They were kind of like the '70s Rams. And I say "kind of", of course, because LA were winners more frequently in the '70s than Boston was the previous decade. But the Pats did have numerous winning seasons in the '60s under Holovak, and (like the 9-7 Rams in '79) the weakest of them all was in '63 with that 7-6-1 finish which wouldn't only be the year they made the AFL Championship Game, but their only playoff season - period. Just the same, they did have the #1 defense in the league (and those 66 sacks) which was a mark that neither of those surrounding better-record teams can say for themselves. Swamp Fox, with assistance from Fred Bruney, of course was behind that Eastern division champ defensive unit. Sadly, however, they gave up those 51 points/600+ total yards at Balboa in that very last game (Wade Phillips, another notable defensive mind, going through the same 'last game'-fate 26 years later).
As for the other better-record years the Pats had in the '60s, it starts with '61. Lou Saban gets fired after that 2-3 start, Holovak takes over, and they go 7-1-1 from there coming up a half-game short of the division title to defending-Champ, Houston. And those two non-wins those remaining nine games (0-1-1) were to...Houston!
Another 9-4-1 finish in '62, but Oilers win division by a game and a half this time. But, FWIW, at least Pats split with them.
The Bills at Fenway '64 finale was a play-in game thus de facto division title game. Both played in that tie-breaker the previous season. But this time, '64, it was in a different location and also was a different result. The road-team (Bills) won again, 24-14, but it wasn't that close (Campbell was now with the Vikings, Bruney now with the Eagles). A much anticipated battle it had to be going into that finale, though, with 10-2-1 Boston beating the 11-2 Bills at War Memorial just five weeks earlier. A true rivarly! Road-team winning these games.
A bad year in '65. But going into next year's final week, Pats were a half-game ahead of the Bills, 8-3-2 to 8-4-1. Pats travel to Shea that Saturday to play Ewbank/Namath's rising 5-6-2 Jets. The following day, the Bills host Ray Malavasi's 4-9 Broncos. Jets play spoiler, Bills easily take care of biz on Sunday, and that's that (two losing seasons from there to close-out the Holovak era).
How would a KC@Boston AFLCG (for the right to play against Lombardi's Packers) have turned out? Chiefs won at Fenway early in '66 by a score of 43-24, dropping Boston to 1-2. Later that season, and back in competitive form, Pats tie KC in the road rematch. In either event, I would guess the 'best' Holovak Pats team would either be '64, '62, or the '61 installment once the 2-3 start was out the way (high-momentum 7-1-1 finish).
Thoughts?
PS - so Fred Bruney was briefly a player/coach with the Pats before becoming strictly a coach? Interesting that Dick Lebeau took over Fred's position upon he leaving Ohio State, and then would end up surpassing him in total years in the NFL.
*And another interesting LeBeau factoid though it takes us off-subject...'72 was LeBeau's last year as a player for Detroit. The following year, rookie Dick Jauron steps into the Lions secondary though at a different position (S instead of CB). Assuming he doesn't come out of retirement, Jauron's last season in the NFL was he being the DC for the Browns in 2012. And who did they play against in their finale (and who was the opposing DC)?
The 1960s Boston Patriots
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RichardBak
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Re: The 1960s Boston Patriots
Remember seeing the Pats infrequently on TV as I was getting into football in the early '60s. Gino Cappelletti was always one of my faves--a regular scoring machine.
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RRMarshall
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Re: The 1960s Boston Patriots
They lost a game to Denver in Boston in the rain late on a long pass to Al Denson. With 8 seconds remaining the Denver QB hoisted a long pass to Al Denson. The ball hit Boston DB Chuck Shonta in the chest and bounced into Denson's hands, and he got through 3 defenders for the winning score. That loss cost Boston the division title in 1966. Those Pats teams were handicapped by a lack of speed in the secondary but their front 7, led by DLs Houston Antwine and Jim "Earthquake" Hunt and a great set of LBs led by HOFer Nick Buoniconti, were solid. Their best team was probably their 1964 edition. GIno Cappelletti once told me if they had managed to beat Buffalo in the season finale and hosted the Chargers they would have beaten them for the title.
Re: The 1960s Boston Patriots
Boston and Buffalo seemed to go downhill the same year (in 1967). They also started to show signs of life again in the same general time frame (mid-70's).
Re: The 1960s Boston Patriots
I just watched that play...one of the more ridiculous endings ever. Reminded me a bit of Raymond Butler's TD for the Colts against the Steelers in 1984.RRMarshall wrote:They lost a game to Denver in Boston in the rain late on a long pass to Al Denson. With 8 seconds remaining the Denver QB hoisted a long pass to Al Denson. The ball hit Boston DB Chuck Shonta in the chest and bounced into Denson's hands, and he got through 3 defenders for the winning score. That loss cost Boston the division title in 1966.
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: The 1960s Boston Patriots
A few additional takes...
Holovak would pull out Cappelletti on 3rd-down plays deep into opposition territory. The rationale was that he'd want Gino to be better rested, if only for just one play, for FG-kicking duties. Gino's argument was simply that if he's allowed in, maybe a FG wouldn't have to be kicked in the first place but a first down instead. But would he playing on that 3rd-down really make him 'spent'-enough to make the kick? Would allowing Gino to play WR on 3rd have, overall, made a difference for the better?
Right before that '63 AFL Championship Game at Balboa, Gillman said in an interview that he felt the Pats' defense was right on par with Chicago and Green Bay. With all due respect for a Legend, I find it difficult to fathom being that I think the AFL simply wasn't on par yet with the NFL. Maybe their elite teams were now better than middling/bad NFL teams, but nothing more than that. Chicago, GB, and also the Giants beat SD convincingly IMHO yet alone not actually allow...51 points! However, if you are a believer in what Sid said though, then it means that you'd think the Chargers would have beaten the Bears and the rest of the NFL in '63.
In both games against SD during that regular season, Boston allowed just 17 and 7 points respectively in both close losses. Yes, Pats did play SD close in both games. And they did sweep Oakland; each time by a score of 20-14. The second loss dropped Al Davis's bunch to 2-4, but then after that the Raiders won their remaining eight games along with sweeping the AFL-Champs-to-be themselves within that stretch. Why WAS it 51-10 in that final game at Balboa considering all just written thus far this paragraph? They had enough going for them respect-wise despite the 7-6-1 finish. And also consider those even-better regular seasons right before and right after.
Yes, the 21st Century Pats got the Hardware along with great defenses under a Legendary defensive mind being their HC through it all, but would you disregard '51-10', consider everything else within the campaign, and actually declare that '63 installment the best one-year Patriots defense of all-time? How do you compare Eisenhauer's impact on his team vs McGinest's with his (Dee vs McGinest as well)? Buoniconti (strictly as a Pat, not SB-champ Dolphin) or Bruschi?
Holovak would pull out Cappelletti on 3rd-down plays deep into opposition territory. The rationale was that he'd want Gino to be better rested, if only for just one play, for FG-kicking duties. Gino's argument was simply that if he's allowed in, maybe a FG wouldn't have to be kicked in the first place but a first down instead. But would he playing on that 3rd-down really make him 'spent'-enough to make the kick? Would allowing Gino to play WR on 3rd have, overall, made a difference for the better?
Right before that '63 AFL Championship Game at Balboa, Gillman said in an interview that he felt the Pats' defense was right on par with Chicago and Green Bay. With all due respect for a Legend, I find it difficult to fathom being that I think the AFL simply wasn't on par yet with the NFL. Maybe their elite teams were now better than middling/bad NFL teams, but nothing more than that. Chicago, GB, and also the Giants beat SD convincingly IMHO yet alone not actually allow...51 points! However, if you are a believer in what Sid said though, then it means that you'd think the Chargers would have beaten the Bears and the rest of the NFL in '63.
In both games against SD during that regular season, Boston allowed just 17 and 7 points respectively in both close losses. Yes, Pats did play SD close in both games. And they did sweep Oakland; each time by a score of 20-14. The second loss dropped Al Davis's bunch to 2-4, but then after that the Raiders won their remaining eight games along with sweeping the AFL-Champs-to-be themselves within that stretch. Why WAS it 51-10 in that final game at Balboa considering all just written thus far this paragraph? They had enough going for them respect-wise despite the 7-6-1 finish. And also consider those even-better regular seasons right before and right after.
Yes, the 21st Century Pats got the Hardware along with great defenses under a Legendary defensive mind being their HC through it all, but would you disregard '51-10', consider everything else within the campaign, and actually declare that '63 installment the best one-year Patriots defense of all-time? How do you compare Eisenhauer's impact on his team vs McGinest's with his (Dee vs McGinest as well)? Buoniconti (strictly as a Pat, not SB-champ Dolphin) or Bruschi?