pudge's Journal: Brett Favre and Chad Pennington Suck

Twice since the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, they have missed the playoffs.

Both times, it's because the Patriots were in a tie for the best record in the AFC East, but lost the tiebreaker when Brett Favre lost to Chad Pennington on the final day of the season, giving Pennington's team the division title instead.

On December 29, 2002, Favre's Packers made too many mistakes and wound up losing to Pennington's Jets. The Pats and Dolphins and Jets tied for first, but Pennington and the Jets won the tiebreakers, and won the AFC East title. The Patriots and Dolphins stayed home.

On December 28, 2008, Favre's Jets made too many mistakes and wound up losing to Pennington's Dolphins. The Pats and Dolphins tied for first, but Pennington and the Dolphins won the tiebreakers, and won the AFC East title. The Patriots stayed home.

So Patriots fans forever will hate Brett Favre. And it's not because he beat the Pats in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. No, he won that one straight up, with a little help from Desmond Howard. It's because he let Chadley Pennington win twice, and in doing so kept us out of the playoffs twice.

In 2002, the 12-3 Packers had no business losing to the 8-7 Jets, but on the other hand, the 9-7 Patriots, with a battered defense that couldn't stop the run, didn't have much to complain about in not going to the playoffs.

In 2008, the Jets were rolling, but they just ... stopped. They couldn't even beat the Niners or Seahawks. But playing for a potential playoff spot, I figured they would finally pull it together and win the last game. They didn't. And the Patriots became only the second 11-5 team in history to not make the playoffs.

I don't know what can, or should, be done about it. It's terrible to have an 11-5 team sit home for the playoffs. It's not good for the league. But I can think of no solution to the problem.

So I'll just hate Pennington and Favre instead.

Cross-posted on <pudge/*>.

Well

[stoolpigeon]

at least the Cardinals will be in the playoffs that should make it better.

Re:

[pudge]

Better for whom?

Re:

[stoolpigeon]

nobody really - i hate the cardinals. just hate to miss any chance to talk about how much they suck.

Re:

[pudge]

Cassell > Leinart.

Re:

[FortKnox]

That's not saying much (I think Cassell is just a product of the system, too, btw)

Favre, Pats, Pack & playoffs.

[multimed]

I'd say it's not completely accurate to say Favre's 2002 Packers made too many mistakes & lost - they had virtually nothing to play for, having locked up the division title (by a lot, 12-4 to next closest Minnesota's 6-10) and in all likelihood they knew they couldn't get home field through out because the tiebreaker would go to the Eagles. It was a bad omen though - they went on to lose a playoff game at Lambeau for the first time in history, followed by the 4th & 26 play & loss to Philly the

Re:

[pudge]

I'd say it's not completely accurate to say Favre's 2002 Packers made too many mistakes & lost

They did have a shot at home field, and presumably they played for it. But it is sorta like this week ... the Jets had a shot at wild card this time around.

The thing about Favre was it was the same qualities that everyone loved also led to what we hated.

As the interception record informs us. :-)

But back to your main point - it certainly doesn't seem right for an 11-5 team to not make the playoffs. Though it's hard to muster too much sympathy for the Patriots considering their run in recent years. :)

Yeah, and frankly, what I care most about is the Bruins winning a Cup anyway. Has any city ever won all four championships in one decade? I don't thinks o.

When you say nothing can really be done - it sort of makes me wonder...why not just throw out the division champion stuff and make every playoff birth a wildcard. That would fix the problem.

Yeah, but it creates new problems. I don't think it will happen, and I am not sure it should. I like that the division means something.