<P> After the Super Bowl, Parcells resigned from the Patriots, prompting Kraft to believe the Jets had been tampering with Parcells in an attempt for him to resign and take the Jets' vacant head coaching position and have say in the Jets' first overall selection in the 1997 NFL Draft . The Jets decided that since Parcells couldn't be their head coach in 1997 because of an earlier contract renegotiation which eliminated the 1997 season from his contract, they would hire Parcells as a consultant and have Bill Belichick, the assistant head coach who followed Parcells from the Patriots, hold the title of head coach . Kraft, who was requesting a 1st - round draft pick in return for allowing Parcells to coach elsewhere, called the Jets' agreement "a transparent farce" that "demonstrated it was the Jets' intention all along for Bill Parcells to become head coach of the Jets for the' 97 season ." Despite Parcells claiming the Jets had been given league permission for the consulting agreement, the NFL denied any permission was given, instead having commissioner Paul Tagliabue arrange an agreement between the two sides . The Patriots received 3rd - and 4th - round picks in the 1997 NFL Draft, a 2nd - round pick in the 1998 Draft, and a 1st - round pick in the 1999 Draft in compensation for allowing Parcells to become the Jets' head coach . </P> <P> After being rebuffed by former San Francisco 49ers head coach George Seifert, Kraft hired Pete Carroll as the new head coach of the Patriots . The new regime, led by personnel man Bobby Grier, was immediately derided for botching draft picks, and the Patriots slipped back further in the standings during each of Carroll's years . In 1997, the Patriots still won the AFC East with a 10 - 6 record, but some key losses (including a loss to Parcells' Jets and a 4th - quarter collapse against the Pittsburgh Steelers) meant the team had to play in the wild card round in the playoffs . After having an easy time with the Miami Dolphins 17 - 3 in Foxboro, the injury - plagued Patriots met the Steelers in Pittsburgh for a rematch of the previous year's divisional playoff . A late fumble (recovered by future Patriot linebacker Mike Vrabel) won the game for Pittsburgh, 7 - 6 . </P> <P> In the 1998 offseason, the Patriots tendered restricted free agent running back Curtis Martin with the highest possible tender, which would return the Patriots' 1st - and 3rd - round draft picks if any team were to sign him and the Patriots were to decide not to match the offer . Fueling the rivalry between the two teams, the Jets and Parcells, who had resigned from the Patriots two years earlier, signed Martin, and per restricted free agency rules, ceded their 1st - and 3rd - round picks in the 1998 NFL Draft to the Patriots . With the 1st - round pick, the Patriots selected another running back, Robert Edwards, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign . After stumbling through the first half of the 1998 season (5 - 6 after the first 11 games), Drew Bledsoe, playing with a broken finger, engineered late 4th - quarter comebacks against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills to save the season . The Bills game was especially controversial, as the game was prolonged due to a series of questionable calls . With under a minute to go and down by four points, the Patriots engineered a long drive . However, the Buffalo defense appeared to stop the Patriots on 4th down with a juggled catch out of bounds . The referee needed to determine whether receiver Shawn Jefferson was inbounds, caught the ball, and achieved first down yardage . The referee on the sideline signaled first down after a conference with other officials . Several Bills claimed one said "just give it to them" (referring to 1st - down yardage) in the huddle . Television instant replays showed that he was short of first down yardage, but the NFL had discontinued use of instant replay after the 1991 season . This was followed by a questionable pass interference call made in the end zone on what would have been the game's final play . Bledsoe hit tight end Ben Coates for a touchdown on the final untimed play of the game . In protest, the Bills left the field and let Patriots kicker Adam Vinateri walk in for a meaningless two - point conversion . Doug Flutie, then the Bills' quarterback, later quipped, "They gave them the game, we figured we might as well give them the extra point ." Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn were later both knocked out for the season, and the Patriots backed into the last playoff spot with a 9--7 record . Backup quarterback Scott Zolak proved to be no match for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first playoff game, as the Patriots lost 25 - 10 . </P> <P> Although Robert Edwards had a promising rookie season, his career was permanently derailed after he suffered a dislocated knee in Hawaii while playing a game of flag football on the beach--a game that was an officially sponsored activity that took place during Pro Bowl weekend . Edwards would miss the next three seasons and would not play for the Patriots again (although he did play for the Miami Dolphins as a reserve in 2002). </P>

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