Boston Sports Then and Now

Tedy Bruschi went through a season like no other in 2005.

This was the best of times for the Patriots.

They were just coming off their third Super Bowl title in four years with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Jacksonville.

New England was enjoying their new reign as the modern day NFL dynasty.

Tedy Bruschi was reveling in another championship and his selection to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

However, shortly after he returned home, the linebacker and one of the Patriots’ team leaders experienced a stroke.

Bruschi was only 31 years of age. Way too young to experience a life threatening moment like this.

The Patriots were going into the 2005 season without the heart and soul of their defense.  It was uncertain that Bruschi would ever play again.

Offensive coordinator, Charlie Weiss and defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel left the team for head coach gigs at Notre Dame and Cleveland.

The team released long time Patriot, Ty Law. Would the fallout be similar to that of Lawyer Milloy?

The defending Super Bowl champions faced adversity right out of the gate.

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The hard nosed running of Corey Dillon helped lead the Patriots to another title.

How would the Patriots top their Super Bowl victory over Carolina?

The Patriots were hoping for a much better result than the year following Super Bowl XXXVI.

In 2002, New England missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record.

The Patriots were not going to be inconsistent any longer.  They had become measuring stick for consistency and instilled a winning tradition.

New England was now the team to beat and the franchise to emulate in the NFL.

The Patriots had won two of the last three Super Bowls and were poised for a strong title defense.

Corey Dillon, the disgruntled Bengals running back, was brought in to shore up the running game.

Dillon had plenty of skills, but could Bill Belichick convince him to buy into the “Patriot Way”?

The Patriots would open the 2004 NFL season against the Colts on Thursday Night Football.

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Patriots Off Season Observations with Weei's Chris Price

Chris Price from WEEI, was nice enough to answer some of my Patriots off season questions.  We touch upon Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Patriots, Colts, and off season moves.

Be sure to check out Chris’ blog, It Is What It Is on weei.com.

BST& N: With the Colts’ loss in the Super Bowl do you feel the Patriots are the team of the decade?

Chris Price: I think the Patriots barely squeak past the Steelers and Colts for the honor. You can argue total wins and playoff spots and consecutive victories (and I’m sure Bill Polian will do that), and there might have been a question if the Colts had beaten the Saints–or if the Steelers had won it all this year. But I don’t see how you can’t give New England the honor now. We have short-term memory problems a lot of the time, and we tend to take whatever we just say and say, “That’s the best ever,” so I can understand why some fans in other cities may have forgotten about those New England teams in the earlier part of the decade, but those 2003 and 2004 teams were awesome, particularly on defense, just up and down the roster. Plus–and I don’t care who you are–it’s awful tough to argue with three titles in four years and a 16-0 regular season.

Chris Price: I hate to have one play or a single moment defines a players’ legacy, but I think that right now, Brady still has a narrow edge because the Colts loss. Again, if Manning had seized the moment and orchestrated a game-tying drive there and a game-winner in overtime, he would have had his signature moment, and you could make an argument that Manning’s resume (two SB titles, four MVPs) was the equal or better of Brady (three SB titles, one MVP). But it didn’t happen. Ultimately, Brady’s playoff winning percentage gives him the slight edge.

(On a related note, as Super Bowl XLII was winding down, I was writing on deadline and had to produce two game stories–one of the Patriots won and completed the perfect season, and one if they had lost. I still have the “Patriots win” game story on my laptop. I look at it from time to time and wonder about Brady’s legacy if the New England defense had stopped the Giants in the fourth quarter. I’d argue that four Super Bowl rings, at that age, he’s every bit the equal of Montana or Unitas.)

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After the 2001 Super Bowl Victory, the Patriots were Tom Brady's team.

In 2002, the Patriots were coming off their first championship in team history.

They were about to open a state of the art stadium in Foxboro.

New England traded franchise quarterback, Drew Bledsoe to the division rival Buffalo.

The team was now Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady’s.

Everything was looking up for a franchise that was a laughing stock in the early 90’s.

In their history the Patriots have had difficulties in stringing together winning seasons.

Would 2002 break this trend?

New England came out like gangbusters with three straight wins over the Steelers, Jets, and Chiefs by a combined score of 115-51. Unlike Patriots teams in the past, New England started fast, really fast out of the gate.

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The Patriots victory over the Rams began their decade of dominance.

Well the last decade ended like it began, with a lot of unanswered questions for the New England Patriots.

But damn the middle was great!

Let’s take a look back at professional football’s most recent dynasty.

There isn’t much debate on what NFL franchise was the most dominate over the first decade of this millennium.

Sorry Colts fans, your lone Super Bowl Title doesn’t cut the mustard.

Pittsburgh, you had a shot. However, missing the playoffs after your ’05 and ’08 titles cost you in the end.

Philly, if there was an award for losing the most NFC championship games you would have it locked up.

That leaves us with the obvious choice, the New England Patriots.

The team everyone hates and roots against.

The Patriots are despised for their success.

They are now the NY Yankees of football.

Let me throw some staggering numbers and stats at you.

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Who wins the the Great Quarterback Debate?

This is the debate that may never be answered.

The arguments of all arguments.

Who is the best quarterback in the NFL today?

Is it Tom Brady? Peyton Manning?

Some can even make an argument for “Big Ben” Roethlisberger. However, I think Roethlisberger needs about four more years to add to his body of work before he can be held in the same breath as Brady and Manning.

So how do we make the determination of who is the best all around quarterback? What variables will be used to measure both quarterbacks?

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