Revisiting the 2001 Patriots

[sb1]

they hate their coach - Tom Jackson - YouTube

 

[sb1]

2001 AFC Championship Game: Patriots @ Steelers - YouTube

1:01:06 - absolutely filthy hit that knocked out Brady.

Feels like Bledsoe gets hated on too much for this game though. He made some nice throws. Took a big shot on a play that was just like the Mo Lewis hit and got right back up right away pumped up and that fired up everyone especially Brady himself. Did his job and finished his Patriots career like a champ. Yeah he had some rust and he had his moments looking like the guy that drove us nuts over the years. A rusty QB could have have had a whole lot worse outcome. Like the Chiefs game last season.

 

[PP2]

Speaking of which, I saw Matt Chatham at TC today just walking around in the crowd. It took a long time before someone recognized him, and an old codger at that.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Speaking of which, I saw Matt Chatham at TC today just walking around in the crowd. It took a long time before someone recognized him, and an old codger at that.

Shoulda yelled out, "Wozzy!" and see if he reacted.

 

[Ryan]

This season was incredible. I vividly remember feeling like I was going to puke in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl when the Rams tied it. SB 36 is still, and always will be, my favorite of the 6.

 

[scott99]

This season was incredible. I vividly remember feeling like I was going to puke in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl when the Rams tied it. SB 36 is still, and always will be, my favorite of the 6.

It truly was an incredible season. Just so many amazing wins down the stretch. 9 in a row, but they won in so many different ways. Close wins, blowouts, just every way imaginable.

SB 36, I remember thinking when Otis Smith ran into his own guy during an interception return thinking, man, if he didn’t do that, it was going to be a pick six, and would’ve sealed the game. Considering the time in the game it happened. We got a field goal out of that. TD would’ve gave us 21 points instead of 17. So it was one of those plays that comes back to haunt you, but luckily it didn’t.

I distinctly remember Madden saying they should play for OT, but I was afraid we’d lose in OT. That drive down the field for that OT field goal was heart stopping. I couldn’t believe they were doing that. That throw to Brown (and the catch), to get them close, was special, what a bullet and what a catch.

When they were lining up for the FG, I was thinking, he can make this. When the kick went through, I swear to you, I didn’t scream in happiness right away. I was kinda in shock. I think it took a few seconds to register that we had won. Of course, being a fan since 1975, I was looking for possible flags, because you know, the Patriots. Despite 2 SB appearances prior to the dynasty, the Pats were basically irrelevant, basically they were like the Detroit Lions, no respect was given, and none was earned. I would watch football during the 1970s, and always wish the Pats had someone like Terry Bradshaw or Roger Staubach, or a team like the Steelers or Cowboys, and in the 1980s like the 49ers. Who knew the Pats would surpass them all.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

2001 AFC Championship Game: Patriots @ Steelers - YouTube

1:01:06 - absolutely filthy hit that knocked out Brady.

Feels like Bledsoe gets hated on too much for this game though. He made some nice throws. Took a big shot on a play that was just like the Mo Lewis hit and got right back up right away pumped up and that fired up everyone especially Brady himself. Did his job and finished his Patriots career like a champ. Yeah he had some rust and he had his moments looking like the guy that drove us nuts over the years. A rusty QB could have have had a whole lot worse outcome. Like the Chiefs game last season.

Just like Tony Eason, Drew Bledsoe could throw the ball, and did, because he was given the chance. First round pick who wore number 11 and was carried to the playoffs and Super Bowl by an excellent team. Losing the Super Bowl also not their fault - Eason never should have started in the first place, and although Martin was a little banged up, he should have got thirty carries. We should have beaten the Packers up on the ground like the cheating Broncos did a year later.

It is not mean or hating to state the simple fact that neither player possesses the football acumen of great quarterbacks who win. Being blinded by passing yards statistics and oblivious to all the other glaring deficiencies causes the majority of non-football knowledgeable people to elevate these two players to an inaccurate status.

Byron Dafoe is not the second greatest goaltender in Bruins history.

 

[sean10mm]

Bledsoe is interesting to me because it seems like pre-Brady he had a reputation in the press and (mostly) with the fanbase that was better than his on-field performance justified. He was treated as The First Real Quarterback in Team History through the 1990s, when in retrospect he looks like a guy who just put up big volume numbers with mediocre efficiency and then bit it in the postseason.

I think this came down to the team's recent history. Steve Grogan was tough as hell and hung around forever, but he was constantly hurt in the tail end of his career, which is what a lot of people remembered by the early 90s. Eason looked the part on paper but was widely seen as a wimp. Flutie was fun but completely unconventional, and was ultimately a flash in the pan. Otherwise it was a parade of stiffs. Bledsoe looked the part, said the right things, was tough and didn't miss games. After 20 years of Brady it's easy to take that for granted, but it was just a huge relief in the 1990s to finally have a guy who showed up every week , wasn't constantly on IR and could throw it out of the stadium flat footed.

 

[Pats1971]

Bledsoe is interesting to me because it seems like pre-Brady he had a reputation in the press and (mostly) with the fanbase that was better than his on-field performance justified. He was treated as The First Real Quarterback in Team History through the 1990s, when in retrospect he looks like a guy who just put up big volume numbers with mediocre efficiency and then bit it in the postseason.

I think this came down to the team's recent history. Steve Grogan was tough as hell and hung around forever, but he was constantly hurt in the tail end of his career, which is what a lot of people remembered by the early 90s. Eason looked the part on paper but was widely seen as a wimp. Flutie was fun but completely unconventional, and was ultimately a flash in the pan. Otherwise it was a parade of stiffs. Bledsoe looked the part, said the right things, was tough and didn't miss games. After 20 years of Brady it's easy to take that for granted, but it was just a huge relief in the 1990s to finally have a guy who showed up every week , wasn't constantly on IR and could throw it out of the stadium flat footed.

At the time, he was probably the best QB in our history. Yeah I remember him being Marino-like for a number of years, now when I look back, it was like, meh. It must be how the lions saw Stafford.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

At the time, he was probably the best QB in our history. Yeah I remember him being Marino-like for a number of years, now when I look back, it was like, meh. It must be how the lions saw Stafford.

So much Stafford there.

They rarely won games because Drew Bledsoe was the better quarterback when it mattered or because he was dominant like peak Favre. His best statistical feats were almost always in the context of trailing due to his inefficiency/mistakes.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

2001 AFC Championship Game: Patriots @ Steelers - YouTube

1:01:06 - absolutely filthy hit that knocked out Brady.

Feels like Bledsoe gets hated on too much for this game though. He made some nice throws. Took a big shot on a play that was just like the Mo Lewis hit and got right back up right away pumped up and that fired up everyone especially Brady himself. Did his job and finished his Patriots career like a champ. Yeah he had some rust and he had his moments looking like the guy that drove us nuts over the years. A rusty QB could have have had a whole lot worse outcome. Like the Chiefs game last season.

Bledsoe did his job, period. The throw I see most complain about, the ‘ near pick’ by Jason gildon or whoever the lb was, was hardly a drop like they make it sound like and more of a batted down. Watch the play again, even if the lb had gorilla glue on his hands it’d be a tough grab. At the end of the day, he took over at 7-3, and left it at 24-17. That’s doing your job as the backup

 

[sean10mm]

Bledsoe did his job, period. The throw I see most complain about, the ‘ near pick’ by Jason gildon or whoever the lb was, was hardly a drop like they make it sound like and more of a batted down. Watch the play again, even if the lb had gorilla glue on his hands it’d be a tough grab. At the end of the day, he took over at 7-3, and left it at 24-17. That’s doing your job as the backup

Agreed. I can't fault him for the job he did in that game at all.

And I'd forgotten what an absolute cheap shot that low hit on Brady was. It wasn't even close, the guy straight up kneecapped him with his helmet after the ball was out. That was a dirty play even in the 70s.

 

[jimnance]

I still get chills when I watch that SB- especially that game-winning drive.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Agreed. I can't fault him for the job he did in that game at all.

And I'd forgotten what an absolute cheap shot that low hit on Brady was. It wasn't even close, the guy straight up kneecapped him with his helmet after the ball was out. That was a dirty play even in the 70s.

Yup, terrible hit. The Steelers are the only team i know thats knocked 2 starting qbs out of playoff games with low hits, within a few years of each other.

 

[InRodWeRust]

Here's Adam Vinatieri kicking the game winner just like how I remember.

i.imgur.com/e623Md0.mp4

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

At the time I would have been happy with another five-win season; 3-13 would not have been a surprise.

It had been 15 years since the Celtics won a title, double that for the Bruins, and never in anybody's entire lifetime for the Red Sox. The Patriots were another Boston sports team that would occasionally tease but never win it all.

From where I sat at the time I saw three good players: Willie McGinest, who was somewhat inconsistent the previous couple of seasons; Bledsoe, who was regressing and was now out indefinitely; and Terry Glenn, who was already suspended and now had nobody to throw him the ball.

To say I was not optimistic would be a huge understatement. So happy that I was so incredibly incorrect.

I was at the Moe Lewis game. Game 2 vs the Jete. Despite the fact that I saw lots of TFB at Smithfield (between jobs that summer) and seriously thought TB was better than Drew, as Drew left the field I thought about our o-2 start (Drew lost game one to a crap bungles team) forgetting everything I'd seen all summer, I said "Season's over!" Nobody could ever be so wrong.
To show the depth of my analysis, after Brady led the Pats to their victory over the Clots the next week, I was all in. I'm not to be trusted.

 

[TheRainMaker]

2001 AFC Championship Game: Patriots @ Steelers - YouTube

1:01:06 - absolutely filthy hit that knocked out Brady.

Feels like Bledsoe gets hated on too much for this game though. He made some nice throws. Took a big shot on a play that was just like the Mo Lewis hit and got right back up right away pumped up and that fired up everyone especially Brady himself. Did his job and finished his Patriots career like a champ. Yeah he had some rust and he had his moments looking like the guy that drove us nuts over the years. A rusty QB could have have had a whole lot worse outcome. Like the Chiefs game last season.

Bledsoe will always be a bada** in my book. He tried to get back in the game vs the Jets but little did he know he was dying.

Although he threw his signature pass to the LB (who luckily dropped the ball), he saved the Pats season.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Yup, terrible hit. The Steelers are the only team i know thats knocked 2 starting qbs out of playoff games with low hits, within a few years of each other.

That cheap shot on Palmer gave the Steelers playoff run life. They were about to get their a**es kicked.

And Palmer, Bengals were never the same after that hit.

 

[Steve102]

This hit changed it all, the attitude of the team, everything. The Patsies era ended right there, the New England Patriots had arrived. This to me was a moment right up there with Tek shoving his mitt in ARod's face.

Cox was as instrumental in setting the tone of that D early on that year as anyone else. I'll roll with you that this is the first brick in the foundation.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Bledsoe will always be a bada** in my book. He tried to get back in the game vs the Jets but little did he know he was dying.

Although he threw his signature pass to the LB (who luckily dropped the ball), he saved the Pats season.

That’s the insane thing, he actually did play the next drive (3 and out but still!). Dude was a warrior. Still remember the comebacks against Miami and buffalo in 97 with the broken finger