Comments on: 20 Years Ago – the 1989 Patriots http://www.patriotsdaily.com/2009/12/20-years-ago-the-1989-patriots/ Where Every Day Is Patriots Day Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:41:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter http://www.patriotsdaily.com/2009/12/20-years-ago-the-1989-patriots/comment-page-1/#comment-10095 Peter Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:37:11 +0000 http://www.patriotsdaily.com/?p=4990#comment-10095 I remember that Atlanta game being particularly painful but couldn't remember the details. Just a brutal season. Flutie wasn't given a chance because they didn't have the imagination to design an unconventional offense for him and he had a lot of passes batted down at the line. I also remember that San Francisco game was played at Stanford Stadium because of the damage to Candlestick from the earthquake that delayed the World Series that year. I remember that Atlanta game being particularly painful but couldn’t remember the details. Just a brutal season. Flutie wasn’t given a chance because they didn’t have the imagination to design an unconventional offense for him and he had a lot of passes batted down at the line.

I also remember that San Francisco game was played at Stanford Stadium because of the damage to Candlestick from the earthquake that delayed the World Series that year.

]]> By: Doza http://www.patriotsdaily.com/2009/12/20-years-ago-the-1989-patriots/comment-page-1/#comment-10066 Doza Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:55:59 +0000 http://www.patriotsdaily.com/?p=4990#comment-10066 I think they brought in Flutie for a hail mary play at the end of that Denver game. No joke. I think they brought in Flutie for a hail mary play at the end of that Denver game. No joke.

]]> By: Tony http://www.patriotsdaily.com/2009/12/20-years-ago-the-1989-patriots/comment-page-1/#comment-10061 Tony Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:57:54 +0000 http://www.patriotsdaily.com/?p=4990#comment-10061 That was the only season ever to end during the pre-season. The team was cooked when those three starters were injured in that last pre-season game, and I think all of us knew it at the time. Steinberg had done a good job drafting but his was the typical "draft the best athlete available" philosophy, which led to way too many offensive players, like Dupard, Stephens (a good pick) and Dykes being drafted in the first round while the Super Bowl defense of 1985 was aging and decaying. Berry was the perfect coach for that 1985-86 team, but his approach definitely had a shelf life, and it expired during that last game at Denver in 1988. I could never really understand why a Hall-of-Fame wide receiver who played most of his career with Johnny Freakin' Unitas as his QB could never figure out that stability and success at the QB position is paramount to being a good team, at any level. That was the only season ever to end during the pre-season. The team was cooked when those three starters were injured in that last pre-season game, and I think all of us knew it at the time. Steinberg had done a good job drafting but his was the typical “draft the best athlete available” philosophy, which led to way too many offensive players, like Dupard, Stephens (a good pick) and Dykes being drafted in the first round while the Super Bowl defense of 1985 was aging and decaying.

Berry was the perfect coach for that 1985-86 team, but his approach definitely had a shelf life, and it expired during that last game at Denver in 1988. I could never really understand why a Hall-of-Fame wide receiver who played most of his career with Johnny Freakin’ Unitas as his QB could never figure out that stability and success at the QB position is paramount to being a good team, at any level.

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