Memories. What was the "scenario" for us to get in going into that week 16 debacle against the pats? Also if anyone is really feeling froggy what was the "scenario" for us going into week 15 against the vikes? Just curious. My memory is a little jaded those two games ruined me for life! Also does anyone remember the year we lost to the Pats 3 times in what I think was Shulas last year at the helm? I know that we lost to them three times the second time being the last game of the season and the third them beating us in the first round in foxborough but does anyone recollect what exactly happened in those games and why we lost to them THREE times in one season?
The Vikes was a missed FG, I think. There were three but/for reasons we lost to the Pats. I don't recall the context, but here's a shot: 1. We had the ball and the lead and needed to run out the clock. Ricky had 1,850 yards rushing that year. We threw 3 consecutive incomplete passes. No virtually no time elapsed and we punted. 2. Mare kicked the ball out of bounds on a kick. 3. I dont remember #3. Those two weekends hurt more than 62-7. Well, maybe not more, but tied.
The scenario for both the Viking and Patriot games were the same- win and we would've won the division in either case. Also, the year we lost to the Patriots 3 times wasn't Shula's last year but JJ's 2nd (1997). In Shula's last year we lost to the Bills in the playoffs.
#3 might have been the BOGUS PI call on Jamar Fletcher? (Pats* luck, again). Say what you want about the play-call on #1 - quesitonable, but we had a HIGHLY paid D on the field with zach, JT, Surtain, Madison, Marion, maybe Sequ, and in the CRUNCH, they folded, like they commonly did. That D put up big time stats, but disappointed.
Yeah, the more I think about that game the madder I get. We had the league leading rusher, the league sack leader, the highest total sack leaguewide D, and we missed the playoffs at 10-6. Unreal.
I remember the 3 losses to the Pats, Ted Bruschi owned Danny Marino that year, he had multiple interceptions in the play off game where for whatever reason, Marino just did not see him. 1997 I think was the year.
We won 10 games that year in spite of Wanny. Any other coach woulda gone 12-4 at the very least. Wanny can shove his lobster traps up his ***!
As was mentioned, a win in either game would have sealed the deal. At Minnesota, Gary Anderson nailed a long FG to win it. We'd lost Jamie Nails in that great Raiders game the week before to a torn ACL. Seth McKinney stepped in at LG and the difference was felt. Ricky ran well, we just fell behind and had to abandon it. I remember the Pats game pretty well (for some reason I watched it over and over). We charged out in the first half and were dominating them at Foxboro. Ricky had 185 yards rushing that day. We had an 11 point lead with less than 5 minutes to go and blew it. New England puts up a TD and a 2 to pull within a FG. Travis Minor can't handle the kickoff and we're now backed up on our own end. Despite Fiedler struggling all day, Norv decides to throw three straight passes instead of running Ricky and the clock. The Pats were ready for it. On one play in particular, we went max protect, keeping 8 guys in to block. New England drops 8 and nearly picks off Fiedler's pass. 3 and out. Mark Royals routinely shanks the punt, and NE takes the short field and kicks the FG to tie. They win the toss in OT, and Mare kicks off out of bounds. They start at the 40. Kevin Faulk beats Derrick Rodgers on a long pass down the sideline that ultimately was the back breaker. Vinatieri kicks a FG and we're BOTH out. 27-24. I have nightmares about that game. Those are the demons we're up against. This is what these players and this regime will be judged against.
Absolutely correct! I'd like to add just how horrible a thread this is considering it's the Holiday season. Rehashing all the missed opportunities and wasted talent this franchise has endured since the mid 80's is gut wrenching. I'd rather forget it all. BAH HUMBUG!
I think this thread should be buried. It's bad mojo, we're having an incredible rebound season and instead of remembering the bad things from the past we should be remembering the good times. [ame]http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2306341[/ame]
yup, what a heartbreaking game and season. I couldn't believe how quickly we blew that game. It's up there with the Jets Monday Night Meltdown and the 62-7 Divisional game in Jax...but the Vikes/Pats duo was the worst seeing the circumstances. It took me weeks to get over the end of that season.
Don't forget on that kick off that kick returner couldn't get a handle on the ball. ALso the punt was shanked Also there was a horrible pass interference call.
Awweee... memories like the colors of my mind... misty watered colored memories...of the way we were..... The NE game has been well documented...Nice job Muck... We needed to win one of the last 2 games as previusly stated... Against Minny, we had the lead at the half...7-3... We only got the ball twice in the second half...scoring another TD and FG... Minny had the ball for 3 long drives in the second half and scored 2 TDs and a FG... Minny with DC went 7 of 9 on TDC, and 1 of 2 in 4th Down Conversion... For the record typical of our Defense to give up TD drives of 78, and 80 yds...and the clincher 45 yards for a long FG... Totaling over 18 minutes of Time of Possession.. Daunte went 14/12 in passes for 156 yds in the 2nd half against a Defense ranked 20th against the pass...ah yes with Surtain, Madison, Wooden and Marion, Freeman, Taylor, Zack, Bowen, Chester, Wale Ogun... No I couldn't remember all this NFL.COM did help...
Ehh..looking back, I can recall traveling up to Buffalo in the dead of winter and winning our first round play off game in Buffalo...that is a primo memory.
You can't blame the D during the Wanny days. They were expected to win every game because of that terrible offense and a QB with a career rating of 77! Yes Fielder! The D ran out of gas at the tail end of the season every year. They tried to play enough for the offense but the offense sucked. You can't win in the league with a good D and a below average QB. Wanny was also one of the worst game planners and game managers in the NFL at the time. We had the talent on D which Jimmy Johnson put together to take us far but everything else just wasn't good enough.
