richpats

The "Perfect Season" hangover or the "Super Bowl loss" hangover?

Personally, if we have any shot at a Lombardi in 2008, it's going to be with the "SB loss" hangover. I don't think the team will be as talented as 2007, the D is going to take its lumps early on in the year, but I think the 2008 edition is going to be more of the classic Patriot "building a team" version rather than the 2007 "already-built team gradually wearing down" version (like in 2002).

If we had gone 19-0, I could guarantee our shot at the Lombardi in 2008 would be slim-to-none. Playing in the shadow of THAT team would have been pretty hard. But the 2008 team has hope to outdo the 2007 squad without breaking a single record or going undefeated. No matter how many losses they have, they can get to the Super Bowl and WIN, and I think that takes a lot of pressure off the team as far as winning EVERY game goes.

If I've learned any lesson over the past 3 seasons, it's that momentum, teamwork and naysayers go along way to forging a champion. The Steelers, Colts and Giants won their titles reversing years of dubious playoff exits, and hopefully the Pats have been "down" enough where people can actually doubt them (like in 2001, 2003, 2004) and they can forge ahead as a team and become NFL Champions.

SavioKid

I would not of mind a 'Perfect Season' hangover at all since it means the PATS would of won the SB & go down in history (undefeated).
This would of have given the PATS and their PATS (myself personally acutally) a 'free pass' in that say the PATS did not win another SB title for a few years afterwards, the 'euphoric' feeling of being associated with the best team of all time would still be there! Any opposing team / fan would realize they can never top that. Plus it would of been 4 titles in 7 years to stamp a dynasty.
The real question should be who the hell wouldn't perfection since look how hard it is to get!? And you (the players) can make dumb commercials & dumb statements 35 years later like 'are they in the neighborhood yet?!' 'perfectville'..funny *****...

Mr.Muhozi

the superbowl loss hangover was done by teams who were lucky to have made it to the superbowl, our team was not, honestly, i think we can win the SB this season if we draft well in the off season, because the anger in brady will be unbeliveable to have flopped at the worst time of the season, and let the lesser manning win the title

Disco Volante

If there's anything I've learned about the Pats, it's that anything off-the field related (ie: Pressure from previous year) will have no effect on their play on the field.

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richpats

The one problem I see with going down in history, is that it's HISTORY, it's gone, it doesn't factor into anything that happens from here on out. I hate to hear about "free passes", and I think a lot of fans like to give the team a "free pass" just off the first 3 Super Bowls. Honestly, how hard would it be to pull for a team that had peaked decades ago anyway? How sad is it for Dolphins fans who still brag about '72 even though their team barely won ONE game last year?

DropKick Flutie

Tough question... but I think 18-1 hangover will be much worse. Depending on the character of the Patriots (which is questionable), the higher you climb the harder you fall. And the Pats climbed high, very high, only to be punched in the face when they got close to the top. I don't know if anyone can come back from that kind of hangover. How can they get excited for next year unless they try for 19-0 again, and what happens when they lose a regular season game?

I guess Pats fans can say it was a fun ride. All good things must come to an end. 3 Superbowls and an 18-1 season is pretty good for a dynasty. Not the best dynasty ever, but pretty darn good.

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The sorrow of losing 4 Superbowls in a row > The sorrow of going 18-1
Proud Buffalo Bills fan for 32 years.

richpats

It will probably be a relief in some ways. In '07 they lost once and lost the SB. In '08 they can lose a couple and still be in position for HFA.

SavioKid

Good point about the Dolphins post '72 but I was trying to say that it would be a little different in that the PATS most likely remain contenders anyways (because of the Belichick / Brady / Kraft /etc. infrastructure in place) but not win the SB for like 3 + seasons afterwards which is ok. For that price, I would take a perfect season which would be a BIG Bold Face stamp in the history of SB winners which no other team can say, in the salary cap years, they achieved the same thing. It will be more likely a team can win 4 out of 8 SBs then ever getting a perfect season in the coming decades......
Players/coaches like this don't happen often & last only a short time so to get a perfect season is rare and can only happen with these rare player/coach combos. (& a million other variables) I would much rather have that (especially since we won 3 SBs already)

richpats

This is baffling me, and others can feel free to chime in here, when has "not winning" suddenly become "ok", as in you don't care if you win IN THE FUTURE?!?!!? I could see if we were a bad team trying to build into a contender, but we've contended every year and probably will for the next few.

PATRIOT64

If we don't adequately fix the huge hole on ther ILB area and a likely hole at CB we may have trouble winning the division next year with an improving Buffalo team who now has a decent looking QB in Edwards and who knows what the Jets team will be like,They are unpredictable - Yes the division next year will NOT be so easy to win like it was this season - BET ON IT!

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