Looking back at the 2019 New England Patriots, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the year 2019 feels like an eternity ago. Some even claimed that 2019 is the last “normal” year. I’m sure we all know why? That’s right, the Covid pandemic has not hit the world yet. Can you imagine, in 2019 a mask is just a piece of cloth to cover our face, not a political stance?
But, let’s talk about the Patriots.
Well… for us, this is also the last normal year.
The last year of participating in the playoff every year,
The last year of being the preseason betting favorite,
The last year of the great dynasty,
The last year that Brady wore the pats uniform.
Yes, the 2019 season will live on in the memory of the Patriots fans as Tom Brady’s last dance. But, is it all that we can remember about this season? I believed it could be interesting to reflect on everything that occurred this season, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Ugly: The Antonio Brown Saga
Entering the 2019 season, the Patriots have a solid receiving unit even though, Rob Gronkowski, announced his retirement in the summer. The group was headlined by Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, and excellent pass-catching running back James White, along with reigning Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman leading them. The Patriots kick off their season with a dominant 30–3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And then a huge news bomb dropped. Recently released wide receiver Antonio Brown has signed with the Patriots. Brown was released by his previous team, the Raiders, due to his never-ending drama. Starting with frostbitten feet and then on to the iconic helmet controversy. Some believe that AB orchestrated all of this to ensure that he would eventually land in New England. This notion aged like milk, since the Antonio Brown era was officially over after two weeks and one game. Amid the sexual assault cases against him, the Patriots released the all-pro wideout.
We assumed this is the end, but AB has other plans, he vented his frustration on Twitter. He was upset because the Patriots decided not to give him his $9 million signing bonus. He even started a war against Robert Kraft by bringing up the sexual harassment accusation filed against him at the beginning of the year. During his unfiltered outburst on Twitter, he even made the implication that he’ll never play in the NFL again.
Although he later apologized to Robert Kraft, there is no getting around the fact that this is a nasty situation.
The Bad: How it ended
The game was a wild card game, Patriots vs Tennessee Titans, in Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. With time winding down 15 seconds to be exact, Brady and the Patriots’ offense backed down in their own 1-yard line, Tom Brady lined up in the shotgun, Ted Karras snap the ball, Brady drop back and pass the ball. Patriot fans’ worst nightmares are still fed by what happens afterward. The ball intended for Phillip Dorsett broken up by Tramaine Brock and intercepted by Logan Ryan, a former patriot. This touchdown give Tennessee a 20–13 lead with just 9 seconds left in the clock. After a failed two-point attempt and a kick-off later, the patriots were eliminated. An era ended.
All season, we can see the elephant in the room that Brady is no longer happy at Foxborough. His relationship with Bill Belichick has soured over the past few years, and he is dissatisfied with Robert Kraft’s handling of the AB problem. Plus, in the fall he restructured his contract which allowed him to become a free agent at the end of the season. And the following march it’s official, Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It always makes me sad to think that Tom Brady’s final pass for the New England Patriots was a pick-six that ended the game. There’s a phrase that goes, “Don’t be sad because it’s over; be happy because it happened.” While I am still happy it happened and always have gratitude towards him, It’s okay to cry, right?
The Good: The Defense
If Superbowl 53 was the trailer, the 2019 season was the movie. We all witnessed what happened to the talented Rams’ offense when the Patriots crushed them. However, what follows is even better.
In the first three games of the 2019 season, the Patriots’ defense only allowed three points while not surrendering a single touchdown. Josh Allen finally ended this run with his 1-yard rush touchdown in Week 4. Thanks to their defense, the Patriots consistently defeat their opponents comfortably all season, even though the offense is clearly struggling.
Led by the Linebacker trio of Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins, this historically great defense named themselves “Boogeymen”. According to Dont’a Hightower, what separates them from the rest is not purely on talent, but also depth and versatility. Oh yeah, the also coached by Bill Belichick, one of the best defensive mind of all time.
A bizarre thing happens in week 7, during the game against the Jets. Throughout the game, patriots defense terrorize the Sam Darnold so much, he got caught saying “I’m seeing ghost” on the sideline. Probably this “ghost” is causing him to throw those 4 picks. Kyle Van Noy, claimed that Sam Darnold saw the real Boogeymen. Okay, Kyle.
The run of dominance finally faces its first obstacles when the patriots travel to Baltimore and play against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. In this game, the eventual league MVP Lamar Jackson Completely tore apart the patriots’ defense en route to score 37 points. Except for this game, the Patriots’ defense never allowed more than 30 points in a single game.
At the end of the season, the Patriots’ defense finishes top in both overall defense and DVOA. Stephon Gilmore finished the season with 6 interceptions and 20 Passes defended, leading the league in both categories. J.C. Jackson and Devin McCourty both had five interceptions. With Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, Jonathan Jones, and Jason McCourty complementing them. This secondary blossomed into one of the league’s top units.
Enough with the secondary; let’s give a flower to the boogeymen, too. The crew’s was leader, the trio of Dont’a Hightower, Kyle van Noy, and Jamie Collins, finished the season with at least 10 quarterback hits, more than 5 sacks, and more than 50 total tackles. What’s even more remarkable is that three of them score a touchdown!
And as a result, Corner Back Stephon Gilmore and Linebacker Dont’a Hightower were selected to the AFC Pro Bowl teams. The former was also selected for the first-team All-Pro. Stephon Gilmore’s achievements don’t end there; the cornerback also received the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
If only the season hadn’t ended in the wild card, we might have witnessed another masterclass similar to the one we saw in Superbowl 53.
If only this team’s offense had been better, this defense might have earned its rightful place in Patriots history as the best ever.
If only.
