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Do you think pressure of undefeated season wore on Patriots?

Feb 11th, 2008 by Bill Burt

The simple answer is no, considering the way they played for so long.
But I believe the true answer is, probably.
The Patriots did not look like the Patriots almost from the opening gun on Super Bowl Sunday. The entire season, or at least most of it, they dictated the pace and style of the game.
With all of the “perfection” talk, I wonder now if it was all worth it. Since the Indianapolis game, the Patriots ninth win, it was all Patriots, all the time on the network football shows.
Add in the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the ugly wins beginning on Thanksgiving, and I believe this team had lost its edge.
When you are not a power team, like they probably were the other Super Bowl wins, I believe the edge is easily lost.
When your team is based on toughness, ugly or picturesque, that is easy to bring to the table every game. Sort of like Bobby Knight’s take on defense: “Defense is about effort not execution. There is no excuse for not playing good defense every night.”
I would not blame the loss on the this aspect, but I would say it played into what happened that night.

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  • Jim-red sox nation west

    The Pats were still winning with one minute to go. The problem was Asante Samuel missed the interception that was in his hands..Bottom line.

  • Max Kliman

    Ansante missing the INT and us missing the sack on Eli Manning and him throw the ball to Tyre, Us not stopping Brandon Jacobs on 4th and 1…There are tons of plays that if the Pats had made we would have won the game so don’t just blame Samuel.

  • Jim-red sox nation west

    There were not tons of plays that decided the game. The game was decided on the Giants last possession. The 4th and 1 is a high percentage play and you have to give credit to eli for his escapeability but for one of the best d-backs in the league to miss a ball thrown right to him at a time like that was HUGE. Im sure he had nightmares over that one.It was a Gimme!

  • http://blogs.eagletribune.com/sports/ Bill Burt

    Guys
    The question isn’t whether Asante’s miss would have won the game. It would. What this question refers to is why the Patriots got beat, in the bigger picture. Why were they so flat, coaches included, from the opening gun?
    I believe one of the reasons was this team was tired emotionally and physically. This was a grind. It was a grind for me and I didn’t hit anybody. I believe one of the reasons we didn’t see the Patriots best, probably the last month, was that going undefeated was too much.
    Were the Patriots better than the Giants? Absolutely.
    But on this night the Giants had a better game plan and played much, much better.
    More questions coming guys. I like the banter.

  • Max Kliman

    Say the Patriots came into the Super Bowl with a 14-2 or 13-3 regular season record. Do you think that since there wouldn’t be as much hype or presure the Pats would have played better? Maybe even won?

  • http://blogs.eagletribune.com/sports/ Bill Burt

    Max
    Yes. I just believe it caught up with them.
    I also believe if they were undefeated and played the Packers or Cowboys they would have crushed either team.
    The Giants matched up better. The could rush the quarterback without blitzing.

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