A pure, unadulterated all Patriots episode of the 300s Podcast as we recap Super Bowl 51. What just happened? How did the Pats mount the biggest comeback in SB history? We’re talking x’s and o’s, Minneaposix, awful broadcasting and what this win means for Brady and Belichick’s legacy.
Patriots Win 5th Ring with the Biggest Comeback in Super Bowl History
“Its only fitting the greatest player in the history of the sport and the greatest team in the history of the sport had maybe the greatest victory in the history of the sport.”
Leave it to Michael Felger to start his show today with a statement that sounds like something your buddy says after a bakers dozen Bud Lights. But its not hyperbole. That was Tom Brady and Bill Belichick cementing themselves as the greatest QB and coach of all time in perhaps the greatest Super Bowl every played.
Who’s got the most titles of all time? Tom Brady, Brady, Brady, Brady, Brady #Patriots #SuperBowl #SB51 pic.twitter.com/vHJ9wjNLkV
— The 300s (@The300sBoston) February 6, 2017
Down 25 points and on the brink of death the Pats just keep coming back. 28-3, 28-9, 28-12, 28-20, 28-28 and finally 34-28.
The Patriots are Jason Voorhees. No matter what you do, no matter how bad it is, the Patriots are never out of it. You cannot kill them. Down 20+ points, I was taking solace in the fact that the Falcons were burning timeouts like they were firewood, as my friends did their best to ignore my delusional rants.
But I keep coming back to how much this game reminded me of one from 2012 against the 49ers. It was a game the Pats ultimately lost 41-34, but similar to last night, after getting down 31-3 the Pats ripped off 24 points in the fourth quarter. So while I realized they were all but done, evidenced by the numerous Ari Gold gifs I tweeted out,
it was hard to forget that Niners game. The Pats are better than anyone in the league at getting hot and turning a game on its head. And thats exactly what they did last night.
In a game full of spectacular plays I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about one of the biggest of the night; Edelman’s circus catch in the 4th quarter. It may not have been a 4th down do or die play, but it was a huge gain that kept the Pats momentum going (and burned the Falcons final TO via challenge). Watching that last night I found myself thinking we *deserved* that play. After getting hosed by so many ridiculous circus catches over the years at the absolute worst time, David Tyree, Mario Manningham, Jermaine Kearse, we *deserved* this catch.
OH MY GOD, JULIAN EDELMAN! #SB51 #Patriots https://t.co/YtvHwsaCbT
— NFL (@NFL) February 6, 2017
And holy shit was it close. Kept the drive going, Pats bang it in for the score, get the 2, OT, game over.
Now the Patriots are in rarified air; truly in a class of their own. We’ll enjoy the t-shirts, the hats, the parade, the Super Bowl DVD but then we’re on to Minneapolis and Super Bowl 52. On Feb 6th the Patriots are 6-1 favorites to win their 6th ring in Minneapolis. Drive for 5 and One for the Thumb were perfect for this year. But next season? Minneaposix
Would This Be Tom Brady’s Most Impressive Super Bowl Win Ever?
So we talked about this on this week’s episode of The 300s Podcast, but would winning Super Bowl 51 be Tom Brady’s most impressive Super Bowl win ever? When you look around at his supporting cast on offense you have:
- Julian Edelman (7th round pick)
- Chris Hogan (undrafted lacrosse player)
- Danny Amendola (undrafted)
- Martellus Bennett (4th team in 8 years and acquired for a 4th round pick)
- Dion Lewis (traded and cut by multiple teams)
- LaGarrette Blount (originally acquired via trade for JEFF DEMPS and then resigned after he was cut by Pittsburgh)
- James White (4th round pick)
If you want to go by what Keyshawn Johnson said this week, not one of these Patriots receivers would even make the 53-man roster of another NFL team. Bennett was an unwanted malcontent on a last place Bears team. Lewis and Blount were castoffs and White is Brady’s latest shotgun running back that he’s molded to his whims. It’s like he builds these guys in a lab somewhere with Ernie Adams.
Oh and he also missed four games, which could have easily derailed the season or at the very least caused Brady to not be at the top of his game. But nope, he went out and played at an MVP level.
And did we mention that he doesn’t have his best weapon, one of the most most dominant players in the NFL in Rob Gronkowski? Name one other team that could stand losing a player of Gronk’s caliber, I’ll wait. Instead the Pats haven’t missed a beat and finished with a top 3 offense in the league.
Brady’s done this his whole career with guys like Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead etc. The one time he had a Hall of Fame talent was with Randy Moss in 2007 and he threw 50 fucking touchdowns.
So would winning a Super Bowl title without his best weapon, a stable of late round picks, undrafted players and castoffs from other teams all while missing a quarter of the season be Brady’s best ever? Without a doubt. Now hit the music.
No Experience Required?
On The 300s Podcast this week, we discussed whether or not previous Super Bowl experience would be a benefit for the Patriots heading into their Super Bowl LI matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. At first thought, I assumed previous Super Bowl experience would be a huge advantage for the Patriots.
The week leading up the Super Bowl is a gongshow. Media Day Opening Night is a just the beginning of a week full of distractions, and who blocks out distractions better than the Patriots? But Michael Salfino had an interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, basically picking my assumption apart, piece by piece.
New England has 17 more players with Super Bowl experience (21) than the Falcons. In the last 40 Super Bowls, a team has held this advantage over its opponent 38 times. These teams are 16-22 in those games…
An edge at the game’s most important position didn’t matter either. Teams have had a QB with prior Super Bowl experience 19 times versus a team like the Falcons and Matt Ryan with none and are 9-10.
I stand corrected. Upon further reflection, this holds up pretty well over the last 15 years. Just off the top of my head, experience didn’t help the 2001 Rams, the 2007 Patriots, the 2009 Colts, the 2010 Steelers or the 2013 Broncos in the big game. It seems like Super Bowl veterans are just as liable to put up clunkers (Peyton Manning 2013) as Super Bowl first-timers (Cam Newton 2015).
The Super Bowl is such a colossal event that maybe no matter how many times you’ve been, each trip is its own adventure. We’ll see what events unfold this week, but I’m no longer under the impression that Brady’s six previous Super Bowl appearances give him the edge over Matt Ryan. I’d still take Brady over Ryan if I had my pick at QB but maybe Ryan and Atlanta’s blissful Super Bowl ignorance isn’t a shortcoming after all. Looking at the history of this game, maybe having no baggage is an advantage.
Episode 003 of The 300s Podcast: Countdown to Super Bowl 51, the First Annual NBA Jam Tournament and the Hunt for Big Mac Sauce
In episode 003 of The 300s Podcast we touch on our Super Bowl 51 Preview, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick going for GOAT status, Introducing the First Annual 300’s NBA Jam Tournament and the Hunt for McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce:
No. 1 Offense vs No. 1 Defense? “I’ll take the No. 1 defense every time.”…”Is Atlanta a crappy sports city? They’ve lost two hockey teams.”…”How about Bartolo Colon? He started the same year as Turner Field. Dude outlasted a ballpark.”…”You know how many Super Bowls Bill Parcells won after Belichick left? Zero.” …”To get the fifth ring with this supporting cast of castoffs is even more impressive”….”NBA Jam – If we have 8 guys and 7 games, maybe 6 of them end in a buzzer beater. Down by 12? Don’t worry you’re gonna hit 6 shots in a row”…”There is no reason to have any kind of post game in NBA Jam. LeBron you are nothing more than a decoy”….”These are mouth breathers. Go to McDonalds and just ask for Big Mac Sauce, it’s free.”
The 300s 