DBWI AHC: Patriots win SB49 and SB51

There are two easy ways to piss off a Patriots fan: invoke Eli Manning or invoke the score 31-28. That's the score by which the Patriots have managed to lose two Super Bowls, one to the Seahawks during the 2014 season and one to the Falcons last season

I've heard a lot of people saying that the Seahawks and Falcons - and even the Giants - got lucky, counting on miracle catches or building up a 28-3 lead to hold off the Pats. But then again, is it really bad luck if you lose it four times in a row? Or are you just the Buffalo Bills of a new generation?

So I ask you - could the Pats have pulled it off against either the Seahawks or the Falcons? And for that matter, how many rings could Brady have gotten? A lot of people think he got the "choker" label starting with blowing the perfect season. If he still loses that one, how many rings could Brady really have?
 
Of course luck was involved - luck is always involved with close, one-score games, and all four were damn close things.

Seahawks/Patriots... after that gonzo catch by Jermaine Kearse, the game's over. You have Marshawn Lynch, you're five yards from the goal line, Lynch has only two no gains and no negative plays in 24 carries... it's a done deal. Like, the only way for the Seahawks to lose the game at that point is either a freak fumble, or the Seahawks trying to get cute, and, I don't know, trying a fade pass on the one yard line or something and getting it picked off.

As for LI... there was a chance, there, despite getting outplayed for two and a half quarters. Kyle Shanahan is an aggressive play-caller; he could have very well dialed up pass plays after that Julio Jones catch and gotten a sack or interception. Hell, I could've sworn he admitted as such during the America's Team special NFL Network did a few months later, but it's been a while since I watched that video.

Honestly, I think those three rings are about as good as it gets for Brady, with maybe a fourth somewhere along the line - assuming we keep to these seven Super Bowls. Keep in mind, their three victories were close-run affairs as well; unlike every other dynasty, the Patriots have never had a blowout Super Bowl. These last four losses are mostly just probability coming home to roost. But if we add a couple more Super Bowl appearances...

I mean, what if Belichick doesn't trade Deion Branch mid-season in 2006? Maybe they beat the Colts, and then they get to beat up on the Bears. Or Tom Brady doesn't miss the whole season in 2008. Or Julian Edelman doesn't go down in 2015.

Okay, the last two are luck, but I'd argue the Deion Branch trade was one of Belichick's few missteps. Then again, a victory in XLI could have very well butterflied away the 2007 season. Hmm...
 
There are two easy ways to piss off a Patriots fan: invoke Eli Manning or invoke the score 31-28. That's the score by which the Patriots have managed to lose two Super Bowls, one to the Seahawks during the 2014 season and one to the Falcons last season

I've heard a lot of people saying that the Seahawks and Falcons - and even the Giants - got lucky, counting on miracle catches or building up a 28-3 lead to hold off the Pats. But then again, is it really bad luck if you lose it four times in a row? Or are you just the Buffalo Bills of a new generation?

So I ask you - could the Pats have pulled it off against either the Seahawks or the Falcons? And for that matter, how many rings could Brady have gotten? A lot of people think he got the "choker" label starting with blowing the perfect season. If he still loses that one, how many rings could Brady really have?
Brady still have more ring both manning and played more superbowl, patriots are so spoiled.

In the Topic...Atlanta one is probable, is Atlanta, they almost chocked it anyway(that interception allow new england got till 28), Seahawks you need Caroll got stupid virus(he got it but was smart enough to run for it).
 
Of course luck was involved - luck is always involved with close, one-score games, and all four were damn close things.

Seahawks/Patriots... after that gonzo catch by Jermaine Kearse, the game's over. You have Marshawn Lynch, you're five yards from the goal line, Lynch has only two no gains and no negative plays in 24 carries... it's a done deal. Like, the only way for the Seahawks to lose the game at that point is either a freak fumble, or the Seahawks trying to get cute, and, I don't know, trying a fade pass on the one yard line or something and getting it picked off.

As for LI... there was a chance, there, despite getting outplayed for two and a half quarters. Kyle Shanahan is an aggressive play-caller; he could have very well dialed up pass plays after that Julio Jones catch and gotten a sack or interception. Hell, I could've sworn he admitted as such during the America's Team special NFL Network did a few months later, but it's been a while since I watched that video.

Honestly, I think those three rings are about as good as it gets for Brady, with maybe a fourth somewhere along the line - assuming we keep to these seven Super Bowls. Keep in mind, their three victories were close-run affairs as well; unlike every other dynasty, the Patriots have never had a blowout Super Bowl. These last four losses are mostly just probability coming home to roost. But if we add a couple more Super Bowl appearances...

I mean, what if Belichick doesn't trade Deion Branch mid-season in 2006? Maybe they beat the Colts, and then they get to beat up on the Bears. Or Tom Brady doesn't miss the whole season in 2008. Or Julian Edelman doesn't go down in 2015.

Okay, the last two are luck, but I'd argue the Deion Branch trade was one of Belichick's few missteps. Then again, a victory in XLI could have very well butterflied away the 2007 season. Hmm...

Yeah, the Pats go down to three miracle catches, and let's be honest here - Tyree's helmet catch was one thing. Manningham was just Eli getting the better of the Pats again. Kearse getting it against the Pats and setting up Lynch to run it in? That one set up the "God Hates the Patriots" meme. And as good as that Seahawks team was, I don't see them losing. Really, the Pats played extraordinarily well against the Hawks in the first half and the game shouldn't have been as close as it was.

So yeah, the only way for the Pats to win either of those games would be for the Seahawks or Falcons to beat themselves. I suppose that Carroll calling a pass play could have ended badly, but realistically the worst that happens is that it falls incomplete and they try again. The level of stupid and inept it would take to lose it at that point is just too high. If you want to give it to the Pats, avert the Kearse catch and make the last drive fizzle.

As for the Falcons...well, Brady didn't go out without a fight. That catch by Edelman gave them hope until the Falcons snuffed out that onside kick and ended the game.

But if we're trying to get the Pats into another Super Bowl, bear in mind they went to a number of AFC Championship Games. Going in 2006 and beating the Bears helps, but I don't think it gets them anywhere in 2007 - they can be undefeated until the cows come home; the Giants read them like a book. If you want the perfect season, avert the Giants making it. The Packers took them to OT, so if they beat the Giants, they probably don't beat the Pats.

Brady still have more ring both manning and played more superbowl, patriots are so spoiled.

In the Topic...Atlanta one is probable, is Atlanta, they almost chocked it anyway(that interception allow new england got till 28), Seahawks you need Caroll got stupid virus(he got it but was smart enough to run for it).

Yeah, the Pats fans are a group that couldn't figure out how to enjoy success while it lasted. Especially since there are people calling it the Spygate Curse now...
 
Although if he doesn't Favre it up, I wonder if the Pack sticks with him.
I doubt it. He's 38, they have Aaron Rodgers waiting, and more importantly, OTL he said after his retirement that he would only return if he could get a Super Bowl ring that year. Now, granted, we all know how that went, but if he has his second he's that much less likely to try and return after retiring.
 

Ak-84

Banned
I swear they are Pats fans who still get upset over SuperBowl XXXI. Ok, Bledsoe probably played better than Farve and seriously losing on special Teams sucks, but man that's pushing it.

Still I think the Seahawks were lucky in SuperBowl XLIX. Lynch was stopped by Hightower the play before the winning TD and they ran it again. There was a massive holding penalty on Hightower which was not given, otherwise he would have stopped Lynch. A pass play would have won it easily, the Pats were not expecting it and Carrol came very close to running it.

OOC: I say this as someone who thinks throwing was a good idea, the Patriots were expecting another run and Hightower would have stopped Lynch again.

IC:Against the Falcons it was Brady and 52 shirts stuffed with Straw, so they did not deserve to win.
 
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