Tuesday was Patriots Day - again. For the second straight year, the Patriots cruised the streets of Boston in the Duck Boats, greeting Patriots Nation with the "Triplets," all Three Lombardi trophies.

The City of Boston scratched the rally on City Hall Plaza, much like was scheduled for the Red Sox parade in November.

Players and coaches with their families, waved from the boats along the parade route, some spoke little over the loud speakers.

The parade lasted a little over an hour with an estimated 1 million fans lining the streets of Boston.
 

The 2004 Season: A Look Back

In a nutshell, I am exhausted. It's been a long year for me. Life outside of this little football column was trying and hectic, two reasons why I took such a long hiatus after last year's Super Bowl. My intention was to work on other projects, and that was partially true, though those projects had little or nothing to do with writing.

This season was once again a rollercoaster. The weeks came in a blur, the columns written in a hurry with adrenaline pumping late into Sunday nights and early Monday mornings, and the Patriots left little doubt each week that I would write about recent victories. And while I did try to remain objective, to give credit to other teams who won, the Patriots still remained at the top of my list.

There should have been little doubt in anyone's mind that New England would repeat as Super Bowl Champions. Most of the team remained in tact from last year, and the additions were exciting. The Patriots did lose three keys on defense: Ted Washington and Bobby Hamilton went to Oakland and Anthony Peasant retired. On offense, Damien Woody went to Detroit and Antowain Smith was released immediately after the Super Bowl. Smith was replaced by the acquisition of the year, Corey Dillon, who came into New England with everyone wondering if he could be a Patriots type of guy. It didn't take long to convince us he is. Dillon ended with a career and franchise best year, and scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

On defense, no one noticed the missing pieces, save for Washington, who is not only big in stature, but filled in a big hole that wasn't there in the 2002 season. The Patriots' solution was their first draft pick Vince Wilfork and veteran Keith Traylor. Problem solved.

But again injuries plagued the Patriots. First round draft pick Tight End Ben Watson showed promise, but was lost to injury early in the season. Ty Law would also be lost to injury. So would Dan Klecko and Tyrone Poole. Deion Branch was gone for part of the season. Things got so bad in the secondary that wide receiver Troy Brown had to fill in. He played in all three phases of the game, and led the team in interceptions (3), including one against Drew Bledsoe. I guess old habits die hard. It's undaunting to think how the Patriots would ever be as a 100% healthy unit.

Going forward, more people will leave, notably two coordinators. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is heading to Notre Dame. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is going to the Cleveland Browns. Law is probably gone, unless he can deflate his ego and restructure his salary to something workable. Traylor and Roman Pfeiffer are rumored to be thinking about retirement, as is Troy Brown. Adam Vinatieri's contract is up, and needs to be re-signed. And there are others who will leave one way or the other.

Coach Belichick already has his gaps in the coaching ranks filled, no doubt about it. And maybe those groups will be better next year, more productive, more dangerous.

The 2004 Patriots were better than the 2003 Patriots who were better than the 2001 Patriots. I expect the 2005 Patriots to be even better.

The twisted thing is how we've become so used to the winning all of a sudden, yet we're still in awe over it. The Patriots won their first Super Bowl, then a second. The Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years. The Patriots follow up with the first back-to-back NFL championships since the Broncos in 1997 and 1998, and are scaring the football world into a Three-Peat for the first time since San Francisco in the late 1980s. Virtually everyone is declaring New England a dynasty, yet the Patriots themselves aren't willing to buy into that status, saying they're starting over at the beginning for 2005. Immediately following the winning of Super Bowl XXXIX, players practically declared that they hadn't won anything yet for 2005! How is that for focus and discipline?

The 2004 season started with the release of Smith, the trade for Corey Dillon, the Draft, Ty Law whining about money. It ends with sweet victory. 2005 will have it's own starts. It will go through its own motions. But something tells me that for all questions we have about missing coaches and players moving on, that core balance will remain intact. After all, that is the way of Patriots football.

Regarding numbers, the Patriots entered the season with 15 straight wins, three coming in the post season. They ran that streak to 21, setting a league record. Dillon rushed a franchise record 1,635 yards. They were undefeated at home for the second year in a row, and have won 34 games over two seasons, an NFL record. They scored first in 15 straight games, another record, and starred in the the season opener and season closer. They continue to sell out every game, as they have since 1994.

And of course the best number of them all is championship number three. 2005 starts right now, and the quest for the fourth title. And once again, New England is the target of envy and jealousy. But I'll take that over a losing season any day.

Book Review: Tales from the Patriots Sidelines

I wasn't optimistic about Michael Felger's new Patriots book, Tales from the Patriots Sidelines: A Collection of the Greatest Stories of the Team's First 40 Years, but I found it pretty good. Honestly, it does not measure up to Michael Holley's "Patriots Reign," however, for the Patriots fan, Felger's book covers the first 40 years of the franchise, all the myths and legends and twisted stories. I am not the world's best NFL historian, or Patriots historian for that matter. Felger's book is a good history lesson, covering the funny and not so funny stories that made the Patriots such a hurky-jerky franchise before the current ownership took over.

The chapter on the 1976 team, and the loss to Oakland in the playoffs is eye-opening, and bitter tale of how bad the Patriots were screwed in that game, only for Patriots Nation to have redemption 25 years later in the Snow Bowl game.

Most of the stories are told through the eyes of the players, coaches, and front-end personnel of the time. Unfortunately Felger ends the book with the hiring of Bill Belichick in January 2000 (do I hear sequel?). Most of the decade of the 1990s are covered lightly, particularly vague during the years Pete Carroll coached the team.

Most football fans will have no interest in this book, but Patriots fans looking for a history lesson will enjoy it.

Crennel Introduced as Browns Head Coach

Romeo Crennel skipped the Duck Boat Parade on Tuesday to be introduced as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Crennel, 57, has been a coach for 35 years, and this is his first opportunity at the top spot.

"When we met Romeo, it was so clear," said Browns president John Collins. "It was never about this guy versus that guy. Really, it was about Romeo.

Crennel entered the NFL in 1981 as a special teams and defensive assistant with Giants, where he spent 12 years. He then went to the Patriots for four seasons, followed by three with the Jets. He was defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for the Browns in 2000. In 2001, Bill Belichick brought him to New England to head the defensive. He spent 2002 out of the playoffs with the Patriots. The other three seasons ended with Super Bowl victories.

"We felt so good about his career, his value system, his respect of the relationships that he has with his players, with other staff, his passion for the game," Collins continued. "All three of us [Owner Randy Lerner, Collins, and GM Phil Savage] were sort of looking at each other going, 'This is the guy.' Why wouldn't you wait?”

"This last couple days have been really good for me," Crennel said in his press conference. "I've been to a few (Super Bowls) now, so if we can keep that string alive, that would be great."

Savage said the subject of QB Jeff Garcia is the priority topic this week as Crennel takes the reigns.

BREAKING NEWS: Mangini Staying Pat

Patriots defensive back coach Eric Mangini has reportedly decided to stay with the Patriots and move into the role as defensive coordinator, a position left vacant by Romeo Crennel last week as he accepted the head coaching position in Cleveland.

Mangini, 34, was courted by Miami and Cleveland, and according to the Boston Globe, Miami offered Mangini as much as $2.5 million for a three year deal. The Globe article also details Bill Belichick sweetened the Patriots deal from $500,000 to $800,000 a year with a three year deal.

Mangini has been with the Patriots as the coach of the secondary since 2000. Belichick praised his new defensive coordinator at Pebble Beach. "He's done a great job for us with the secondary."

Coaching Carousel

Dallas offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon has been hired by the Cleveland Browns as their offensive coordinator...The Titans hired USC assistant` Norm Chow as their new offensive coordinator...

Patriots News

The Patriots granted Seattle permission to talk with vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli for the president of football operations position...Patriots Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Andy Wasynczuk is leaving the Patriots for a faculty position at Harvard Business School. Wasynczuk joined the Patriots in 1989 when the Kraft family hired him as CEO of Foxboro Stadium...Patriots secondary coach Eric Mangini has been promoted to defensive coordinator...Former Patriots Safety Leonard Myers may be looking to unload his Super Bowl XXXVI ring. Myers' ring is on eBay with a starting bid of $25,000. There is no indication that it is an authentic ring. Myers was released by the Patriots in August 2003. You can view the auction at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5163530231&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT ...Corey Dillon skipped the Pro Bowl with a groin injury...Richard Seymour will also not play in the Pro Bowl....

League Notes

The NFL's leading kick returner Brian Mitchell will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Redskins and retire. Mitchell was released by the Giants and did not play in 2004...Buffalo signed WR Eric Moulds to an extension that helped the Bills with their salary cap. He signed a $40.5 million deal in 2001 that ran through the 2006 season. Details are unavailable, however, it is likely for Moulds to earn around $18 million over the next three seasons...The Rams will franchise tag Orlando Pace...The AFC beat the NFC 38-27 in the Pro Bowl.

Signs of the Apocalypse

What, no rally at City Hall Plaza? Come on, Menino! What the Parade on Tuesday lacked was the rally at the end!

Notes & Quotes

"I couldn't shut up a lot of people that I wanted to shut up. They blew it way out of proportion. It reminded me  of little girls. They're sensitive, real, real sensitive."

- Eagles Third String WR Freddie Mitchell after the Super Bowl.

"The first one was great. The second was great. This one was outstanding."

- Bill Belichick when Jay Leno asked if the third championship feels different from the first.

"He said he was bringing something for Rodney Harrison. I don’t know, maybe it was the two dropped passes."

- Belichick on Freddie Mitchell

Bill Belichick holds the NFL post season record for a head coach at 10-1.

Top Ten List of the Week

1. This third championship is undaunting. It's hard to get used to, especially seeing graphics with 3 Lombardi trophies lined up. Now I know how the fans in San Francisco felt in the 1980s. Wow!

2. Congratulations Romeo Crennel. Cleveland is lucky to have you.

3. Thumbs down to the City of Boston. No rally on City Hall Plaza? Rotten!

4. Great showing by Patriots Nation to welcome our champions home!

5. Bill Belichick and Deion Branch gave a great showing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this week. Very classy appearance.

6. It is a great sight to walk into stores and see 1,000 Patriots championship t-shirts, banners, and magazines. I love living in Title Town.

7. Just over 10 weeks until the Draft.

8. The next stop for the Patriots should be opening day at Fenway. With the Yankees in town. As the Sox get their Rings. Heh. Sucks to be a New Yorker with those event going on.

9. It's great to see Eric Mangini stay put in New England. With some luck, and a few more championships, Mangini could be paving his way for a head coaching job himself with this choice. Best of luck, Eric. And we're all counting on you!

10. Thanks for another great year, everyone! And many thanks to the Patriots for another championship! I'm taking some time off, but I should be back with you around Draft time.