" I don't agree with what the patriots are doing"

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Against an offense like the Rams, it's a no brainer to go for it.

Our defense was shot at that point, I'm not about to put a championship all on a coin toss.

 

[PatriotSeven]

Against an offense like the Rams, it's a no brainer to go for it.

Our defense was shot at that point, I'm not about to put a championship all on a coin toss.

That's a good point, and if you study soccer there's an even bigger reason why it's smart to go for it.

In soccer, considering that it's such a defensive sport, where your typical score is 0, 1, or 2 the percentage of goals scored in the 90th+ minute is up there compared to goals scored at any other point in the game. You have 89 minutes of defensive playing, and then there's all these goals that take place in that last minute.

The strategy behind it is simple. One team tends to quit and plays for over time or the tie. The other doesn't. They catch them sleeping.

Football's no different. If there's 10 seconds on that clock, you should always be looking for the win. You don't quit because not only do you depend on a coin flip in OT, but the chances that the other team is breathing a sigh of relief and might be waiting for the clock to run out, are in your favor. In addition, considering the chances of success at the end of the game is heavily in favor of the offense when they have a QB that doesn't get rattled easily, and defensive players are more tired, it's yet another reason to go for it, rather than giving them a break, to catch their breath.

In this case Pats had the ball. They had everything to gain by going for it. The only risk they had was turning over the ball in their own territory, but when it came to Brady, that's not a greater risk than the 50% the coin flip gives you. Chances are good Bill already knew this about Brady by the time they got into the Super Bowl, even if the majority of people didn't.

 

[DarrylS]

Thanks for the memories, never forget those moments.. never thought that I would see that in my lifetime..

Brady was thinner
Bill was noticeably younger
Madden talked to damned much..

 

[robbomango]

nice flashback, Madden "i'm startin to like what there doin now"

I still wonder what would've happened if Bledsoe never got injured, would BB have had TB and Drew competing for the starting job eventually? montana-young etc...

I'm guessing BB would've benched Drew if the season got ugly and let TB take some snaps. Brady was getting drews job one way or another, he's just super competitive.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Aaah ... been a while. Gotta admit I just got goosebumps even before Madden said he did. A few thoughts:

– Man, Rams were pumped after that kick off, They definitely felt they had momentum on their side, and they did.
— Anyone else remember seeing the NFL Matchup the week after the game, with Jaworski? It was the first time we saw how close Leonard Little came to stripping the ball out of Brady's hands on that first play. Can't find the video, but, yowza, he got a good mitt on there.
— Gil & Gino were awesome on this drive.
— Didn't they change the rule on field goals/time run off after this game? So that only 5 seconds run off on a field goal kick?

 

[RobertWeathers]

nice flashback, Madden "i'm startin to like what there doin now"

I still wonder what would've happened if Bledsoe never got injured, would BB have had TB and Drew competing for the starting job eventually? montana-young etc...

I'm guessing BB would've benched Drew if the season got ugly and let TB take some snaps. Brady was getting drews job one way or another, he's just super competitive.

I forget which book they told the story but at the end of the 2001 training camp, BB & the coaching staff graded TB ahead of DB. Playcalling, audibles, right reads, etc. Incredible then. Not suprising now.

I do believe that Bledsoe would have been traded at the end of the 2001 season regardless and that they would have given the job to Brady. With that said, if they were 0-4, 1-5, Bledsoe would have been benched.

 

[Lansdowne]

Really is amazing watching that again. Brady was so calm on that drive that he looked bored.

I can never help but grin ear-to-ear when I see that clip of Brady patting Bledsoe on the chest and shouting, "WE WON!" Like a little brother interacting with his big brother. You can almost read Bledsoe's mind at that moment. "I wish I made it look that easy last time we were here."

 

[RobertWeathers]

nice flashback, Madden "i'm startin to like what there doin now"

I still wonder what would've happened if Bledsoe never got injured, would BB have had TB and Drew competing for the starting job eventually? montana-young etc...

I'm guessing BB would've benched Drew if the season got ugly and let TB take some snaps. Brady was getting drews job one way or another, he's just super competitive.

I forget which book they told the story but at the end of the 2001 training camp, BB & the coaching staff graded TB ahead of DB. Playcalling, audibles, right reads, etc. Incredible then. Not suprising now.

I do believe that Bledsoe would have been traded at the end of the 2001 season regardless and that they would have given the job to Brady. With that said, if they were 0-4, 1-5, Bledsoe would have been benched.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I wonder how many clicked on this thread and were crashingly disappointed it wasn't another whine-athon...

For some reason I knew they had it when they came out of that damn tunnel choosing to be introduced as a team...that was my goosebumps moment. Before that I was just so happy they had made it that far, which I also knew they would the instant Walt Coleman overturned the fumble call in the snowbowl. Before that game Tommy promised Bob they would win that game.

As for laughing at Rex, that was because he was copying a move already made by the guys whose rings he didn't come to NY to kiss...and his entire tenure is based on excuses and discouraging accountability so when he buries a ball and makes sure everyone knows he did it's just another ploy to take the heat off his little corps of overhyped divas and keep their egos inflated.

Best part of the next two trips was watching Ricky Prohl score again late and immediately turn to the scoreboard and see there was over a minute left...and hearing one of his previousy cokcy teamates on the bench squirm when the guy next to him thought they had it only to be told not with that QB we don't...

 

[ivanvamp]

More great stuff....

Hulu - NFL Films Presents: Dynasty - Watch the full episode now.

 

[scout]

Long live this thread! How does a team named the Patriots, wearing red, white, and blue, not get more hype for a world championship in 2001 (HBO made a special about the Yankees playoff win against Oakland). That day, my wife took the baby test and it was positive. Figured for sure it would be a boy. It wasn't, but happy with the results. Had family over to watch the game out on my lanai (Florida). Adam kicked the game winner, and when the ball was about at it's arch, I threw my hands up in victory!! Then, waited for what the Patriots would do on the kick-off (5 seconds). Never came, and I stayed up till 2:AM watching ESPN. Ah, the memories.

 

[fair catch fryar]

C'mon... Madden made ZERO sense. It's the SB. If you send it to OT, you're HOPEFULLY faced with the same situation. Even us younger folk know he was a good coach back in the day, so the only way I can explain it is early onset Alzheimers.

Show a little respect. The man is suppose to make comments on the game as it is happening. That's why they call it commentary.In all fairness, NO ONE actually knew how good Brady really was. As a homer I saw no other choice for the Pats at the time, but had I been a casual observer I would've agreed with him on the call.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Show a little respect. The man is suppose to make comments on the game as it is happening. That's why they call it commentary.In all fairness, NO ONE actually knew how good Brady actually was. As a homer I saw no other choice for the Pats at the time, but had I been a casual observer I would've agreed with him on the call.

It's not just a function of Brady's capability as many claim here. The Pats D had shown in the previous drives that they were out of gas. Completely. Were The Greatest Show on Turf to win the toss, they most probably would have scored on that OT drive.

And for those reasoning "Who knew Brady was capable?" then they also should have been consistent and reasoned that Brady would most likely also have failed to score in his 1st drive in OT, after which punt, The Greatest would have had their 1st or 2nd shot. Bad probability assessment by all defending Madden.

Instead, BB reasoned, let's see how we do on the 1st play or 2, if good go for it and if not, run the ball and run the clock down so The Greatest don't have enough time after we punt. Elementary.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

And Thank You for Tebuckey Jones taking the wrong angle and making a trademark bad safety play allowing the Rams to score more quickly leaving TFB the shot at football immortality.

 

[RobertWeathers]

It's not just a function of Brady's capability as many claim here. The Pats D had shown in the previous drives that they were out of gas. Completely. Were The Greatest Show on Turf to win the toss, they most probably would have scored on that OT drive.

And for those reasoning "Who knew Brady was capable?" then they also should have been consistent and reasoned that Brady would most likely also have failed to score in his 1st drive in OT, after which punt, The Greatest would have had their 1st or 2nd shot. Bad probability assessment by all defending Madden.

Instead, BB reasoned, let's see how we do on the 1st play or 2, if good go for it and if not, run the ball and run the clock down so The Greatest don't have enough time after we punt. Elementary.

Well said, PWP. BB will not let winning and losing be determined to chance or in a scenario where the history and trends have prooved out unfavorble results. 4th and 2 at Indy, SB 36, etc.

 

[Krugman]

Thanks for the link,that's a great moment in NFL history!

 

[Mossachusetts]

YET..... hope springs eternal, and when the field goal was kicked, and the clock struck zero, I just sat there for a couple minutes, unable to grasp that this team, for whom I have worn the laundry most of my life, FINALLY won the big one!


What a memorable game.

Exactly how i felt!