Believe it or not, the New England Patriots had plenty of good moments prior to Tom Brady.
There’s a myth about the New England Patriots, aka the Boston Patriots years ago that needs debunking.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Hearing commentary alluding to the absolutely pitiful and dismal history of the pre-2000 Patriots and intimations that they were perennial losers is upsetting because it’s just not accurate. It’s time to debunk this.
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The first comment I’ll likely hear about this theory is that the Patriots never won a championship prior to Tom Brady. Fair enough and true. They didn’t. No denying that.
The era of greatness under No. 12 not only brought the first Super Bowl win but also the second, third … you know the rest. The greatest run in NFL history especially in the era of free agency. That’s a given and it, unfortunately, ended maybe a few years prematurely.
But what about the Patriots of previous generations?
Previous years. Previous teams. The popular notion that gets thrown around is that Patriots always stunk.
They were always just losers. The joke, laughingstock and doormat of the American Football League (AFL), the National Football League (NFL) and whatever other unflattering descriptions you’d care to attribute to them.
But this article is here to say that’s baloney. It’s just not so.
Yes, they had downtimes. No question. Even extended downtimes. Yet, there were also seasons and even runs of years when the negatively depicted Patriots were not only good, they were better than good, and on a couple or few occasions, they actually in my view may very well have been the best team in the National Football League.
But as I’ve acknowledged, they never were able to get that final win.
For those who have heard and digested this “miserable myth” over the years, this is an attempt to point out some of those times in the team’s history when they were anything but the laughingstock that some suggest.
The Good old Boston Patriots
The Boston Patriots began their life as a team in the American Football League (AFL) in 1960.
This was a league established to challenge the hegemony of the National Football League. No small undertaking. In the early years, the teams in the old AFL battled it out for that league’s championship in the pre-Super Bowl era.
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In the fourth year of the Patriots’ history they won the Eastern Division of the league, beat the Buffalo Bills 26-8 in a playoff game and advanced under Coach Mike Holovak to the AFL Championship game against the San Diego Chargers.
That Patriots’ team was led by future Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti, kicker/receiver Gino Cappelletti and quarterback Vito “Babe” Parilli.
Unfortunately, the Patriots didn’t fare well in the game against that San Diego juggernaut and were clobbered 51-10. But they did make it to the Championship game that year.
Boston had other good teams during the early part of the ’60s before tumbling over for a decade, beginning in 1966 and lasting until 1975. Not a good run. Indeed one of their worst spells and certainly warranting criticism.
Those teams were terrible. It was a bad period for the Patriots. One change occurred, however, that still reverberates into today, in 1971 the team became known as the New England Patriots and moved into their new home, Schaefer Stadium.
Mid-70’s great New England Patriot teams
Things changed dramatically for the team in 1976.
After taking over as coach the team in 1973, Coach Chuck Fairbanks rebuilt a weak squad into a powerhouse. He led the team to an 11-3 record in 1976 but then lost to the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional playoff game, 24-21. A questionable if not nonsensical roughing the passer call against Sugar Bear Ray Hamilton allowed Oakland to a 24-21 win.
The 1976 through 1978 teams were among the best Patriots’ teams until the Brady era. Among their key players were the inimitable quarterback, Steve Grogan the second-best quarterback in team history.
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Future Hall-of-Famers Mike Haynes and John Hannah (arguably the best offensive lineman to ever play the game), left tackle Leon Gray, fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham, tight end Russ Francis linebacker Steve Nelson among others. It was a great team. In my opinion, that 1976 team was the best in the NFL.
The 1978 team might have even been better with a record of 11-5. That team lost to the Houston Oilers in the Divisional Playoff round 11-6 after it was discovered that Coach Fairbanks had taken the job as head coach of Colorado. He left the team after the playoff loss. Again, a truly great team derailed by a fluke circumstance.
The New England Patriots’s 80’s, 90’s and first Super Bowl
The 1980’s for the New England Patriots were overall a good decade. They tallied 6 winning seasons, two at 11-3 and one trip to the Super Bowl.
Those great teams in 1984 and 1985 were coached by NFL legend Ray Berry. The Patriots beat the Jets, Raiders and Dolphins that year to advance to the Super Bowl.
Grogan and Tony Eason were the quarterbacks. Running back Craig James was there as well as Hannah, and great defensive talent including the future Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, Julius Adams, Raymond Clayborn and Don Blackmon.
Unfortunately though, as in 1963, the 1995 Patriots ran into another powerhouse, arguably the best defense in NFL history in the Chicago Bears. They were crushed 46-10.
Again, the Patriots had reached the pinnacle of their league, this time the NFL but couldn’t get the ball across that Super Bowl win goal line. The team had three more winning seasons after that before they hit their next skid of 5 down years until 1994 when they went 10-6 and made their next playoff appearance.
Drew Bledsoe was the quarterback of the 1994 team that also included tight end Ben Coates and wide receiver Troy Brown. On defense, Willie McGinest and linebacker Vincent Brown were stalwarts on defense.
In 1996, the Patriots rolled to an 11-5 record, beat Pittsburgh and Jacksonville in the playoffs and went to their second Super Bowl. Playing on that team were Bledsoe, the great running back Curtis Martin and Coates on offense.
The defense was also littered with stars including McGinest, future Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law, safety Lawyer Milloy and linebacker Ted Johnson. They couldn’t overtake the Green Bay Packers in that game, however, as Brett Favre and company topped the Patriots 35-21.
Parcells bolted for the New York Jets after that season and Pete Carroll replaced him with two more winning seasons, then an 8-8 season after which he was fired and replaced by Bill Belichick.
Summing up the New England Patriots history
The Brady and Belichick era of excellence began in 2000. An era of unparalleled and unprecedented success. That was certainly and unquestionably the golden age of football in New England. We are unlikely to see its equal again.
Yet, the purpose of this article was to point out that contrary to a widely-held belief, the past history of the Boston and then New England Patriots was not so bleak as some would portray it. Far from it. The Patriots went to an AFL title game in 1963 and Super Bowls in 1985 and 1996, and lost. Some teams have never been to a Super Bowl.
And there were good teams in between as well, as well as downtimes, as are witnessed by all teams not named “the Brady/Belichick era in New England”.
In addition, in the decade that they did not advance to a Championship game, the 70’s, they possessed arguably 2 of the best teams in their history and in the National Football League those years. Coupled with the 3 Championship runs, this is hardly the record of a “loser” franchise.
Those New England Patriots‘ teams may have failed to win a championship. But, to label their history a complete failure and all of those teams laughingstocks or losers does a huge disservice to the great, the good and all the other players who played on some of those truly outstanding teams. To so disparage their earlier history is unfair, inaccurate and uncalled for. I hope this article helps to set the record straight.