The Patriots have won seven of the last nine AFC East championships, but after coming up short in 2008 — and after the roster overhaul prior to 2009 — 28 of the 53 players on New England’s roster are first-time division champs with the club. Nine of those 28 players have been on teams that have won division crowns in the past, so this is the first title of any kind for 19 Patriots.
Pats cornerback Leigh Bodden, who was part of the Detroit Lions’ 0-16 team in 2008, waited seven seasons to reach the postseason, and he cherished the opportunity for vindication.
“I’m definitely excited,” said Bodden, who might have been wearing the widest smile in the locker room on Sunday after the Patriots clinched the division. “I can’t wait to just turn it up another notch. This is definitely the reason why I wanted to come to this organization. Going through 0-16 was tough, and I definitely didn’t want to go back to that. I’m glad the Patriots saw something in me that could help this team, and I was excited to come.”
Just four Patriots — running back Kevin Faulk, quarterback Tom Brady, left tackle Matt Light and right guard Stephen Neal — remain from the three Super Bowl teams. Forty-two Patriots have never won a Super Bowl in New England, and 19 Patriots are in their first season with the team.
One of them, running back Fred Taylor, was especially excited to wrap up the division crown after the Patriots knocked off the Jaguars, who employed Taylor for 11 seasons.
“That feels even better,” said Taylor, who hasn’t played for a division champion since 1999. “It’s been about [10] years since I’ve had a hat and T-shirt, so I’m definitely going to frame mine up, box it up, throw it in the attic. Memories, man, that’s what it’s all about.”
While division titles have become standard for many Patriots, tight end Chris Baker wanted to make sure the team’s youngsters wouldn’t take it for granted. As a rookie in 2002, Baker played for the New York Jets, who snatched the AFC East crown from the Patriots on the final day of the season, but it took him seven years to win his second title.
Still, though, no one in that locker room was satisfied — excited, yes, but certainly not content. After staring at his “AFC East Champion” hat, Bodden put it in his locker and set his sights on something better.
“I’m not even going to put that hat on, man,” Bodden said. “I want that Super Bowl hat.”
Who's Hot
1. This was easily the best performance Tom Brady has had since he injured his ribs against the Miami Dolphins four weeks ago. Brady completed 23 of 26 passes for 267 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions on Sunday against the Jaguars, and he was playing the efficient, spread-it-around game that made this offense so successful pre-2007. Brady and the offense weren’t so hot against the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills, but he put them back on the right track against Jacksonville, hitting seven different receivers and keeping everyone involved.
2. Brady was helped out by another outstanding performance from wide receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, who contributed in different ways to get the Patriots past the Jaguars. Welker caught all 13 passes thrown in his direction for 138 yards. He’s got a league-best 122 receptions this season and became the first player in NFL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 110 catches. Moss, meanwhile, caught four passes for 45 yards and three touchdowns — the last of which was an amazing individual effort to break a tackle and reach the ball over the goal line for the score. Plus, each of his touchdowns came in the red zone, which made them even more important for the Patriots, who have had their troubles inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
3. Running back Sammy Morris had his best game of the season with 12 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown, and he also equaled his career-high with a 55-yard run. The powerful runner averaged 96.7 yards per game during the last three games of the 2008 season, so this is his time of the year. With the Patriots’ top four running backs healthy, there’s no reason to believe just one guy will carry the load, but Morris might just be their most impactful runner the rest of the way.
4. Brady hasn’t been sacked in four consecutive games, which is amazing considering how injuries have plagued the offensive line. If you include the three-headed rotation at tackle in the Panthers game, the Patriots have not employed the same group of offensive linemen in consecutive games during that four-game stretch, yet they’re performing at their highest collective level of the season. Also note that the Patriots are averaging 146.8 rushing yards per game over the last four contests, and they’ve had two of their three highest rushing outputs of the season in the last three games.
5. The Patriots got some high-quality play from their safety tandem of Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders against Jacksonville, and their best series of plays helped turn the game in the Patriots’ favor on Sunday. In the series following Laurence Maroney’s fumble, the Jaguars faced third-and-1 at their own 35-yard line. Meriweather snuffed out an end-around for no gain on third down, and Sanders stuffed running back Maurice Jones-Drew for another no gain on fourth down. The Patriots took immediate advantage of the short field and scored a touchdown four plays later to take a 7-0 lead. Meriweather finished with six solo tackles and one interception, and Sanders had five tackles (four solo) and two pass defenses.
Who's Not
1. Whether or not the replay officials got the Maroney play right, there’s a simple way to keep the situation from going that far: Hold onto the ball while you cross the goal line. Maroney has done a great job revitalizing his career this season, but he’s obviously been hampered by fumbling issues. Hey, Adrian Peterson and Steve Slaton have dealt with the same problems, and Kevin Faulk overcame the bout early in his career. It happens, and running backs can go through slumps like these.
Head coach Bill Belichick clearly wanted to send Maroney a message by benching him — even after Maroney ran well in that initial drive — but the prolonged stay on the sideline likely also had something to do with the solid performance by Morris and Belichick’s desire to get Fred Taylor into the game against his old teammates. Don’t expect this to be a long-term punishment for Maroney.
