Fanfrom1960

Ah, the moral victory/the ugly win. I'll take the ugly win 100.00% of the time.

Comparing one game out of 2001 with Sunday's game and marrying it to a new QB because of injury story is a reach. But, ya gotta write something on Monday morning I guess.

PATSYLICIOUS

We should've won because we are a better team. I think we showed on the field last night we are a more balanced, more physical team than them. The only reason the game was close was because Manning may be the best active QB in the league and they won thanks to some horrible plays/decisions. That is not encouraging against a 4-4 team and a rival who has now outwitted and gotten the best of us the last 4 out of 5 times. Against a 7-1 team who are defending champs, maybe there's some moral victory to take away. But that loss hurts more than helps there's no question.

Deus Irae

But you're being unfair both to the Patriots and the Colts. Yes, it looks as if the Colts are fading this season, but they had been playing very banged up, just like New England. However, they got their #1 running back healthy enough to play against the Patriots, and Manning wasn't out there throwing the wounded ducks he's thrown a bit this season. In the meantime, the Patriots lost Wheatley early in the game, and are still getting the O-line back on track.

Furthermore, all that's above and beyond the losses of Harrison, Maroney, Jordan and Morris. That was a game that could very easily have resulted in the Patriots getting blown out.

__________________
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius

PatriotNMP43

There are no moral victories in the NFL, sorry but thats the harsh reality. The Patriots LOST and nothing good came out of it, 3 conference losses already means they lose all the tiebreakers come playoff time to teams like the Colts, SD and Miami. Conference losses kill your playoff chances.

__________________
A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.

Deus Irae

While I understand that the "moral victory" argument gets overplayed, there are, indeed, moral victories in the NFL. One need only look to the 2001 Patriots and last year's Giants for examples.

__________________
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius

PATSYLICIOUS

Harrison and Maroney are old news, it's time to move on and leave them from discussion about games this year because we won't be getting them back. The other three injuries are valid points, especially Wheatley's because the defense needed him more. But they were missing their #1 CB too. And in this game BJGE and Faulk were both good in the absense of Morris/Jordan.

All they were able to do was pass the ball. We were passing, running, and stopping the run with success. That's a game we should've won despite injuries, I feel we are still the better team. Letting it slip away is not an encouraging sign, until we see how the team reacts to a loss like that.

tombonneau

Exactly. How confident do you think the Giants would have been heading into the playoffs had the Pats beat them 45-10 in Week 17?

PATSYLICIOUS

The 07 Giants and 01 Pats lost close games to teams that were JUGGERNAUTS. Ok we went toe to toe with the 4-4 Indianapolis Colts, maybe we'll come back and win our wild card rematch with them. YAY

richpats

And those teams believed those were moral victories - do you think the Giants would have made it to the Super Bowl if they just kept kicking themselves over Week 17? Hell, their collapse in that game was way beyond NE's on Sunday night.

richpats

If the prospect of making the playoffs (assumed by virtue of a division title) and winning a playoff game against the Colts with a backup QB doesn't excite you, boy your expectations are high.