PATSNUTme

We lost to the Colts Sunday night - big deal. I heard so many idiots say 'if the season ended today, the Colts would be the #1 seed". Guesswhat? The season doesn't end today.

The score was 27-20. That was in spite of 5 turnovers. Their "winning" TD came on a great catch by a great reciever. However, even Marvin Harrison would not have been able to pull that off 9 out of 10 times.

Tom played a very bad game. There were some drops and I do have to question the play calling in some repects. As BB said, they didn't play well and they didn't coach well.

We didn't have Graham, Neal, Geno, and lost Rodney right off.

And, if anyone thinks that my avatar pic's is fiction, just go over the calls of the game.

If anyone thinks that I'm making excuses, then tell me what I just posted that is not accurate (except my avatar thing)

So, we will have another chance to play them when it's for all the marbles and we will put a dagger in their hearts again.

mosi

After going back and watching the game, I am not as concerned either. It was a stinker for sure, but we can play better. Certain key people played poorly and more than anything, that cost us the game.

Also, while a first round bye would be helpful, I don't think being at home would be. I think forcing this team to go on the road and play with their back up against the wall would be better.

MDPATSFAN

I think Brady needs to adopt Peyton's ritualistic pregame warm up routine of meticulously practicing timing routes with his receivers. The fact is, if Brady is 'OFF" against a good team, the Patriots lose. Lately, even when he connects, the receiver is rarely hit in stride, and the offense produces near zero yards after catch.

They let the Colts off the hook on this one.

5 Rings for Brady!!

It is a BIG DEAL that we lost this game, whether you like it or not. We now have no tie breaker over the two teams we are most likely by far to face in the final round of the playoffs.

I just don't get why you feel the need to make light of our losses by posting this type of message every time we lose AN IMPORTANT GAME.

If you would try to be a little more moderate and say 'It may be a big deal, but we can still reach our goals', than I might understand what you are trying to prove. As it is, these type of posts you like to make just seem to prove that you don't want to 'get it'.

We very likely just lost home field advantage in the playoffs. A big deal, to be sure.

TomBrady'sGoat

Exactly, big deal. The team can lose. It can win. The important games are played in 2 months.

The only way to be disappointed in this team is to compare it to the '03 & '04 teams which both went 14-2 and won the title.

We were spoiled by teams which somehow could not lose big games. I have no problem accepting a team which isn't unbeatable. It's not like any other team can make that claim.

richpats

Not a big deal....A HUGE DEAL!

We've proven ourselves AGAIN to be incapable of beating one of the top 2 teams in our conference, regular season or playoffs. We've proven that we can commit 5 turnovers against both teams in the national spotlight and blow what could have been winnable games.

I don't agree with those that just say "wait til the playoffs" - are we going to be that much better when we proved last year we can actually play worse the 2nd time around? We're not unbeatable and unless we decide to step up against one of these teams we are going to have to accept being 3rd-best and nothing more.

TomBrady'sGoat

I think you're making way too big a deal about home field advantage.

Oh no, the Colts will get to play at home in their dome! We all know the Patriots play horribly in domes *rolls eyes*. Yeah their offense gets to run around on turf but so does ours. And indoor noise has never been that big of an issue for the Pats offense.

Oh no, the Broncos will get us at home where they kill us! Um, the Broncos haven't had any trouble beating the Pats in Foxborough. Didn't the one Pats win against Denver in the last 5 years occur in Denver? Once more, noise not really an issue. Also, Denver has two losses and their only lead on the Pats right now is the tiebreaker.

The one thing they lose is the advantage of having the Colts play in the cold and possibly the snow. Hardly life-shattering.

5 Rings for Brady!!

I think you are dead wrong. I'll take the home field advantage, thank you very much. Whether you realize there is one or not.

Not to mention that we may have just lost a bi-week.

Not that that's a big deal either.

miDeuce

Let's not forget that the Donkos still have 2 games vs. San Diego, 1 at KC, and others vs. Cinci and Seattle. We still have a really good shot at the #2 seed. I still think we lose one or two more games max...

emoney_33

We, as a whole, expect TOO much out of this team. We are becoming like yankee fans. I for one am going back to enjoying the patriots, hoping, but not expecting for a win each week and hoping, not expecting, for them to go all the way in the playoffs. The patriots are an elite team but that does not mean they are a perfect team. And when two elite teams go against each other, well it's not likely for one team to ALWAYS win no matter what. The Colts and the Broncos are damn good teams, as are we. But because we did not beat a damn good team this year (and last year means 100% nothing to me when talking about this year) does not mean our team is not good, overrated, "cant beat a good team" or anything else.

It just shows you that this is the National Football League. We have been fortunate to win 3 of the last 5 years but that doesn't mean we are should expect them to win every game, every year. Sure, it was a "big" game in the sense of it almost certainly gives Indy HFA over us but HFA is not the be-all end-all of winning the SB. We can still get the #2 seed, which I think is likely, and not have to play in Denver.

There are a ton of reasons we lost yesterday, and a lot of those reasons we will probably never know. We played poorly and lost to a great offensive team. Peyton and the boys don't have as many offensive stinkers as we've had lately because they've been in that system for years upon years. If you watch their offense, Peyton is constantly throwing the ball before the receiver ever turns around. He knows exactly where they will be and exactly when they will be there. We dont have that luxury with all the new receivers we have, so we have to struggle through some rough games offensively, but we are still only 50% done with the season.

A great gameplan can slow the colts down, and BB is capable of devising one and our defense didn't play that bad on Sunday even though I don't believe that's the best BB will come up with this year. Now if we meet in the playoffs, we have as good a chance as Indy of winning. Maybe a little better based on personnel and coaching but that game will still have to be played and as the saying goes... any given sunday (or monday).

When it comes down to it though we should feel very fortunate that we are in position to compete year in and year out. We aren't gonna win the superbowl every year, we aren't going to go undefeated, we will have our bad games and we will have our good games. But there aren't many franchises that can consistently field a competitive team with the ability to compete for it all year after year. Hopefully the Sundays that count the most will go in our favor this year, but if not you know we will be right back next year as a legitimate contender... again.