the Patriot

One thing I understand is that the Giants were better than us. I even think that if we played this game again they'd still win. One thing I don't understand is why they were better than us. I'm really at a loss.
A month ago I watched this team struggle to beat a lousy Bills team that we had destroyed a month earlier. Have we declined or have they improved? Something didn't feel right this past month but I never once thought that we weren't going to win the Superbowl.
I guess if I was completely honest with myself I might have fallen victim to the hype of being unbeaten. But how does that explain the Patriots?

In shorter terms, How are you guys explaining this?

Palm Beach Pats Fan

For the 1st time all year the pressure of "making history" got to them. It worried me that team "one play at a time, one series at a time, one game at a time, starting talking about

"the biggest game of our lives"

I think that they would have played better last night if Baltimore or Philadelphia has beaten them in the regular season.

Not to take anything away from the Giants, who were BETTER, STRONGER, and well prepared. The Giants played the better game, period, but...

There was something missing last night from the Patriots that could be interpreted as "fear of failure" and I think it stems not from more spygate talk or anything else than being 18-0 and attaching a level of importance to the game that in essence took away from their focus. Did you ever want something TOO MUCH for your own good?

They might be better by the end of the season next year. I don't think the Patriots will be 16-0 again, but they might be 12-4 next year and playing significantly better by the end of the season than they were last night.

lander

Fear of Failure? Attaching a level of importance bigger than the World Championship game? I don't buy it for a second.

You lost because you couldn't stop the Giant defensive line. That's really all there is too it. Give Brady time to throw, like he had all year, and you guys win easily, despite the missed calls.

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He's all action and no theory. We're all theory and no action.

Patriot_in_NY

I agree to an extent.

I don't by that for a second. Brady's had pressure the last 7-8 weeks. We always make adjustments, and it works out for us. We almost seemed to be playing NOT TO LOSE. That type of ball doesn't suit us. It's very unpatriot like, and there has to be a reason for it.

That doesn't take anything from the Giants O-Line, who played "lights out" as some people say

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Patroit_in_NY is now Patriot_in_ABQ

eom

hahahahahahahahaha........
you left out the by me.

jamin3204

You are asking your question based on the assumption that the Pats are the best and everybody else is not as good as the Pats are. Thats your problem. Record wise you are correct. Nobody was better. But there were a lot of games that the Pats just as well could have lost instead of win. There were some games that they were outplayed more than not in the course of the game, yet still won the game. The rest of the country admire the Pats and consider them a great team, however, most haven't went ga ga over them like you and most Pats fans have. You thought they were invinsible. Thats were you were disillunioned.

pwes

I agree with this. When every player began talking about it being the biggest game of their lives I felt uneasy. Though it may have been the truth they never say it. But last week all of them were saying it. There was no more It's jsut a game like every other one we played.

But I can't blame it on that. Our o-line went to hell last night. It's The #1 reason we lost accompanied by the Giants excellent defense.

Palm Beach Pats Fan

Leading up to the Super Bowls following the 2001, 2003, and 2004 seasons, did you ever hear a single Patriot player refer to the upcoming Super Bowl as "the biggest game of our lives"

if not, why not?

This one game got a lot of added significance due to 18-0, and added pressure too.

I heard an interview with John Elway last week marveling on how the Patriots had dealt with it to that point. When his team had been 13-0, they Bronchos lost and Elway said he almost felt relieved. Then they lost again and got a huge wakeup call. Then they went on to win the Super Bowl.

Humble Pie can only get you so far.

I'm not saying this was the only thing. Having a relatively inexperienced but brilliant offensive coordinator prove unable to scheme to get the Heat off Brady didn't help,and I focused on the #1 reason: The team that executes best wins, and the Giants did that a lot better.

PatsFanSince74

I see that you are a new poster, but that is a very perceptive comment. i never put it as well as you did in your first sentence there, but i was having that feeling all last week.

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It is what it is. It wasn't what it wasn't.

pheenix11

Lets be honest, they haven't been the same team since the 2nd Bills game. I think the pressure wore them down. Its tough when everyone is gunning for you.

And BB was not himself yesterday, he made some bad decisions like not going for that FG. All I can think of is that he is worried about the resurrection of Spygate and a possible suspension. And that worries me because he wouldn't be worried unless that meant there was more to it.

Personally it just seemed like his mind was not completely in the game or if it was it was not working like it usually does. Brady was not his usual accurate self either. Part of it was lack of time, but part of it was him too. The OL completely played like crap. The defense played pretty well I thought.

So the question is, WTF happened? Why were BB, Brady and the OL off?

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16-0? Yup I called it:
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