If you're feeling down after a rough few weeks with the Pats, consider the following:
- 2008. The Arizona Cardinals, eventual NFC champs (and almost SB champs), went 2-4 in their last 6 games. In week 12, they got manhandled by the Giants 37-29. In week 13, they got *crushed* by the Eagles, 48-20. Then, in weeks 15 and 16, they got destroyed by the Vikings (35-14) and the Pats (47-7). They then went on to a couple of impressive upsets to get to the Super Bowl, which they darned near won.
- 2007. The New York Giants, eventual Super Bowl champs, went 4-4 over their last 8 games, only to get hot and run the table in the playoffs. In week 10, they got beat by their archrivals, the Cowboys, 31-20. Then, two weeks later, in week 12, they got smoked by the Minnesota Vikings, 41-17.
- 2006. The Indianapolis Colts, eventual Super Bowl champs, went 3-4 over their last 7 games, only to get hot and run the table to win the Super Bowl. In week 11 they got beat by the Cowboys, 21-14. In week 13, they got beat by the Titans, 20-17. Then, in week 14, they got destroyed by the Jaguars, 44-17. Finally, in week 16, they lost to the Texans (the only time that's ever happened), 27-24.
- 2005. The Pittsburgh Steelers, eventual Super Bowl champs, went 3-4 down the stretch, with three straight losses during weeks 11-13. In week 11, they got beat by the Ravens, 16-13. In week 12, they got crushed by the Colts, 26-7. Then, in week 13, they lost to the lowly Bengals, 38-31. They then went on to win three straight road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl, then won the championship over Seattle.
Here's the point. The last 4 seasons, a team that won the Super Bowl (or, in the case of the Cardinals, at least got there) all had a very rough stretch at about this point in the season, losing several games, and some of them in absolutely horrible fashion, getting beaten very badly. Now, this doesn't mean the Pats are destined to get to the Super Bowl. Rather, it's just a reminder that even championship-caliber teams in the very recent past (really, every year after the 2004 Pats champs) go through periods late in the year where they look like anything but championship caliber. (heck, even the Steelers last year got smoked in week 16 by the Titans, 31-14)
- 2008. The Arizona Cardinals, eventual NFC champs (and almost SB champs), went 2-4 in their last 6 games. In week 12, they got manhandled by the Giants 37-29. In week 13, they got *crushed* by the Eagles, 48-20. Then, in weeks 15 and 16, they got destroyed by the Vikings (35-14) and the Pats (47-7). They then went on to a couple of impressive upsets to get to the Super Bowl, which they darned near won.
- 2007. The New York Giants, eventual Super Bowl champs, went 4-4 over their last 8 games, only to get hot and run the table in the playoffs. In week 10, they got beat by their archrivals, the Cowboys, 31-20. Then, two weeks later, in week 12, they got smoked by the Minnesota Vikings, 41-17.
- 2006. The Indianapolis Colts, eventual Super Bowl champs, went 3-4 over their last 7 games, only to get hot and run the table to win the Super Bowl. In week 11 they got beat by the Cowboys, 21-14. In week 13, they got beat by the Titans, 20-17. Then, in week 14, they got destroyed by the Jaguars, 44-17. Finally, in week 16, they lost to the Texans (the only time that's ever happened), 27-24.
- 2005. The Pittsburgh Steelers, eventual Super Bowl champs, went 3-4 down the stretch, with three straight losses during weeks 11-13. In week 11, they got beat by the Ravens, 16-13. In week 12, they got crushed by the Colts, 26-7. Then, in week 13, they lost to the lowly Bengals, 38-31. They then went on to win three straight road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl, then won the championship over Seattle.
Here's the point. The last 4 seasons, a team that won the Super Bowl (or, in the case of the Cardinals, at least got there) all had a very rough stretch at about this point in the season, losing several games, and some of them in absolutely horrible fashion, getting beaten very badly. Now, this doesn't mean the Pats are destined to get to the Super Bowl. Rather, it's just a reminder that even championship-caliber teams in the very recent past (really, every year after the 2004 Pats champs) go through periods late in the year where they look like anything but championship caliber. (heck, even the Steelers last year got smoked in week 16 by the Titans, 31-14)