Events that could have changed our 6-3 SB record in the Brady BB era

[Koma]

More:

SB42 - Pierre Woods holds onto that fumble recovery

SB46:
- Brady isn't called for intentional grounding in the end zone on the Patriots first offensive play.
- The 2008 first round pick isn't stolen and whatever player(s) acquired with that pick are key contributors in 2011.


Also, can we stop saying Lee Evans dropped the ball, like he was all alone? Sterling Moore knocked the ball out of his hands. To me, dropping a pass would be something like Jackie Smith for the Cowboys in the SB. There's no defender around, the ball is on target, and the receiver can't come up with it. That's a drop.

 

[XLIX]

It really is amazing that there are so many events that were close enough to swing our SB record in either direction.

If I could change one play per season (and not even a major change, just something minor) then I could give the Patriots 10 Super Bowl Championships - or I could take every one they have away.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I've never known where to put this comment, but sometimes I like to re-watch the 2001 game winning drive, and JR Redmond caught Brady's first 3 balls on that drive and Redmond was super clutch in getting out of bounds and other heads-up plays. JR Redmond was really underappreciated for starting off that epic drive. The Pats started on their own 20 with zero timeouts and only 1 minute of game time and we won the F'ing Superbowl going to JR Redmond 3 times, Troy Bingo Brown, and then Jermaine F'ing Wiggins.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

never understood the Ravens fans who hate Lee Evans and wish bad things on him. Sterling Moore made a great play

 

[TB12TheGoat]

i still think 2015 was arguably the 3rd best team of the dynasty behind 2007 and 2004. if they had even average injury luck they win the super bowl easily. hell i still think they should have won it even with the injuries

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I've never known where to put this comment, but sometimes I like to re-watch the 2001 game winning drive, and JR Redmond caught Brady's first 3 balls on that drive and Redmond was super clutch in getting out of bounds and other heads-up plays. JR Redmond was really underappreciated for starting off that epic drive. The Pats started on their own 20 with zero timeouts and only 1 minute of game time and we won the F'ing Superbowl going to JR Redmond 3 times, Troy Bingo Brown, and then Jermaine F'ing Wiggins.

redmond getting out of bounds on his last catch is SO underrated. Another 15 seconds off the clock and st lois just needs to guard the sidelines

 

[DropKickFlutie]

redmond getting out of bounds on his last catch is SO underrated. Another 15 seconds off the clock and st lois just needs to guard the sidelines

I que up in my head the 'it's a game of inches' speech by Pacino from Any Given Sunday when I see that play. JR Redmond strains every ounce of strength to drag 2 Rams players with him so he can get out of bounds. Super clutch play.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The tuck game and 28-3 each had about 5 plays you could point to where if any one went differently we likely lose.

in 2003 vs the titans round 2 their wr dropped a very catchable long ball on 4th down that would have put them deep in our territory to tie easily and maybe even win.

2004 is the only title year you can point to and say if we dont make this one play we were screwed.

I was a nervous wreck on that last Titans drive. I thought Bennett was coming down with that. Titans had some momentum and that could've been a pre helmet catch type swing in momentum.

Less

Vrabel getting called for smacking Warner in the face on the Ty Law Pick 6 in XXXVI

More

How about not putting 5'9" Ellis Hobbs in single coverage on 6'5" Plaxico Burress in XLII

I'm shocked Vrabel didn't get called for that. Regarding Hobbs, Pats had midget CB's so Samuel wouldn't have made much of a difference.

BS calls in the regular season game @DEN in 2015

I recall the blatant Shaq Barrett spearing.

More:

Seymour sacks Eli on the helmet catch.

If the fix wasn't in vs Philly.

Less:

Mike Martz doesn't play into Bill's hands.

Mike Carey said he was very close to calling in the grasp. He should've at least called the obvious holding on the O-line. It's one thing to miss one guy being held, but the entire f***ing D-line was being held. In fact, I think Green or Seymour were getting choked.

SB42 - Pierre Woods holds onto that fumble recovery

He actually had a clear recovery that Bill should've challenged. It's clear as day he had the ball in his possession then the midget came in and some how wrestled it away after the fact. That was a big time blunder on Bill.

Also, can we stop saying Lee Evans dropped the ball, like he was all alone? Sterling Moore knocked the ball out of his hands. To me, dropping a pass would be something like Jackie Smith for the Cowboys in the SB. There's no defender around, the ball is on target, and the receiver can't come up with it. That's a drop.

Moore made a great play, but Evans was really careless on that play.

i still think 2015 was arguably the 3rd best team of the dynasty behind 2007 and 2004. if they had even average injury luck they win the super bowl easily. hell i still think they should have won it even with the injuries

They were better than the 2014 and 2016 team that won it all.

 

[sb1]

I was a nervous wreck on that last Titans drive. I thought Bennett was coming down with that. Titans had some momentum and that could've been a pre helmet catch type swing in momentum.

McNair got it away before Rodney blasted him. If Rodney wasn’t there McNair would have had a better throw to the middle of the field and I think Bennett would have had Poole beaten for a TD. And he still should have caught the throw as it happened.

That whole play was a heart stopper. Unreal how close that was to putting our season in jeopardy.

 

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

Here's a big one: CALL THE F***ING HOLD

 

[Hyped]

Oh man, this is one of my favorite subjects....often at the bar...I'll rattle off all of these events to make a point that the Patriots were DAMN close to winning all of their Superbowls AND some more...(like the phantom PI call on Hobbs being the difference between playing Rex Grossman in the SB or sitting at home).... and I also agree with people when they point out that the Patriots were DAMN close to losing all of their Superbowls (except SB XXXVIII with McNabby puking).

But I finally make the larger point that the Patriots had to be really really good to win 70% of their games year in and year out....getting a BYE year in and year out....to be there 9 times and winning 66% of the time.

Final tally:

18 seasons of the BB/Brady combo:
17 division titles & playoff berths
13 first round BYEs
13 trips to the conference title game
9 trips to the Superbowl
6 world championships

The 13 first round BYEs is probably the most impressive part....you had to win at least 11+ games to just get a BYE in the two BYE format. Many NFL teams don't win 11+ multiple times....there are good teams that go 11+ for 2-3 seasons then have down years before coming back to 11+ wins. The Patriots did it year in and year out....and the only time TB/BB missed the playoffs...they were 9-7...still 2 games better than we were this year!

 

[Steve102]

Here's a big one: CALL THE F***ING HOLD

I was, and still am, perplexed by the play calls in this game. The opening drive in the third, 4th and 13 from the Giants 31... FG gives you a two score lead. Far from automatic, but a makeable kick. Later, with three time outs and 29 seconds in the 4th, they took 4 deep shots. An average play is four seconds, longer for a longer yardage play. They needed to go 59 yards. If you figure they could get 4 plays off in that time (they did), they needed just under 15 yards per play to get into FG range with 0:01 left. Even if you up the average yardage needed to just under 20 yards per play, they could have run a mid range play selection and got there. Certainly, the sack on second down eff'd them up, but they had higher percentage plays other than "chuck it deep to Randy" available on that drive.

 

[Sicilian]

Also, can we stop saying Lee Evans dropped the ball, like he was all alone? Sterling Moore knocked the ball out of his hands. To me, dropping a pass would be something like Jackie Smith for the Cowboys in the SB. There's no defender around, the ball is on target, and the receiver can't come up with it. That's a drop.

never understood the Ravens fans who hate Lee Evans and wish bad things on him. Sterling Moore made a great play

I feel like this is a common thing amongst analysts (both live and in post games). Basically anything that touches a receiver in any way is called a "drop". He had to leap and do a full extension? Drop. Defender makes contact with the square of his back a nano-second before the ball gets there? Gotta catch that one. Defender literally punches the ball out immediately after the receiver catches it? DROP. In general, a lot of analysts view the game as the Offense versus a bunch of tackling dummies. The only way the offense wouldn't score a TD on every drive is if they make a mistake.

 

[oldrover]

One other play hasn't been mentioned...

 

[The Brandon Five]

I'm shocked Vrabel didn't get called for that. Regarding Hobbs, Pats had midget CB's so Samuel wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Shouldn’t have been single coverage. They sent 7 on that play. Asinine.

 

[reesebobby]

I didn't see this mentioned, but Brady going down in game 1 of 2008 may have cost you one possibly. You were coming off a 16-0 and had a pretty good year even with Cassel.

 

[TheRainMaker]

One other play hasn't been mentioned...

If Bledsoe doesn't get injured, does Bill bench the newly signed $100M QB?

I didn't see this mentioned, but Brady going down in game 1 of 2008 may have cost you one possibly. You were coming off a 16-0 and had a pretty good year even with Cassel.

Had the Pats won the Super Bowl in 2007, they get the Thursday opening night game and it's possible they don't play KC. And if even if they did, that Bernard Pollard play probably doesn't happen as everything changes. As long as they avoided Baltimore, they would've easily made it out of the AFC.

However, had Plaxico Burress not shot himself in the leg, Giants easily make it out of the NFC as they were on a tear.

 

[SVN]

2001 AFCCG. Everyone remembers bledsoe's td pass but forgets how he kept trying to throw INTs which the steelers dropped.

 

[sb1]

2001 AFCCG. Everyone remembers bledsoe's td pass but forgets how he kept trying to throw INTs which the steelers dropped.

Yup. Hit Joey Porter between the numbers which thankfully was dropped. He's the one guy I didn't want to see make any kind of play against us. Eff him. Annoys me that he got a ring.

 

[sb1]

I didn't see this mentioned, but Brady going down in game 1 of 2008 may have cost you one possibly. You were coming off a 16-0 and had a pretty good year even with Cassel.

Eh, probably not. The defense took a huge step backwards in 2008. We would have made the playoffs with Brady but I doubt we would have gone very far.