Comments on: 50th Anniversary Minute – the 1997 Patriots

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:48:32 +0000

That was definitely a “what might have been” season.

The December loss to Pittsburgh in Foxboro–courtesy of Bledsoe’s famously horrendous late-game INT to a defensive lineman that allowed the Steelers to tie the game–put the Pats into the Wild Card round at 10-6, instead of in with a first round bye at 11-5 (they would have been tied with Pittsburgh at 11-5 had the Pats won the regular season game, and they would have won on the head-to-head tiebreaker).

With a first round bye, the Pats would probably have faced either Miami or the Steelers at home in round two, and then faced Denver in Foxboro in the AFC title game. The Broncos probably were a better team, but it would have been interesting to see the Pats play them at home for the right to go to the Super Bowl a second consecutive year.

If I recall correctly, the Pats were playing very shorthanded in that playoff game at Pittsburgh–without Ben Coates and Martin I think. Still, they had a shot to win it with a FG late in the game, but none other than Steelers’ rookie Mike Vrabel, I believe, strip-sacked Bledsoe to force the game-clinching turnover.

That was Pete Carroll’s best coaching job IMO. He walked into an impossible situation–following a legend and inheriting a team that just went to the Super Bowl, meaning that anything short of a return trip, and a victory, would be considered disappointing. But in ‘97 he was good. He showed what a great defensive mind he has late in the year when he began devising these crazy blitz packages that no team managed to figure out. They got unbelievable pressure on the QB over the last few weeks of the season as I recall–constant, unrelenting pressure–and it helped them surge to the division title.

It was all downhill after that year, of course, for Mr. “pumped and jacked,” who proved that his demeanor and style was definitely better suited for the college game.

By: Randy

Randy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:46 +0000

While the 1997 team was certainly very flawed on offense and at head coach, I still maintain that the defense that year was nearly as good as the Super Bowl winning defenses of this decade. They were 8th in the league during the regular season. In the playoffs, they dominated the Dolphins and the Steelers. Only the offense’s ineptness (and a key turnover by the one and only Mike Vrabel on a Bledsoe sack) kept them out of the AFC Championship game. Chris Slade was an All-Pro, Ted Johnson was still in his prime (before his shoulders and head started getting banged up), as were Lawyer Milloy and Todd Collins. Ty Law, Willie McGinest and Tedy Bruschi were coming into their own. And Henry Thomas was a stud on the D-line. The only blight was No. 1 draft pick Chris Canty.

By: Aaron Bennett

Aaron Bennett — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:58:38 +0000

Wasn’t that the year of the stage dive — aka, when we realized the Pete Carroll had no control over his team. The day before the Tampa Bay game the papers were full of the story that Bledsoe and Rucci stage dove and hurt some girl at an Everclear concert, pictures of Drew all hammered and huggy with some girl not named Maura in the Herald, then they go to Tampa Bay and get their asses handed to them.

Good times. I’m pumped and jacked just remembering that year.

By: Chris Warner

Chris Warner — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Pete Carroll’s tenure didn’t bode well in my mind when so many players openly complained about Bill Parcells’ tough-minded coaching style. One notable exception was Ted Johnson, who wondered what everyone was complaining about. The beginning of a three-year trek to mediocrity, and with so much talent.