The 1960s Boston Patriots
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 10:59 pm
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)?
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)?