When the Patriots picked up Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth in the off-season I predicted 19-0. After the spy gate incident I felt even more confident about an undefeated season. What happened then? The Patriots steam rolled teams around the league on their way to smashing records including the first ever 16-0 regular season.
I may have been a little cocky in thinking this team could go undefeated after just signing a couple players in the off season, but I just had this feeling. This was a team who was controlling the NFL this decade and who came so close to a Super Bowl game last season. All they needed was weapons for Brady and that's what they got.
When the playoffs finally arrived they were able to close out a tough win against a very hot Jaguars team. Then even in the AFC Championship against the Chargers when Tom Brady easily had his worst game of the year, the rest of the team still found a way to rally and beat a team in the Chargers. A team that in my mind should not have been in the AFC Championship game in the first place.
I myself as well as others I know here in Boston thought the Pats would face off against the Cowboys in the Super bowl, but we all hoped it was the Green Bay Packers who the Pats would play in Super Bowl XLII to gain revenge from the year that Bret Favre and the Pack got the best of The Bill Parcells lead Patriots in the Super Bowl. When I found out it was the Giants to be in the big game, for the first time all year I was very nervous about the team finishing the season perfect.
In 2001 the Patriots lost to the Super Bowl champion Rams in the regular season, but hung in there with them and saw it as a morale victory. Fast forward to 2007 and the Giants pretty much did the same thing in the last game of the regular season against the Patriots. I had this worry about the similarities right after week 17. I prayed that the Giants did not make the Super Bowl because I knew they wanted one more chance at the Pats. They got their shot and broke my heart, as well as the Patriots organization and all of Boston sports fans hearts as well.
After watching the Patriots dominance over the past seven years It was not just my love of the team that brought me to think they could actually finish the season perfect, It was also the way the team and franchise went about things. Never in sports have I seen a team so complete from the front office to the coaches all the way down to the players. They all buy into the coaches schemes and game plans and supported him throughout the spy gate scandal. This is still the team of the decade and the only team of destiny. If the Patriots roster can stay similar to this years when they start next season, I personally believe that 19-0 is very achievable once again, as well as Brady's opportunity to tie the record with Bradshaw and Montana for most Super Bowl wins by a QB.
This let down is this generations Bill Buckner. To me, it's worse than Buckner. People around here didn't leave there house or talk to another soul for days, never mind not watching a single minute of ESPN. This was history gone down the tubes for the greatest team to ever play in proffesional sports. To use a phrase I used many times in years past for the Boston Red Sox, I will now use for the New England Patriots. "Wait till next year"
Keywords: Bradshaw, Cowboys, Donte Stallworth, ESPN, Giants, History, New England Patriots, Packers, Randy Moss, Super Bowl, Tom Brady, Wes Welker
