2001 Patriots Season

Coming off a 5-11 season, changes were needed with the New England Patriots and changes were made both throughout the roster, as well as within the coaching staff. Bill Belichick also had a variety of situations to deal with that offseason, with some notable moments certainly standing out as the club looked to rebound heading into the 2001 season.

A key moment heading into the offseason that year was the future of Drew Bledsoe, with the veteran seeking a contract extension. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reported in January that with both Brett Favre and Mark Brunell also seeking a new deal, and both were represented by the same agency as Bledsoe, the plan had been to see how those two negotiations first played out. But the negotiation was viewed at the time as important to their offseason, with the hope of agreeing to a deal that would spread the money out, while also freeing up cash for free agency.

Had the negotiations not worked out, the club was reportedly willing to enter the 2001 season with Bledsoe's $9.8 million number.

As negotiations dragged on, Bledsoe parted ways with long-time agent Leigh Steinberg in late February in favor of David Dunn, who was Steinberg's former partner.

Other players who were reported to restructure were Willie McGinest, Max Lane, and Ted Johnson.

The 10-year, $103 million deal was finally signed on March 7, 2001, after an 18-hour negotiation between Dunn and then Patriots Chief Executive Officer Andy Wasynczuk.

Bledsoe said during a press conference that Wednesday, “I’m excited today with this contract that it looks like a very real possibility for me to play my entire career with a great organization.”

Law's suspension for the final week of the 2000 season spilled over into the offseason after Law attempted to recoup the money he lost by filing a grievance with the NFLPA. At the time, the union believed that the $87,500 paycheck he lost during his one-game suspension was "excessive." However, Robert Kraft publicly expressed frustration at the January league meetings, and then the club took things a step further when the team seemingly made good on Kraft's comments where he said he was looking to recoup a portion of Law's $14.2 million bonus.

The following Monday, it came out that the team had filed a countergrievance against Law to retrieve a "prorated portion" of Law's signing bonus.

"From my point of view, anyone who acts inappropriately, I'd like to see us be able to recapture his signing bonus and redistribute it to the players, so you're not just penalizing that individual player and save money under the cap," said Kraft via Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "We'd be obligated to re-spend it."

In a surprising twist, it turned out that the grievance had nothing to do with Law. In fact, Michael Holley of the Boston Globe later reported that Law claimed his agent, Carl Poston, filed the grievance without his knowledge. The cornerback later said he found out about the situation when he was in town having shoulder surgery, only to later learn about Kraft's grievance.

The two sides eventually settled their differences on March 2, 2001. That resolution followed a two-hour meeting between Law and Kraft, which the veteran cornerback reportedly initiated. As a result of that meeting, both withdrew their respective grievances.

Law said there was a "miscommunication" between him and his agent, which he blamed for causing things to escalate. But after speaking with Kraft, the two had a "great meeting" and were instead going to focus on charity work, which would involve the $87,500 fine by the team, donated to a local cause.

Veteran linebacker Bryan Cox had an interesting journey on his way to New England. He received a new three-year, $8.1 million deal from Bill Parcells, who departed after the 2000 season. But internal changes, including the departure of head coach Al Groh, who took a job at the University of Virginia, left New York opting to go in a different direction. Groh was replaced by Herm Edwards, which caused a shift that suddenly left Cox's future in doubt.

The veteran linebacker had a massive roster bonus due of $2.5 million in March, along with a cap hit of $4.1 million. The deal reportedly had an out, and the Jets took advantage, which made him available as a free agent.

Cox finally joined the Patriots on August 1, 2001 after agreeing to a 1-year deal.

The veteran also delivered a memorable and brutal shot in Week 3 to Colts receiver Jerome Pathon, which knocked out Pathon briefly on a hit in the first quarter. That set the tone and made a statement that carried through the rest of the afternoon as the Patriots won 44-13 for their first victory of the 2001 season.

He unfortunately suffered an injury in Week 7 in Denver, where he broke his leg in two places following a cut block by Broncos offensive lineman Dan Neil. Neil was later fined, but Cox was sidelined for the entire month of November following the injury before finally returning against the Jets in Week 12.

The Patriots continued revamping the roster, which saw some notable names again cut that offseason.

Chris Slade: The club parted ways with longtime linebacker Chris Slade on February 28, 2001, for salary cap reasons. The move reportedly saved the team $1.7 million on the salary cap.

Slade, who was a second-round pick (31st overall) in 1993, was one of the last remaining players from that draft class. Also taken that year were Drew Bledsoe (1st Round, 1st overall) and Troy Brown (8th Round, 198th overall). He finished his career in New England with 412 tackles (220 assisted), along with 51 sacks. He also forced 16 fumbles, including 3 recoveries, and had 3 interceptions. Slade was a reliable player during his time in New England, having missed just one game in eight years.

"Unquestionably, Chris has meant a great deal to the New England Patriots for a long time, as a player and a person whose professionalism and performance earned him a special respect both inside and outside of this organization," said Belichick following the news of Slade's release.

Bruce Armstrong: Also let go was Bruce Armstrong, with Belichick saying, "We won't be offering anything at this time," when asked about the long-time left tackle. According to the Boston Globe, the head coach had initially told Armstrong at the end of the season he had interest in bringing the veteran back, but that ultimately wasn't the case.

Armstrong had been released last offseason but was later re-signed ahead of the 2000 season, which ended up being his final one in New England. The team retired his #78 during a ceremony before New England's Week 3 game against Indianapolis on September 30, 2001. Armstrong was present for the ceremony, and the Boston Globe reported that he met with owner Robert Kraft, who reportedly offered him a role in the organization. No specifics were given, but it was said to be a role that would see him stay in the South, where he was living, because Armstrong was "not interested in the New England winters."

Max Lane: Lane was cut on May 5, 2001, just days away from earning a workout bonus and just months after he had renegotiated his contract. His release also came while reportedly rehabilitating a leg injury, which then saw him file an injury grievance with the league.

Here's a quick look at the free agents New England added over the offseason:

• DE Anthony Pleasant (49ers): Visited on 3/5/01. Pleasant Signed with New England on March 22, 2001
• CB Terrance Shaw (Dolphins): The former Miami cornerback signed with the Patriots.
• LB Mike Vrabel (Steelers): Visited on 3/5/01. He signed with the team on March 13, 2001.
• LB Larry Izzo (Dolphins): Signed to a 4-year, $2 million deal on 3/7/01
• G Joe Panos (Bills): Panos signed with the Patriots on March 18, 2001. He retired on July 27, 2001.
• FB Marc Edwards (Browns): The former Browns FB signed with the team on March 19, 2001.
• TE Chris Eitzmann: Received a three-year extension in the offseason
• DB Kato Serwanga (Exclusive Rights Free Agent): Serwanga re-signed with the team on March 19, 2001. Serwanga was originally slated to take part in NFL Europe, but there was a snag in the process and he spent the offseason in Foxboro taking part in team workouts.
• QB Damon Huard (Dolphins): The Patriots reached an agreement with former Miami Dolphins QB Damon Huard on March 29, 2001.
• WR Bert Emanuel (Dolphins): The Patriots signed Emanuel to a 1-year deal on March 31, 2001.
• OL Mike Compton (Lions): The Patriots signed the former Lions offensive lineman, adding the 6'6", 300-pound player to the mix on April 3, 2001.
• WR David Patten (Browns): Free agent Browns wideout David Patten was signed on April 3, 2001.
• TE Johnny McWilliams (Vikings): The Patriots added depth to their tight end room with the addition of free agent tight end McWilliams on May 25, 2001.
• WR Charles Johnson (Eagles): Following his release by the Eagles on April 25, the Patriots signed the free agent receiver on May 31, 2001.
• WR Torrance Small (Eagles): Small signed with the Patriots on the same day as his former teammate (Charles Johnson) on May 31, 2001.
• DT Riddick Parker (Seahawks): The Patriots signed defensive tackle Riddick Parker on June 6, 2001.
• RB Antowain Smith (Bills): The Patriots signed free agent running back Antowain Smith to a one-year deal on June 7, 2001.
• CB Terrell Buckley (Dolphins): The Patriots signed the free agent Dolphins DB on July 13, 2001.
• LB Bryan Cox (Jets): Signed with the team on August 1, 2001
• LB Roman Phifer (Jets): Signed with the team on August 4, 2001

Departures and Other Notes:

• QB John Friesz: Released on February 23rd, 2001
• DL Chad Eaton: Eaton was a free agent that offseason, and signed with the Seahawks on March 9, 2001.
• Also on New England's radar were Jets DE Rick Lyle, FS Chris Hayes, and DL Ernie Logan.
• The Patriots terminated the contracts of special teams ace Larry Whigham and defensive lineman Henry Thomas on March 13, 2001.
• OL Pete Kendall (Seahawks): Kendall was reportedly close to a deal in New England, but opted to sign in Arizona that offseason.
• DT Brentson Buckner (49ers): Buckner was also a player the team was rumored to be close to reaching a deal with, having reportedly beenoffered a 4-year deal from New England, but opted to stay in San Francisco after agreeing to a similar deal.
• DT Jason Ferguson (Jets): Ferguson was among several players who reportedly turned down the Patriots in free agency.
• OT Bruce Armstrong: The team opted not to make an offer to Armstrong to return for the 2001 season. He would retire after the 2000 season.
• LB Chris Slade: Slade was released by the team on February 28, 2001.
• DT Henry Thomas: Retired following the 2000 Season.
• FB Tony Carter: Departed to the Browns in Free Agency.

One key move came with the coaching staff as Bill Belichick hired Romeo Crennel as the team's defensive coordinator. Crennel had spent the previous season in Cleveland and had also been interviewed for the head coaching vacancy there following the firing of Chris Palmer. After the Browns hired Butch Davis, it opened the door for Crennel to join Belichick with the Patriots.

During his first season in 2000, Belichick had handled both the head coach and defensive coordinator roles in his first season, with secondary coach Eric Mangini assisting in the game-planning. In Crennel, who together with Belichick also worked with Mangini in New York with the Jets, Belichick added a key piece to the coaching staff, with the defense becoming the strength of the football team throughout the team's 2001 Super Bowl run.

With the sixth-overall selection in round one of the 2001 Patriots Draft, the Patriots took Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour.

“This pick really was a lot more about what we liked about him as opposed to any negatives with any other player,” said Belichick. “I think this is a good, young defensive lineman that we need on our front seven to incorporate into our system.”

Belichick said he did receive a couple of phone calls from teams who wanted to trade up, but none of the offers were worth taking.

“We had a couple of calls (about trading down),” said Belichick. “We talked about it, we considered it, but in the end we just felt good about the player and there wasn’t anything that was strong enough to move us.”

“We really just felt strong enough about Seymour that we felt like that he would be the best pick for our football team.”

Meanwhile Seymour said that from the time he first met the coaches back at the Scouting Combine over a month ago, he felt very comfortable with the Patriots coaching staff.

“I had a very positive meeting with all the coaches and with the rest of the team at the combine,” said Seymour. “Everything went great and I just felt at home with the coaches and the staff. I did not come there for a personal visit, but I felt like we hit it off in the interview.”

“I’m really glad to be a New England Patriot, and I am ready to get the show on the road.”

With their second selection of the draft in round two, the Patriots opted to address their vacancy at left tackle by taking Purdue's Matt Light. Light initially joined the team as a tight end during his freshman year. But after the school hired a new head coach, Light gained 75 pounds and became a standout at the tackle position.

Light ended up being the player responsible for Drew Brees' blindside, and with the club opting not to bring back long-time veteran Bruce Armstrong, he'll potentially now have the opportunity to anchor the left side of New England's line in the NFL.

Light told reporters that he's excited for the opportunity to get started.

"The coaches just told me that if I could go in there and play well at left tackle, then I could have a chance to fill that spot," said Light. "It doesn't matter to me what position I play on the offensive line, I'd just like to have the opportunity to go in there and do my best and earn a spot sometime down the road."

"I'm just thrilled and excited. I'm at a loss for words about how I feel right now."

One of the biggest moves of the offseason was the addition of free agent Bills running back Antowain Smith. Smith became a free agent in early June of 2001 after internal issues in Buffalo, which stemmed from him refusing to participate in offseason workouts. The Patriots then took advantage, signing him to a one-year deal for $560,000, with the 29-year-old finding new life with the Bills' AFC East rival after joining the club for the final day of minicamp.

That move would go on to pay dividends. Smith provided New England with a formidable ground game that became a big key to their success that season.

Smith ultimately finished the 2001 season carrying 287 times for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with ending up with 19 receptions for 192 yards and a receiving touchdown. During New England's championship run, Smith carried the football 53 times for 204 yards.

The Patriots got some bad news during training camp, with linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer being lost for the season. The young linebacker initially left camp abruptly out of concern after reportedly suffering pain in his neck. However, after returning to the team, tests by the team's medical staff revealed that he was in need of surgery on his neck. At the time, the procedure was believed to be necessary in the hopes of his being able to continue his career.

“I spoke with Andy Katzenmoyer yesterday, and the doctors have convened on this,” said Belichick on Wednesday. “Andy is going to have surgery on his neck in the near future, and then he’ll most likely be placed on injured reserve as well when that occurs. Expectations are that he’ll have a full recovery and be back for the 2002 season. I think that’s what the expectations are from everyone."

“The surgery that he had the last time didn’t quite take care of it, and the expectations are that this will.”

He would go on to be placed on injured reserve, ending his 2001 season.

The Patriots endured tragedy during their 2001 training camp, with quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein's sudden passing that preseason.

Rehbein, who had a pacemaker, reportedly had cardiomyopathy and had passed out while running on a treadmill. After checking himself into Massachusetts General Hospital, Rehbein lost consciousness while undergoing a stress test, and he passed away on Monday, August 6, 2001, at the age of 45.

"Dick was the kindest and most decent of men, who cherished his family and his career as an NFL coach," said Belichick. "He was respected and admired professionally, by players and coaches alike, and will be deeply missed."

However, Rehbein quietly remains a key figure after cementing his legacy with one of the biggest contributions in team history. The young coach reportedly played a key role in the team's drafting of Tom Brady with the 199th selection the previous year, having seen something special in him after a visit to Michigan scouting quarterbacks for the team.

He later told his wife, Pam, that he felt he had found the next Joe Montana or Brett Favre. "Twenty years from now," Rehbein said at the time via ESPN, "people will know the name Tom Brady."

Later that season, Brady would go on to prove him right.

Undrafted Free Agent Stephen Neal was an interesting story. Neal, who was a former college wrestler, initially started training camp on the defensive line, but was moved to the offensive line after the club suffered multiple injuries among that group.

Neal was ultimately waived by New England at the end of training camp, but he was brought back on December 12, 2001 after being re-signed off of Philadelphia's practice squad.

He was inactive during the final three weeks of the season and also didn't play in the postseason. But that move in the 2001 preseason marked the beginning of a Patriots career that would become one of the more memorable and unusual success stories in team history.

Patriots quarterback Michael Bishop was waived on August 17, 2001, after spending camp as the team's fourth quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe, offseason veteran addition Damon Huard, and second-year quarterback Tom Brady.

The young QB had spent time playing football in Europe with the Frankfurt Galaxy that summer, but he then appeared to be frustrated following Bledsoe's extension and the addition of Huard, with Brady's elevation also complicating his situation further.

Bishop did see time during the previous season in 2000, with the team using him in short-yardage situations. That was part of a wrinkle Belichick had hinted at shortly after being hired the previous year, as well as Bishop's use on Hail Mary attempts in 2000.

In Bishop's final game in New England, an exhibition game against the Giants, he completed 2-of-7 passes for 21 yards during his appearance in the fourth quarter of that contest.

Troubled wide receiver Terry Glenn had received a clean slate from head coach Bill Belichick after his arrival in 2000, but a challenging offseason ahead of the 2001 campaign kicked off a long list of troubles that ultimately led to Glenn being suspended by the end of the season.

The timeline below maps out Glenn's troubled season, with the expandable blocks breaking down exactly how it all played out.

The biggest story of the season was the hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis on Bledsoe, which happened on a 3rd-and-10 play with 5:11 remaining in New England's Week 2 matchup against New York at Foxboro Stadium on September 23, 2001.

As Bledsoe dropped back, he had pressure coming from his right as both Grant Williams and tight end Rod Rutledge were dealing with Lyle bull-rushing the pair back into him. Bledsoe then decided to try and pick up the first down on his own and took off running up the right sideline toward the first down marker.

With Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis trailing him, Bledsoe sprinted and dropped his shoulder as Lewis came in, trying to pick up the first down. The collision stopped Bledsoe 2 yards short of the first down, and the hit by the Jets linebacker dropped the QB hard to the ground.

Bledsoe hit the turf and was motionless, failing to get up following the hit as trainers ran over to attend to him.

After several minutes, he got up and headed gingerly over to the bench, and he would come in for the next series, but head coach Bill Belichick pulled him from the game after it was clear he wasn't OK.

Following Brady's entrance to the game, which was being broadcast locally on CBS, there was reportedly frustration with how the situation was handled. The Boston Globe reported that sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein wasn't happy with the club's explanation for Brady coming into the game instead of Bledsoe, having been told it was a "coach's decision" and that "Bledsoe wasn't hurt." It reportedly led to confusion both in the booth with commentator Dan Dierdorf (who was paired with Dick Enberg for the game) as well as in the radio booth with long-time Patriots voice Gil Santos after they were also initially told the decision wasn't injury-related.

Bledsoe was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital following the game, and initial reports didn't reveal the severity of what he was going through.

The Boston Globe initially reported that Bledsoe was dealing with a concussion and that he potentially had cracked ribs. Another report said the quarterback was also throwing up blood in the locker room prior to being taken to the hospital. He had also started experiencing chest pain 45 minutes after the hit by Lewis.

However, the following day, another report revealed that his medical team was pondering surgery to repair what was believed to be a collapsed lung. The quarterback also had a tube inserted into his chest to remove "a significant amount of blood."

Instead, the next day, it was learned that Bledsoe suffered a sheared blood vessel, which is what caused the internal bleeding. The injury didn't require surgery. Belichick, who visited the quarterback multiple times while he was in the hospital, also shot down the reports during his press conference the following Wednesday of Bledsoe having cracked ribs, a collapsed lung, or that the quarterback had been throwing up blood in the locker room. Belichick also said, "there was no sign of a significant concussion." Multiple teammates, including Tom Brady, also visited the quarterback while he was in the hospital.

The tube wasn't removed until Wednesday, September 25, 2001, with Bledsoe finally being released from the hospital the next day.

Bledsoe recounted the event years later, saying that the situation became serious on the way to the hospital.

"So they threw me in the ambulance, had to get out of postgame traffic... my brother actually was at the game, jumped in the ambulance with me, and we're on our way to Mass General up in Boston," said Bledsoe via Jordan Cohn of Audacy. "And my brother tells the story — and I don't even remember this — but I was sitting there, and I couldn't take morphine because I'm allergic, and I couldn't take Advil because it's an anticoagulant and they didn't want me to have that in my body, so they couldn't give me anything for pain. So I was just moaning and groaning and hurting, and we get just to the outskirts of Boston, and my brother's looking at me."

Right after that, Bledsoe said he lost consciousness.

"I just went lights out," said Bledsoe. "Just shut down, gone, didn't have enough blood left in my body to keep functioning. So they hauled ass to the hospital, and when I woke up, they had a tube stuffed in my chest that was draining the blood out of my chest, cleaning it up and putting it back in me, and stayed like that for six days."

The later diagnosis was a hemothorax, which saw his abdomen fill with blood from the sheared blood vessel.

Dr. Thomas Gill, who was the team's physician in 2001, told Greg Bedard back in 2016 that Bledsoe was initially complaining about his shoulder, and upon examination, Gill realized it was potentially something more serious before recommending he be taken to the hospital.

That was when they learned of the internal bleeding, which could have been tragic had it not been discovered.

“Drew could have died,” Gill told Bedard. “He ended up having about three liters of blood in his chest. He had torn one of the blood vessels behind his rib that was then pumping blood into his chest. They got a CAT scan of his belly, and you can see the bottom of the lung fields and they could see that was filled with fluid. So then they extended the study up the chest and saw what the problem was. They were able to drain the blood out and immediately once that happened, he started feeling better, his breathing was under control, his blood pressure stabilized. But it was really dicey. I don't even think Drew knows how serious it was. But he really could have died.”

Here's a week-by-week look back at that season.
(*Click on each week to expand for recap, highlights, and articles from each game.)