Ranking the worst losses in franchise history. - New England Patriots Forums

Steve:Section 102 · 01-18-2011, 06:33 AM

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Pats fans are hanging their heads, having been eliminated from "the tournament" by the hated New York Jets. There was plenty of talk around the watercooler today regarding whether or not this was the worst loss in Patriots history. Hardly. This is painful loss, but it's just the most recent. Here's the worst five losses in franchise history, as ranked by FVP.

The Voice of The Fan: FVP: Worst Losses In New England Patriots History

What did I miss? The '76 Oakland playoff loss, the '05 Denver loss? What about the Oilers playoff loss at home?

PatsFanSince74 · 01-18-2011, 06:47 AM

#1 is undisputed. "18--1" is one of the worst moments for a fanbase in the history of all sports.

#2. I'm open to changing this when the dust settles, but I'd put Sunday at #2. This team "should" have gone to Dallas and given Brady his shot at matching Bradshaw and Montana with four rings and Belichick his shot at matching Noll with four Lombardis. Plus, it was the Jets.

#3 still belongs to the SB drubbing by Da Bears. That was a humiliation that still reverberates, despite the three shiny trophies that now sit in Foxboro and that are triple the total SB-era championships by Chicago.

#4 I'd give to the 2006 Indy loss because we had the game in hand and I have no doubt we'd have taken the Bears in the SB.

#5? I don't know. I don't have time now to think about it, but the Ravens loss last year doesn't seem to rise to the standard and so there must be a couple of other losses that hurt worse. Expectations were not as high for that team and I think that most of us fans realized that there were a lot of "issues" that that team had to address.

RHbT76 · 01-18-2011, 06:49 AM

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Originally Posted by PatsFanSince74

#5? I don't know. I don't have time now to think about it, but the Ravens loss last year doesn't seem to rise to the standard and so there must be a couple of other losses that hurt worse. Expectations were not as high for that team and I think that most of us fans realized that there were a lot of "issues" that that team had to address.

The '96 superbowl?

Steve:Section 102 · 01-18-2011, 06:54 AM

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Originally Posted by PatsFanSince74

#5? I don't know. I don't have time now to think about it, but the Ravens loss last year doesn't seem to rise to the standard and so there must be a couple of other losses that hurt worse. Expectations were not as high for that team and I think that most of us fans realized that there were a lot of "issues" that that team had to address.

To me, the manner of the loss put the Ravens on the list. They mailed it in. Its was bad. I have never walked away from my seats, either at Gillette or the old dump. I got upat some point (21-0??) and went for a walk. There was no pride, no swagger.

robertweathers · 01-18-2011, 06:55 AM

I'll give it a shot. I can't comment on 1976 as I was only 4 1/2 years old. By all accounts it was a bad loss and should be on this list.

#1. SB 42. No explanation needed.

#2. 2006 AFCCG. A beatable Bears team had won earlier that day. Had Indy on the ropes. A 4th SB was in the grasp. For me, as the years roll by and the playoff shortfalls mount, that loss is becoming much worse.

#3a. 2009 Div vs BAL. Pats were totally beat up, pushed around, kicked, punched. Embarrassed.

#3b. 2010 Div vs NYJ. Similar to 2006 & 2009. It was there for the taking. Home field. Facing teams that they had beaten during the regular season handily. But again, they were pushed more than they did the pushing. It doesn't get much worse when that happens in your old building.

#5a. SB XX. Embarrassing. It was great just to get there but that was awful.

#5b. Sb XXXI. Down 27-21 in the 4th qtr. Momentum on the Pats side. Then the roof caved in. That hurt.

Sean Pa Patriot · 01-18-2011, 07:16 AM

1 Super Bowl 42

2 Sundays game- 1 because its fresh, 2 because its the jets

3 indy 2006, - i didnt think it could get worse.. but it did.., but that game on sunday was bad

4 Denver 2005- we beat ourselves that day

5 Denver 86-we could have bet denver if we start grogan...

The baltimore game is not on this list since we were never competive in that game..

letekro · 01-18-2011, 07:18 AM

I don't see how SB XX can be on the list as no one thought they had any chance to win and the game was over early in the second quarter.

The Denver game in 2005, on the other hand, was absolutely horrible. The Pats were definitely the better team and the whole game turned on a bogus PI call against Asante that gave the Broncos 7 points (this was the worst PI call I can ever remember against the Patriots). Right after that Faulk fumbled the kickoff and the Broncos scored again. Then, of course, the Pats persevered only to have their hearts ripped out by Champ Bailey and the questionable non-touchback involving Ben Watson.

That Pats team was flawed but that was the year a mediocre Pittsburgh team beat a mediocre Seahawks team in the SB. If the Pats got out of Denver they had a very good chance to get to and win the SB and 3-peat. Even though the media hyped the 2010 team up, I thought that the 2005 team had just as good a chance to win it all.

mosi · 01-18-2011, 07:47 AM

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Originally Posted by PatsFanSince74

#1 is undisputed. "18--1" is one of the worst moments for a fanbase in the history of all sports.

#2. I'm open to changing this when the dust settles, but I'd put Sunday at #2. This team "should" have gone to Dallas and given Brady his shot at matching Bradshaw and Montana with four rings and Belichick his shot at matching Noll with four Lombardis. Plus, it was the Jets.

#3 still belongs to the SB drubbing by Da Bears. That was a humiliation that still reverberates, despite the three shiny trophies that now sit in Foxboro and that are triple the total SB-era championships by Chicago.

#4 I'd give to the 2006 Indy loss because we had the game in hand and I have no doubt we'd have taken the Bears in the SB.

#5? I don't know. I don't have time now to think about it, but the Ravens loss last year doesn't seem to rise to the standard and so there must be a couple of other losses that hurt worse. Expectations were not as high for that team and I think that most of us fans realized that there were a lot of "issues" that that team had to address.

The 2007 season is #1 with a bullet. The Raiders game in 76 is next. That was terrible. My first Patriots playoff loss I remember. This game is next (2010 Jets game).

The 1985 Superbowl? I never thought we had a chance. The 1986 loss to Denver hurt, but also thought we would loose. The 2006 AFCCG hurt as well, as we were so close.

Rusty Coupe · 01-18-2011, 08:00 AM

'76 playoff loss to the Raiders: I was in 5th grade and knew the Pats got screwed by the refs, I was mad for days. That was the first good Patriots team, nobody rooted for the Pats then, it was all Dolphins, Steelers, Cowboys, and if you bought a football it probably had Joe Namath's name on it.

'06 AFCCG loss to Colts: Troy Brown just dropped, he just dropped it, the 3rd down pass that would have sen't them back to the SB.

'10 loss to JESTS: They simply played awful in a winnable game.

'78 loss to Oilers: Game was over by the end of the 1st quarter @#$%#$$# Chuck Fairbanks
The following year, his division-champion Patriots seemed poised to challenge for a Super Bowl berth, but just prior to the final regular season game, Sullivan suspended Fairbanks for again breaking a contract by agreeing to serve as head coach at the University of Colorado beginning in 1979. Fairbanks was reinstated for the team's first playoff game (and the franchise's first-ever playoff game at home), but the second-seeded Patriots lost 31-14 to the fifth-seed Houston Oilers.
Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated's dean of professional football writers, has speculated that the animus surrounding Fairbanks departure from New England stemmed from the fact that, unlike the late-season departure of New York Jets coach Lou Holtz for Arkansas in 1976, "no one" felt Fairbanks "was a really nice guy."

'96 Loss to Packers in SB Despite the focus all day being on Parcells leaving and the beginning of the Favre media lovefest, thought the Pats had a chance until Howard made that return.

Edit: '07
After the Eagles and Ravens narrow escapes I didn't think this team was invinceable, the season had taken on a surreal quality that wen't beyond football, by the end I was just glad it was over.

***PittPatriot*** · 01-18-2011, 08:00 AM

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Originally Posted by robertweathers

I'll give it a shot. I can't comment on 1976 as I was only 4 1/2 years old. By all accounts it was a bad loss and should be on this list.

#1. SB 42. No explanation needed.

#2. 2006 AFCCG. A beatable Bears team had won earlier that day. Had Indy on the ropes. A 4th SB was in the grasp. For me, as the years roll by and the playoff shortfalls mount, that loss is becoming much worse.

#3a. 2009 Div vs BAL. Pats were totally beat up, pushed around, kicked, punched. Embarrassed.

#3b. 2010 Div vs NYJ. Similar to 2006 & 2009. It was there for the taking. Home field. Facing teams that they had beaten during the regular season handily. But again, they were pushed more than they did the pushing. It doesn't get much worse when that happens in your old building.

#5a. SB XX. Embarrassing. It was great just to get there but that was awful.

#5b. Sb XXXI. Down 27-21 in the 4th qtr. Momentum on the Pats side. Then the roof caved in. That hurt.

I think this is best list (IMHO) so far...but I would take out SBXX as we had NO CHANCE from the start. Also, we were so happy to be there, Patriots Nation was quite complacent (I know this because I was in 5th grade

).
We had a realistic shot in XXXI - the best team in the NFL that year was the Broncos, and the Jags did them in for us in the Divisional round.

The one game that sticks in my mind was the 1986 Divisional loss to the Broncos. It was a competitive game and a fluke bomb to Vance Johnson before the half did us in. It was also the beginning of the end for the Patriots at least for the next decade to follow...

#1 and #2 on your list are the worst losses I have felt in any sport at any level. Worse than Buckner (at least that's how I feel now).