The '02 season

[deroc5050]

The 9-7 record could easily be 7-9.

Some of the games they won were nail biters vs KC, at CHI, vs MIA that could have easily been losses while most of their losses were games in which they got destroyed.

They had no business beating Miami.. the last game of the season. Miami let them back in the game. Instead of killing the clock and running the ball Miami kept trying to pass the ball and ended up giving us the chances we needed to scrape out a win. It was ugly.. Dave Wanstead.. or whatever his name was. sucked. And I believe that horrible collapse by Miami in which they had complete control over the game costed them the playoffs.

 

[Marko]

02 started out like they were going to blow through the league, by blowing out the Steelers and the Jets. Then they faced the Chiefs and got exposed for having the worst run defense in the league. I remember Priest Holmes going off in the OT game and Vermeil even running on obvious passing downs. I disagree that Troy Brown was in decline, he was just being overused to the point he was getting the crap kicked out of him, as it was Branch and Givens rookie year and there wasn't a lot of options. After the Chiefs game teams didn't even feel the need to pass at all, which is a sure sign you're in trouble. That year proved to me why team stats in football. aren't as useful as baseball, as we lead the league in pass defense purely because no one had to throw at all when they could run for 200 yards a game.

 

[brdmaverick]

. And I believe that horrible collapse by Miami in which they had complete control over the game costed them the playoffs.

Right, we could have easily lost both the Bears and Miami game, but yes, the Miami collapse did keep them from making the post season. It allowed the Jets to clinch the division with a win over Green Bay.

 

[brdmaverick]

Let's be real though too, with the history that the Pats franchise had to that point, I think even us fans (at least I can speak for myself) were still living in the glow of the last year's championship and just happy they fielded a competitive team.

 

[DaBruinz]

Hey guys

So we're all celebrating the 5th Super Bowl (still feels like a dream that we came all the way back to win!), and just how incredible this team has played for the past decade and a half, the only tiny blemish (if you can even call it that) is the only season that TB12 and co. didn't make the playoffs, the 2002 season.

Now I'm not doing this to rain on anybody's parade, I've always been curious as to what exactly happened that season. Was it just coming back down to Earth after the dream that was 2001? It's just so weird because the year before was great and the two years after were flat-out dominant.

It was still a 9-7 year so pretty solid for most teams, but it was a tiebreaker short of making the playoffs. Again, not trying to be negative or anything, just curious.

THANK YOU, throughout this entire thread I was going crazy trying to think of the NT who was a really bad FA signing that year. IIRC didn't BB get rid of him before the year ended? Or is just wishful thinking.

What happened? The Pats were trying to transition to a 3-4 Defense, but they didn't have a NT that season who could play worth a damn. Steve Martin (free agent signing) spent more time running his mouth about politics than he did in the film room. That's why he was let go in November of 2002. They tried Seymour at NT, but that didn't work as Seymour didn't have the ability to be an interior rusher.

It's why they went out and got Ted Washington in 2003 and Keith Traylor in 2004.

 

[sieglo]

I was only 7 years old during that season so I've always wondered what it was like week to week that year.

See game day thread archive.

 

[mosslost]

I was only 7 years old during that season so I've always wondered what it was like week to week that year.

I remember going 3-0 to start then losing 4 straight weeks to 3-4. Then Bledsoe's Buffalo provided us a much needed win to get to 4-4.

 

[brdmaverick]

One somewhat surprising outcome from this season was that Brady led the league in TD passes with 28.

I call it a surprise because.......

1.) Brady had been more of a game manager the year before. (before I get roasted for this I don't mean it in a disrespectful way. He was one helluva game manager that year.)

2.) He had a lot of new targets that he had to build chemistry with (Fauria, Branch, Givens, Hayes, Cleeland).

 

[sb1]

That Titans MNF game that year was as ugly as any loss in the Brady era.

The Titans were a really good team that year but it was a perfect illustration of why that team did not belong in the postseason.

 

[sb1]

Gave up 200 or more yards rushing in 4 games... and I believe 150 or more in 7.

That's Colts-like.

 

[RobertWeathers]

One somewhat surprising outcome from this season was that Brady led the league in TD passes with 28.

I call it a surprise because.......

1.) Brady had been more of a game manager the year before. (before I get roasted for this I don't mean it in a disrespectful way. He was one helluva game manager that year.)

2.) He had a lot of new targets that he had to build chemistry with (Fauria, Branch, Givens, Hayes, Cleeland).

Also Troy Brown hurt his knee late vs KC and wasn't the same all year.

 

[Joey007]

Steve Martin

I have not heard about him in years. Sure wasn't Mount Washington.

 

[sb1]

I was happy with the win over the Steelers in the opener.

All of the ESPN experts predicted a Steeler win in the opener, the very first game ever played at Gillette and I remember some of the PIT players like Porter were talking trash leading up to the game.

I must say blowing them out was very satisfying. Never really remembered a Super Bowl champion as disrespected as that one was.

 

[Joey007]

That Titans MNF game that year was as ugly as any loss in the Brady era.

The Titans were a really good team that year but it was a perfect illustration of why that team did not belong in the postseason.

Had we gotten in instead of the Jets I think we would've taken out Indy like the Jets did, but we would've met our match in the divisional.

 

[brdmaverick]

I have not heard about him in years. Sure wasn't Mount Washington.

Mount Washington was acquired in a trade in 2003.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Gave up 200 or more yards rushing in 4 games... and I believe 150 or more in 7.

That's Colts-like.

It was brutal.

The signed Steve Martin and that fat slob *****ed and moaned all year until BB sent him packing later in the year.

Anthony Pleasent's age caught up to him.

Sey was still developing.

Jarvis Green was a rookie and not stout vs the run anyway

I think Rick Lyle started as DT vs MIA in week 16 and he was only 280lb or so.

 

[Clonamery]

The run D sucked and they got complacent

If by "complacent" you mean Tara Reid then I totally agree.

 

[brdmaverick]

Dramatic comeback wins against the Bears and the Dolphins were certainly the highlights.

Although even the comeback itself wasn't that pretty agianst the Dolphins. If I recall correctly, the team was aided by a very very generous PI penalty. After getting the follow up TD they were aided by an ATROCIOUS Miami punt that essentially already had the Pats in field goal range for the tying field goal.

 

[brdmaverick]

If by "complacent" you mean Tara Reid then I totally agree.

Wow, that's a name I haven't heard in like forever.

 

[Deus Irae]

I have not heard about him in years. Sure wasn't Mount Washington.

Martin wasn't the only problem, no question. However, if Martin HAD been Mount Washington, that Patriots team almost certainly wins one more game and gets into the playoffs, even in a down year.