BostonTim
IIWII
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2005
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- 76
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5slWZkVvVCo&feature=player_embedded (NFL blocked embedding)
Cheers, BostonTim
Cheers, BostonTim
I'll go with one from the distant past that, for me, marked the game where the Patriots officially arrived in the NFL despite the fact they had been in the merged league for 7 years or so.
September 26th, 1976 the Pats traveled to Three Rivers Stadium to play the mighty Steelers. They were mighty because they were coming off back-to-back Super Bowl wins and many, including the Rooney family and Jack Lambert thought that their '76 team was the best of them all. ESPN named that defense as the best D in NFL history.
So, we go to their place and win the game, which was shocking, but it was the way we did it that really made it noteworthy. We hung 30 points on a D that dominated everybody in a historical way. In the last 8 games of the regular season they gave up a total of 22 points with 5 shutouts. Think about that.
The stats weren't eye-popping by today's standards, but we rushed for 142 yards behind that great John Hannah-led Oline. We gave up zero sacks against the Steel Curtain in their absolute prime. Steve Grogan passed for two long second-half scores to Darryl Stingley and Russ Francis, but that's not what I remember.
There was a moment late in that game where anybody with any sense figured that Pittsburgh would wake up and take control but they simply could not stop us. We were knocking that great defensive front down and backwards. They appeared confused and started screaming at each other and pointing fingers over the entire course of that drive. They could not understand what was happening and it was not just a fluke. We were as good as they were. Maybe better. Gil Santos was amazed and his voice was electric as he described what I was watching on the tube and I got goosebumps listening to him. It was a moment of pure, unexpected euphoria.
I always think of that game as the day when the Pats grew up.
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