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The Impossible Team: The Worst to First Patriots' Super Bowl Season
Nick Cafardo was there every step of the way in the 2001 season when the New England Patriots went from being worst in their division the previous year to Super Bowl champions. Learn the inside stories behind Drew Bledsoe's life-threatening injury and Tom Brady's unexpected rise along with many other stories not previously shared.
- GenresSportsNonfictionFootball
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 21, 2012
A highly enjoyable summer read for this Patriots fan. Others need not apply. Cafardo is only a middling writer, but it was a delight to relive that most magical of NFL seasons.
February 6, 2025
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 was a journey down memory lane for me and New England Patriots fans. I remember the Patriots beating the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI like it was yesterday, and all this book did was bring me back to that day as well as the Patriots' 18-game season that led up to that upset victory. The author of the book, Nick Cafardo, was a six-year Patriots beat reporter for the Boston Globe newspaper going into this book, so you knew that you were going to get an in-depth analysis of that 2001 Patriots team.
Cafardo started out 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 with an analysis of Super Bowl XXXVI which I'm sure back when the book came out in 2002 and even to this day, many Patriots fans appreciated. Some writers would have put that game near the back of the book as to carry on the seasonal analysis from Game 1 to the Super Bowl, but Cafardo took a different route. His book his rules. Got it.
It was clear that this book wanted to talk about the 2001 Patriots and them only, because there was hardly any mention of the Bill Parcells (1993-1996) or the Pete Carroll (1997-1999) eras, two eras that preceded the Bill Belichick era (2000-2018). Cafardo is smart. He knew (and he mentioned this a lot in the book) that Patriots fans (the main demographic targeted to purchase this book) didn't want another reminder about the lean, down, and almost years of Patriots football past. The 1-15 season of 1990, the 1989-1993 era of the franchise (19-61 overall record and no playoffs), the Lisa Olson debacle of 1990, Super Bowl XX, and etc. Those were Patriots historical incidents and eyesores that Cafardo was NOT going to include in his book. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 in Cafardo's eyes was a celebration of a wonderful season by a franchise that was due for what happened to it during the 2001 season.
The book had some good intel in it that only a reporter of the team would know. For example, on page 23 Cafardo pointed out that cornerback 𝐓𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐰 and wide receivers 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧 and 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 were afraid to fly. I didn't know that back in 2001 and I didn't know that until I got to that part of the book a few weeks ago. Plus, on page 59 I found out how the idea of the Patriots wanting to come out as a team instead of as individual players for pre-game introductions came about. And it was strong safety 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐲 who spearheaded that exercise in Game 1 of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.
It was a good touch by the author to include two chapters that helped to explain the legacy and behavior of two players who in their own ways helped the Patriots get to Super Bowl XXXVI (𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐞) or at least helped the team win a few games during the regular season (Glenn). And those chapters were The Glenn Files (chapter 11) and Bledsoe's Legacy (chapter 15). Glenn's chapter helped explain what went right and wrong for him in 2001. Bledsoe's' chapter thanked the longtime Patriots quarterback for his help in getting the Patriots out of their dark days (1989-1993) and into a mainly successful period (1994 to 1999) while he was the teams' starting quarterback.
Pros of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢: Cafardo sure did his homework and research on that 2001 Patriots team, and you could tell that not only was he a passionate reporter of the Patriots but also a passionate fan of the team. He even included a half-way point of the season report card in chapter 13 (Sign and Return, Please) that was dedicated to how he felt each position on the team performed.
Cons of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢: I can't really think of anything. The book did its job in 220 pages on educating its readers on the Patriots' 2001 season.
In conclusion, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 was a chronological study of one of (if not the most) the most improbable NFL teams to ever win a Super Bowl. Cafardo even put it best on page 53: "There wasn't a lot of pizzazz, but there was substance---no leading men, but a team of character actors who made this a movie to remember." Well said and such an appropriate and well-tailored quote for the 2001 New England Patriots.
This book should be read by any historical Patriots fan who wants to know how their team's dynasty started. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 was a book about a team and a coaching staff that believed in each other while the rest of the football world (the media, non-Patriots fans, casual football fans) didn't think much of their existence. Hard work, teamwork, and believing in your goals and dreams does matter and the 2001 Patriots understood that from day one.
Cafardo started out 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 with an analysis of Super Bowl XXXVI which I'm sure back when the book came out in 2002 and even to this day, many Patriots fans appreciated. Some writers would have put that game near the back of the book as to carry on the seasonal analysis from Game 1 to the Super Bowl, but Cafardo took a different route. His book his rules. Got it.
It was clear that this book wanted to talk about the 2001 Patriots and them only, because there was hardly any mention of the Bill Parcells (1993-1996) or the Pete Carroll (1997-1999) eras, two eras that preceded the Bill Belichick era (2000-2018). Cafardo is smart. He knew (and he mentioned this a lot in the book) that Patriots fans (the main demographic targeted to purchase this book) didn't want another reminder about the lean, down, and almost years of Patriots football past. The 1-15 season of 1990, the 1989-1993 era of the franchise (19-61 overall record and no playoffs), the Lisa Olson debacle of 1990, Super Bowl XX, and etc. Those were Patriots historical incidents and eyesores that Cafardo was NOT going to include in his book. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 in Cafardo's eyes was a celebration of a wonderful season by a franchise that was due for what happened to it during the 2001 season.
The book had some good intel in it that only a reporter of the team would know. For example, on page 23 Cafardo pointed out that cornerback 𝐓𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐰 and wide receivers 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧 and 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 were afraid to fly. I didn't know that back in 2001 and I didn't know that until I got to that part of the book a few weeks ago. Plus, on page 59 I found out how the idea of the Patriots wanting to come out as a team instead of as individual players for pre-game introductions came about. And it was strong safety 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐲 who spearheaded that exercise in Game 1 of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.
It was a good touch by the author to include two chapters that helped to explain the legacy and behavior of two players who in their own ways helped the Patriots get to Super Bowl XXXVI (𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐞) or at least helped the team win a few games during the regular season (Glenn). And those chapters were The Glenn Files (chapter 11) and Bledsoe's Legacy (chapter 15). Glenn's chapter helped explain what went right and wrong for him in 2001. Bledsoe's' chapter thanked the longtime Patriots quarterback for his help in getting the Patriots out of their dark days (1989-1993) and into a mainly successful period (1994 to 1999) while he was the teams' starting quarterback.
Pros of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢: Cafardo sure did his homework and research on that 2001 Patriots team, and you could tell that not only was he a passionate reporter of the Patriots but also a passionate fan of the team. He even included a half-way point of the season report card in chapter 13 (Sign and Return, Please) that was dedicated to how he felt each position on the team performed.
Cons of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢: I can't really think of anything. The book did its job in 220 pages on educating its readers on the Patriots' 2001 season.
In conclusion, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 was a chronological study of one of (if not the most) the most improbable NFL teams to ever win a Super Bowl. Cafardo even put it best on page 53: "There wasn't a lot of pizzazz, but there was substance---no leading men, but a team of character actors who made this a movie to remember." Well said and such an appropriate and well-tailored quote for the 2001 New England Patriots.
This book should be read by any historical Patriots fan who wants to know how their team's dynasty started. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 was a book about a team and a coaching staff that believed in each other while the rest of the football world (the media, non-Patriots fans, casual football fans) didn't think much of their existence. Hard work, teamwork, and believing in your goals and dreams does matter and the 2001 Patriots understood that from day one.
December 19, 2025
Was this book ever edited? Did anyone do fact checking?
While the story is a great one, this version was lacking in its presentation. The game narratives are often convoluted with an irregular discussion of the sequence of events. There are also numerous inaccuracies, including that Drew Bledsoe went to the University of Washington (no, it was Washington State) and that the Patriots competed against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXX (no, it was SB XXXI).
The worst error was the story that Brian Cox's leg was broken in the game at Denver on a cheap shot by Stephen Neal. No, Stephen Neal was a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots and he never played for Denver. The perpetrator was Denver lineman Dan Neil (N-E-I-L). Look it up...and the author owes Stephen Neal an apology.
While the story is a great one, this version was lacking in its presentation. The game narratives are often convoluted with an irregular discussion of the sequence of events. There are also numerous inaccuracies, including that Drew Bledsoe went to the University of Washington (no, it was Washington State) and that the Patriots competed against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXX (no, it was SB XXXI).
The worst error was the story that Brian Cox's leg was broken in the game at Denver on a cheap shot by Stephen Neal. No, Stephen Neal was a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots and he never played for Denver. The perpetrator was Denver lineman Dan Neil (N-E-I-L). Look it up...and the author owes Stephen Neal an apology.
July 6, 2023
So cool to read about this season. Toddler me doesn’t remember it, but I sure do recognize some of those names. Go pats! 🏈
September 11, 2012
I thought I would really enjoy this book because it was about football. It was a slow book to read and didn't hold my interest.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews