Would you rather Pats not make playoffs or lose in playoffs/SB? - New England Patriots Forums

tombonneau · 12-30-2008, 12:06 PM

While it completely sucks not making the playoffs, looking back at how the last three seasons ended:

-BS loss in Denver
-Collapse in Indy
-Helmet Catch

Not making the playoffs actually seems like a much better and less painful end. Now bear in mind, obviously I'm not saying would you rather not make the playoffs because there is the CHANCE the Pats might lose.

Obviously we'd all want the Pats to be in and risk the chance of a painful playoff loss, but looking back at how I felt at the end of the last four seasons, I'd rank my Misery Scale (Worst to Not as Worse):

Indy Collapse

Helmet Catch

BS Denver Loss

11-5 Not Making Playoffs

So does anyone else feel the same way? It is certainly far less of an emotional ending than the last three years.

Pujo · 12-30-2008, 12:10 PM

I'm not nearly as depressed as I was after the last two seasons. Part of that was Mangini getting fired on Monday morning, but part of it was that it was just so much more of an anticlimatic ending. We won... the last 4, so there's no hearbreaking loss to go back to, except for the Jets', and everyone pretty much expected that.

***DarrylS*** · 12-30-2008, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tombonneau

While it completely sucks not making the playoffs, looking back at how the last three seasons ended:

-BS loss in Denver
-Collapse in Indy
-Helmet Catch

Not making the playoffs actually seems like a much better and less painful end. Now bear in mind, obviously I'm not saying would you rather not make the playoffs because there is the CHANCE the Pats might lose.

Obviously we'd all want the Pats to be in and risk the chance of a painful playoff loss, but looking back at how I felt at the end of the last four seasons, I'd rank my Misery Scale (Worst to Not as Worse):

Indy Collapse
Helmet Catch
BS Denver Loss
11-5 Not Making Playoffs

So does anyone else feel the same way? It is certainly far less of an emotional ending than the last three years.

Thank god you were not a fan in the early nineties, you would be naked in a padded room.. need some perspective here.

BradyManny · 12-30-2008, 12:23 PM

It's better to have loved and lost then...whatever the hell the rest of the saying is.

As brutally miserable as the Giants loss was, and it still haunts me to this day, and as excruciating as the collapse against Indy was, and that, to a lesser extent, still stings - under no circumstances would I trade those seasons for exiting early to avoid said traumatic losses. 16-0 was an epic achievement, winning the AFC is an achievement, and getting to the AFCCG is an achievement.

tombonneau · 12-30-2008, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarrylS

Thank god you were not a fan in the early nineties, you would be naked in a padded room.. need some perspective here.

Not sure what that is supposed to mean? Been a die-hard fan since I was a kid in the mid-80s. Obviously I'll take 11-5 and missing out over Rod Rust & 1-15 if that's what you mean? But I'm not sure I get your point. (?)

tombonneau · 12-30-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradyManny2344

It's better to have loved and lost then...whatever the hell the rest of the saying is.

As brutally miserable as the Giants loss was, and it still haunts me to this day, and as excruciating as the collapse against Indy was, and that, to a lesser extent, still stings - under no circumstances would I trade those seasons for exiting early to avoid said traumatic losses. 16-0 was an epic achievement, winning the AFC is an achievement, and getting to the AFCCG is an achievement.

Yeah I don't know ... I wouldn't trade the 18-1 season, as 16-0 was special even if they lost the SB. But I think I'd rather have 11-5 and miss out than lose like they did in Denver & Indy. Those two losses were just gutwrenching, esp. Indy, knowing the Pats handed Manning a ring and they themselves would have creamed the Bears.

I get the better to have loved and lost, but the Pats already had the love in three SBs.

NovaScotiaPatsFan · 12-30-2008, 12:30 PM

My barometer for this question would be what would be best for the franchise, not for me personally and my feelings. With the genius of BB et al I think a higher draft pick would be more beneficial. To the franchise as a whole the extra revenue generated from the playoffs might be good, but I'm talking football operations here.

I'd rather do just about anything than go through what we all felt after the SB last year.

***Horace's Ivories*** · 12-30-2008, 12:34 PM

if the pats lost their last 3 games and didnt make it at 11-5 I would be fine with that. but with the offense cranking up, the secondary playing better etc - i am extremely saddened that this team did not get a chance to deliver some punishment in the playoffs..

tombonneau · 12-30-2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NovaScotiaPatsFan

My barometer for this question would be what would be best for the franchise, not for me personally and my feelings. With the genius of BB et al I think a higher draft pick would be more beneficial. To the franchise as a whole the extra revenue generated from the playoffs might be good, but I'm talking football operations here.

I'd rather do just about anything than go through what we all felt after the SB last year.

But I'm trying to make it personal. How did you feel on Monday? How did you feel after the SB loss? How did you feel after Denver? How did you feel after Indy?

Of those four feelings, which is the least worse?

BradyManny · 12-30-2008, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tombonneau

Yeah I don't know ... I wouldn't trade the 18-1 season, as 16-0 was special even if they lost the SB. But I think I'd rather have 11-5 and miss out than lose like they did in Denver & Indy. Those two losses were just gutwrenching, esp. Indy, knowing the Pats handed Manning a ring and they themselves would have creamed the Bears.

I get the better to have loved and lost, but the Pats already had the love in three SBs.

True, but to me, its not Super Bowl or bust so much. Even though the past four seasons may be "failures" in the sense that they didn't yield SB rings, they have added tremendously to the overall resume/legend of the Pats/Krafts/Brady/Belichick:

- Belichick coaching the squad to an 11-5 team losing its best offensive player, one of its best defensive players, and a handful of other starters and key players.
- Brady bringing this team to the AFCCG with - what we can safely say in hindsight - a suspect group of wideouts.
- 3 more AFCE championships.
- 16-0, goes without saying.

These are things that will have a cumulative effect when the legacies of the BB/Brady/Kraft era is evaluated. Ultimately, the sting of those losses will be offset by this knowledge.