I was so pissed last night watching the Pats play a meaningless Monday Night Football, that I asked the simple question “when was the last season that the Pats played games that didn’t matter because they were already eliminated from the playoffs”? This led me down quite the internet rabbit hole.
My first stop was naturally the last time the Pats missed the playoffs in 2008, AKA Brady Torn ACL season. Pats finished that season 11-5, only the 2nd team to ever finish 11-5 and miss playoffs. Every game counted that season and Pats ended up losing out to Miami for Division and Ravens for Wildcard on random tie-breakers. Who do we have to blame most for missing playoffs this season?
exactly 12 years ago last night:
So my next stop was the 2002 season in which Pats misssed the playoffs at 9-7 coming off their miraculous 2001 Super Bowl Championship. Even at 9-7 every game mattered that year and the season came down to the last game, with the Pats beating Miami on a Vinatieri field goal. Unfortunately, we needed the Packers to beat the Jets to get in on the Wild Card, and once again our playoff hopes came down to:
So that brings us to the year 2000, Y2K! Bill Belichick’s first year as HC of the NEP. Pats with Drew Bledsoe at QB started out 0-4 and 2-6 at the half way point. On November 23rd, 2000 Pats went into Detroit with a 3-8 record and got destroyed by Charlie Batch and Lions 34-9 which eliminated the Pats from the Playoffs and rendered the rest of the season meaningless. What else just happened to take place on November 23rd, 2000? With 4 minutes left in a blowout? Thomas Edward Brady took the field for his first NFL game action. For the next 19 seasons, every game the Patriots played mattered up until last night.
Moral of the story. If you want to dominate football for 20 years, draft Tom Brady and don’t be forced to rely on Brett Favre to win games for you!
Gooters blog 