored 30 points on that team with a 15 yard FG drive, 49 yard TD drive, 4 yard FG drive, 39 yard TD drive. So some free/easier points in that game.

I don't plan to keep going but if you just take a few key short drives and easy FGs away you seem to get a very interesting 17 point pattern most of the time when they play top Ds. It's interesting cause they scored that same 17 in the super bowl vs the Patriots.

They didn't face the #2, #3, #4 or #5, #8 #10 D that year. (they were #7 in PPG defensively)

There is a clear pattern here. If you are a good D and don't give them a bunch of short fields they can be held in the 17-20 PPG range and that could be done fairly routinely.

It wasn't apparent at the time but looking in retrospect that rams team wasn't the juggernaut ppl think.

They were indeed a bit soft and when facing tough Ds they either got scored points cause of the opposing offense screwing up or they almost never would have scored more then 17.

The defense in retrospect was probably the more consistent and dangerous unit. It got scored on a few times for decent size numbers but a lot of that had to do with it's own offense making mistakes. I could make the same kind of argument as above and say if not for short fields or turnovers this D would almost never give up more than 20.

 

[sarge]

Thought they would get killed. I remember when the Rams tied the game up, I was thinking, man, I would have rather gotten blown out then having hope only to have it snatched away. (Poor Falcon fans...)

I remember when Troy Brown caught that pass thinking, OMG, we might actually do this.

It was the sweetest!

 

[signbabybrady]

I was in the Superdome that night!

I went in feeling pretty good about our chances but the moment we were introduced as a team I went from liking our chances to feeling confident.

 

[scott99]

After the Jets vs Colts in SB III, this has to be the biggest upset in SB history. One of my favorite sports memories ever. Whenever I see highlights of that SB, I get chills.

 

[Pats1989]

After the Jets vs Colts in SB III, this has to be the biggest upset in SB history. One of my favorite sports memories ever. Whenever I see highlights of that SB, I get chills.

I'm usually accused of being a negative person. But I think we know what the biggest upset in SB history ( after SB III) is. .lol...