The 2004 Halloween shellacking in Pittsburgh

[WHPats]

Pretty similar to last night huh? NE riding a long winning streak, and absolutely blown out of the stadium by a hungrier team. The 2004 loss in Pittsburgh was worse and that 2004 Pats team may be the best Pats team ever. I remember that game like it was yesterday and NE did nothing right, the Steelers completely dominated them in all 3 phases. That team recovered and then blasted the Steelers on that very same Heinz Field in the AGCCG. Don’t judge this team by one bad game. They have issues, but if history has taught us anything, the Patriots usually figure it out when it really matters.

 

[oldrover]

100% agree. Every big season seems to have one or two of these. How about the 2014 KC game? Asking Belichick about benching Brady... LOL... “On to Cincinnati”... and another SB win.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

2004 game was without Dillon and Branch, plus Law ended his season during that game. The former two absences definitely put the Pats at a disadvantage; Notice how huge they were in the rematch. Losing a guy like Law mid-game is always tough to overcome in an afternoon window.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Brick27]

Definitely worth putting it into perspective. I don’t know if it’s because of the somewhat rarity of regular losses for this team or what, but it sometimes feels like people treat them almost with the weight and severity of a playoff loss.

Reality is they’ve lost 1 game. How many teams who have lost 1 or more games in the regular season have won the Super Bowl?... I know of one from last year who finished 11-5, and that turned out pretty well for them I’d say.

 

[ViperGTS]

I was in an airport of Paris coming back from a a deployment and they had this internet kiosk type thing and logged in all excited only to see the final score and being like wtf? How did that happen lol

 

[ViperGTS]

Pretty similar to last night huh? NE riding a long winning streak, and absolutely blown out of the stadium by a hungrier team. The 2004 loss in Pittsburgh was worse and that 2004 Pats team may be the best Pats team ever. I remember that game like it was yesterday and NE did nothing right, the Steelers completely dominated them in all 3 phases. That team recovered and then blasted the Steelers on that very same Heinz Field in the AGCCG. Don’t judge this team by one bad game. They have issues, but if history has taught us anything, the Patriots usually figure it out when it really matters.

I have ZERO doubt the Pats will roll the Ravens in the playoffs especially in Gillette.

 

[Patstastic]

I have ZERO doubt the Pats will roll the Ravens in the playoffs especially in Gillette.

Bingo. I said it in the post game thread. If these teams meet up again, the results will be very different. They may have won the battle. But the Patriots will win the war.

And I think a loss like this will get rid of the "Boogeymen" nonsense for awhile. It seemed like the team was feeling just a bit too good about itself.

 

[Wordsmyth]

Last night's debacle was a reenactment of the yuge wildcat loss to Tony Sporano's Miami Lolphins.

 

[TB_Helmet]

Great comparison OP.

-- First loss of the season
-- Ended a long winning streak
-- Pats were defending champs
-- Halloween weekend
-- Played an up-and-coming QB that had a lot of success so far
-- AFC North opponent
-- Patriots scored 20 points, lost by double figures

It's crazy how long this run has been in that almost anything that happens this year will have some parallel to a previous year.

 

[Patjew]

2004 game was without Dillon and Branch, plus Law ended his season during that game. The former two absences definitely put the Pats at a disadvantage; Notice how huge they were in the rematch. Losing a guy like Law mid-game is always tough to overcome in an afternoon window.

Regards,
Chris

That’s what I was thinking... similar results and we did not lose a #24 this time.

Losing last night does not “help”... but they can get over it, as proven before.

I love these historic/perspective threads. Good one, @WHPats

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Very similar, I think this year though if theres a rematch we’ll be at home. Ravens are not going to win out like those steelers did and we wont lose more than 1-2 games for them to overtake us.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Exactly

 

[NG Pats Fan]

That game is misleading. We were without our all pro RB and number 1 outside WR

Both Dillon and Branch scored 3 TDs in rematch in AFC title game


Who on offense were we missing last night that compares to those two? AB?

 

[NG Pats Fan]

I have ZERO doubt the Pats will roll the Ravens in the playoffs especially in Gillette.

Roll with what? This offense has zero dynamic playmakers

 

[FCB02062]

The 2004 Patriots played 7 straight non playoff teams after losing to Pittsburgh. Playing the dreck of the league allowed them to "get it right". This 2019 team has no such luxury. At least one of Philadelphia and Dallas will be in the playoffs, as will Houston and KC.

 

[TB_Helmet]

That game is misleading. We were without our all pro RB and number 1 outside WR

Both Dillon and Branch scored 3 TDs in rematch in AFC title game


Who on offense were we missing last night that compares to those two? AB?

Let’s see how Wynn does upon his return and revisit this question in the playoffs.

 

[FCB02062]

Also, that 2004 team faced the following quarterbacks after getting blown out of the water vs Pittsburgh - Marc Bulger, Drew Bledsoe, Trent Green, Kyle Boller, Luke McCown, Carson Palmer/Jon Kitna, and AJ Feeley....until they faced a playoff team (the NYJ!) piloted by old Noodle Arm himself, Chad Pennington...then they wrapped up the 2004 campaign vs Ken Dorsey...there are NO similarities between the 2004 blowout and last night, none...next 4 quarterbacks are Wentz, Prescott, Watson, Mahomes....

 

[Sicilian]

That game is misleading. We were without our all pro RB and number 1 outside WR

Both Dillon and Branch scored 3 TDs in rematch in AFC title game


Who on offense were we missing last night that compares to those two? AB?

Certainly no where near the level of Dillon and Branch, but getting Wynn and Harry added to this group can help, especially if Harry can use his size and contested catch ability to help out in the red zone. Also, we still have a good chance of playing the rematch in Foxboro, unlike 2004 where we had to play the rematch on the road.

 

[TB_Helmet]

Also, that 2004 team faced the following quarterbacks after getting blown out of the water vs Pittsburgh - Marc Bulger, Drew Bledsoe, Trent Green, Kyle Boller, Luke McCown, Carson Palmer/Jon Kitna, and AJ Feeley....until they faced a playoff team (the NYJ!) piloted by old Noodle Arm himself, Chad Pennington...then they wrapped up the 2004 campaign vs Ken Dorsey...there are NO similarities between the 2004 blowout and last night, none...next 4 quarterbacks are Wentz, Prescott, Watson, Mahomes....

First of all, we may look back at Wentz and Prescott in a decade and put them in the caliber of those QBs from 2004.

Second, there have been numerous similarities that have been mentioned already between these two games, almost eerily so, and I'm not sure that "The Patriots play different caliber QBs in the second half of 2019 relative to 2004" negates any of that.

Third, what are you talking about anyway?

 

[Ring 6]

Last season clinched it for me.
It’s not about this game means this or that game means that. it’s not about you struggled with something against X and Y is better at it so you are screwed.
It’s about having enough talent to compete with anyone, putting together strong post season games plans, making the plays that matter when they matter most.
Having the GOAT QB and GOAT Coach and a system that has produced so much success just increases the odds.
To me it’s all about getting the 1 seed and then a new season starts.