Originally Posted by jmt57

It's not just teams the Pats lost to, but teams that the Pats beat have had their fortunes reversed as well. Buffalo held the Pats close but then went into a tailspin, culminating in the firing of Dick Jauron. Some in the media considered Baltimore to be the best team in the NFL; now they're hoping for other teams to lose to have a chance at a wild card spot. The Falcons were undefeated and were going to run over the Pats, but have struggled ever since. It's as if there is this huge emotional letdown after playing the Pats that these teams have trouble overcoming. As I recall the same thing happened to several teams after meeting the Pats in 2007 also. Maybe playing the Pats is their Super Bowl for other teams besides the Jets.

What's interesting is that this reversal of fortune is not limited to teams that had been playing well prior to meeting the Pats this year. The winless Titans turned around and won three in a row after getting trounced by the Pats, and the 0-7 Bucs followed up their loss in London by defeating Green Bay and nearly upsetting Miami.