That was then: Celebrating what was

lexrageorge

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I always felt as if Revis/Belichick was an arranged marriage of convenience. Revis wanted a chance to compete for a Super Bowl and needed to perform on a make-good deal. Bill needed to shore up the Pats defense after not having won a Super Bowl in 10 years.

Still, some of Revis comments reminded me of "they hate their coach".

As an aside, I recently came across an article in which several players from the 2004-2013 gap years were interviewed. One of them was Adalius Thomas, who infamously feuded with Belichick in 2009. Interestingly, he had good things to say about Belichick and his time with the Pats.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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I took the hint and searched for the article. Here is one of the AT quotes:

"The feel was different [in ’09]. The aura was different. The regime was changing over at linebacker: [Jerod] Mayo and Gary Guyton had come in; [Tedy] Bruschi and [Mike] Vrabel were out. The only guys left were me and Buddy Buddy, Junior [Seau]. The meetings and everything were just different. You could tell the change was coming about. Some of the older guys were getting out and they were rebuilding, and so as Bill says, he was doing what he felt was best for the team. And that's what he did."

It's a terrific read. Thanks!

https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/02/03/oral-history-patriots-players-during-brady-belichick-super-bowl-gap-drought-daily-cover
 

PC Drunken Friar

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I thought of this while reading the Game 5 thread, especially how the Chiefs have had a really rough start to the season.

The Patriots (and Tom Brady in particular) broke football. All these pundits (won't call them experts) and ex-players were so hypnotized by what the Patriots did that they simply forgot the most basic aspect of football. Winning is hard. Mahomes is an incredible talent. Franchise QB. And yet, it was EXPECTED that he would one day challenge TB's Super Bowl record, because, simply put, they now believe that is what the best QB in the game does.
 

Euclis20

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Yeah, I've been saying that for awhile now. Mahomes is the best right now and has gotten off to an incredible start to his career, but it's bizarre the expectation that he'll win 3+ super bowls over the course of his career. For his part, he's already done something that Brady's never done - start off a season 2-3 or worse (not counting 2000). Here's hoping he breaks (or at least ties) another Brady milestone, deepest into the season he's been while under .500 (started off 3-4 in 2002).
 

tims4wins

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Totally agree. Rodgers hasn't played in a Super Bowl since 2010. Brees never played in one after 2009. These guys are both going in to the HoF on the first ballot. It's not that easy to maintain a great team around a great QB for an extended period of time.
 

Hoya81

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Yeah, I've been saying that for awhile now. Mahomes is the best right now and has gotten off to an incredible start to his career, but it's bizarre the expectation that he'll win 3+ super bowls over the course of his career. For his part, he's already done something that Brady's never done - start off a season 2-3 or worse (not counting 2000). Here's hoping he breaks (or at least ties) another Brady milestone, deepest into the season he's been while under .500 (started off 3-4 in 2002).
It’s definitely going to be more challenging in the short term for them at the division level with Herbert emerging as a future star and at the conference level as the AFC probably has the deepest crop of young established starters (Allen, Jackson, Mayfield, Burrow).
 

Bunt4aTriple

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@tims4wins posted the final drive of SB36 in the commentator thread in the media forum and I ended up going down the autoplay youtube hole. When Butler intercepted and the Pats were flagged for unsportsmanlike, does anyone know specifically why it was called?
 

Van Everyman

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I thought of this while reading the Game 5 thread, especially how the Chiefs have had a really rough start to the season.

The Patriots (and Tom Brady in particular) broke football. All these pundits (won't call them experts) and ex-players were so hypnotized by what the Patriots did that they simply forgot the most basic aspect of football. Winning is hard. Mahomes is an incredible talent. Franchise QB. And yet, it was EXPECTED that he would one day challenge TB's Super Bowl record, because, simply put, they now believe that is what the best QB in the game does.
Yeah, I've been saying that for awhile now. Mahomes is the best right now and has gotten off to an incredible start to his career, but it's bizarre the expectation that he'll win 3+ super bowls over the course of his career. For his part, he's already done something that Brady's never done - start off a season 2-3 or worse (not counting 2000). Here's hoping he breaks (or at least ties) another Brady milestone, deepest into the season he's been while under .500 (started off 3-4 in 2002).
Totally agree. Rodgers hasn't played in a Super Bowl since 2010. Brees never played in one after 2009. These guys are both going in to the HoF on the first ballot. It's not that easy to maintain a great team around a great QB for an extended period of time.
It would be kind of funny if Brady ditched the Bucs after this run with this current group of young, cost-controlled players and moved to another stacked team to win a couple more rings.
 

tims4wins

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It would be kind of funny if Brady ditched the Bucs after this run with this current group of young, cost-controlled players and moved to another stacked team to win a couple more rings.
Be especially funny if he went to GB and won a ring or two there after Rodgers couldn't get it done for years.
 

Deathofthebambino

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My bad. I meant, specifically. I wasn't sure if there was another angle or additional info on exactly what they did.
That was prior to the rule change allowing endzone celebrations (or the team wide celebrations you see with a defensive turnover nowadays). IIRC, a bunch of players ran onto the field to tackle Butler, and let's just say they didn't move off the field very quickly. The Pats ended up with the ball on the half yard line, and as any good Boston fan would do, a lot of us were freaking out about a safety and then a free kick that could have been returned (there was still 20 seconds or so left, and Seattle had a timeout), but Seattle's, Michael Bennett, jumped off sides and took a penalty for encroachment, allowing Brady the room he needed to kneel down and end the game.
 

Mystic Merlin

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That was prior to the rule change allowing endzone celebrations (or the team wide celebrations you see with a defensive turnover nowadays). IIRC, a bunch of players ran onto the field to tackle Butler, and let's just say they didn't move off the field very quickly. The Pats ended up with the ball on the half yard line, and as any good Boston fan would do, a lot of us were freaking out about a safety and then a free kick that could have been returned (there was still 20 seconds or so left, and Seattle had a timeout), but Seattle's, Michael Bennett, jumped off sides and took a penalty for encroachment, allowing Brady the room he needed to kneel down and end the game.
I’m convinced BB’s favorite part of the sequence was drawing Bennett’s encroachment because they executed the hard count wonderfully in a spot specifically geared toward drawing the guy with the most encroachment/offside penalties in the league that year. Exploitation of opponent tendencies in very specific and unusual game situations they almost certainly practiced at some point is his jam.
 

BaseballJones

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I’m convinced BB’s favorite part of the sequence was drawing Bennett’s encroachment because they executed the hard count wonderfully in a spot specifically geared toward drawing the guy with the most encroachment/offside penalties in the league that year. Exploitation of opponent tendencies in very specific and unusual game situations they almost certainly practiced at some point is his jam.
I agree. I was holding my breath until that moment. It seemed like it would be difficult to even get back to the LOS on a sneak or run play, and so a safety seemed like a very real possibility. That is, until Bennett jumped offside. Ha.

I think BB *loved* that moment.
 

JerBear

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I agree. I was holding my breath until that moment. It seemed like it would be difficult to even get back to the LOS on a sneak or run play, and so a safety seemed like a very real possibility. That is, until Bennett jumped offside. Ha.

I think BB *loved* that moment.
There's a clip in one of the documentaries with BB talking about hard counts from the 1 yard line and how effective they are because you're trading a .5 yard penalty on the offense for a false start or delay of game against the 5 yards on the defense.

Found it: View: https://youtu.be/Dn1cv1p1WTo?t=14m07s
 
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tims4wins

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Wasn’t sure best place to post this, but Man in the Arena premiers tonight at 10:30 on ESPN. I heard through the grapevine it is quite good, even though I know I’ll end up depressed that he left all over again.

Edit it’s just a preview tonight. Real thing drops in a couple weeks
 

soxhop411

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How am I just finding out about Boyd now?
Meet Boyd: Gillette Stadium field crew's newest (and goodest) employee
t takes an icon to pull off a one-word name. Prince, Cher, Madonna. You get the idea.
If a Gillette Stadium identification badge is any indication, there is a new icon in Foxborough. He has one name, four legs and a whole lot of fur.
Boyd is a five-year-old border collie-husky mix, and though he is already popular among his coworkers, he has an important job to with the stadium field crew, where his human, Ryan Bjorn, was recently hired as the Gillette Stadium field superintendent. Before the team takes the field for practice each day, Boyd runs laps to ensure it's clear and ready for them to get to work.
As a herding dog, Boyd has made a career out of chasing geese off of practice and game fields. Ryan previously worked as the director of grounds and environmental management for Maryland SoccerPlex for more than eight years. Before Ryan's tenure began at the SoccerPlex, there was a border collie on the field crew to help patrol the 160 acres of land they cared for.
After that dog passed away, Ryan said they noticed an increase in geese on the field almost immediately. It was decided: the SoccerPlex needed a new crew dog.
Enter Boyd. Well, actually, enter Prince Charming.

"We adopted him right at eight weeks. He fit in both of my hands," Ryan said. "The entire litter was named after Disney characters. His adopted name was Prince Charming, and as somewhat accurate as it seems, we had to change that.

https://www.patriots.com/news/meet-boyd-gillette-stadium-field-crew-s-newest-and-goodest-employee
More at the link
 

tims4wins

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Celebrating What Is.

You know What Is?

Tom Brady is still going as strong as ever and has a decent shot at an EIGHTH title... AND your New England Patriots are legit Contenders Capital C in the AFC.

That is Celebrating What Is.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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"If the Buffalo Bills lose to angel of death Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, the Patriots will reassume their longstanding place atop the AFC East, perhaps for another 20 years running.

And it makes me wanna f—king puke. By law, we should’ve been granted a break from the Patriots — from all of New England in general — for 50 years. Minimum. That is the debt that was owed. But nooooooooo. No, we have to endure yet another round of Boston fans getting drunk on their own erections, and it’s all because of [Mac Jones].

...

I hate this. I want to die. I want every other rookie QB to suddenly be good to blot out the Mac Jones Effect, but I already know that’s not happening. I cannot stop this process by conventional means. Already, our most tiresome professional Boston fanboys are back on their bulls—t. Bill Simmons is bragging about his new quarterback to anyone walking by with loose change. It’s all happening again. Already."

https://www.sfgate.com/sports-columns/article/everyone-unfortunately-loves-mac-jones-16632047.php
 

snowmanny

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The possibility of the Patriots being good again so soon, with Belichick bringing them back, recalls memories of the Celtics being dead after Russell retired. But Red drafted an MVP and stole some other players and they went on another 5-6 year run. And them looking dead again after that except Red immediately drafted another MVP and stole some hall of famers and a couple years later they went on another run.
 

5dice

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Kind of random, but with the win over the Falcons it reminded me of my all-time favorite moment from all of the Super Bowl celebrations, when Edelman was waiting for confirmation that White's TD was good, yelling at everyone to get off of the field, and then BB steps up and was the guy who confirmed it for him.

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/BQOwpIkgvaG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I always felt like he knew it was over, but had been hamming it up and overdramatic, being miked up all game, so why stop then. Talking about winning it for Brady’s mom, etc…
 

Willie Clay's Big Play

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Pretty sure he was celebrating until someone else said to wait to make sure it was official and then really leaned into it. Can’t blame him though, I’d be losing my mind as a player after that game.
 

azsoxpatsfan

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Pretty sure he was celebrating until someone else said to wait to make sure it was official and then really leaned into it. Can’t blame him though, I’d be losing my mind as a player after that game.
I remember from the videos, he was celebrating then Brady told him it was being reviewed, and Edelman started trying to clear people out because he thought it was still benign reviewed. Not faking it for the cameras, just being a disciple of Brady as he always has been
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Would have been third down. I think they were genuinely wondering if they might need to run another play. At least Tom was thinking it. Until they showed the replay I wasn’t sure.
 

Ferm Sheller

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5 years later and I’m still not 100% convinced he was in before his knee was down
I'm 100% convinced. The goal line camera shot makes it absolutely conclusive (which is why we didn't hear any crowing about it from Pats haters).
 
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Dollar

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5 years later and I’m still not 100% convinced he was in before his knee was down
My version of this is that I still think Hightower might have swatted the ball loose from Malcolm before he fully completed the interception.
 

E5 Yaz

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My version of this is that I still think Hightower might have swatted the ball loose from Malcolm before he fully completed the interception.
This gives me the same feeling as waking up from that dream where you forgot to finish that one class needed to get your diploma
 

Willie Clay's Big Play

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I remember from the videos, he was celebrating then Brady told him it was being reviewed, and Edelman started trying to clear people out because he thought it was still benign reviewed. Not faking it for the cameras, just being a disciple of Brady as he always has been
I agree with that. I just recall seeing how hard he leaned into telling people to get off the field. But, that’s part of why we love him. The dude never did anything halfway. I miss him.
 

Ralphwiggum

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The first post in this thread is more than six years old, the Patriots have played in three and won two Super Bowls since then, and there are some posts in here now about the 2021 team who look as good as any other team in the AFC and are in first place on Thanksgiving.
 

simplyeric

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I don’t get you guys. Nightmares about the game we won?
I still have bad dreams about The Scottish Game, when the Giants were in retrograde and Moss went once more into the breach but couldn’t quite haul in St. Crispin’s pass.
 

GB5

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Regarding the James White TD to beat Atlanta in the SB, practical question here, but they reviewed it in about 20 seconds, which is probably ridiculous, given that even those on this board have questions about his knee being down. However is it possible, that there is some silent edict from the league, or even that the league got involved in this review, and essentially said "I dont care what you see , its a TD, pack it up. There is no way we are overruling this, and spending the next fifteen minutes getting all the reporters off of the field, cleaning up the confetti, and so on, in our sports showcase game.