This was a rebuilding season - and we missed the SB by just 4 points

[JoeSixPat]

I know everyone's pretty down today. Personally I'm feeling ok though.

Maybe its because I did not expect the Patriots to go as far as they did this season that I appreciate this great run the team had.

In my mind this was a rebuilding year - AND WE STILL nearly made it to the SB (unfortuante because even in our "rebuilding year" we still could have taken the Bears)

In my mind, given the personnel changes, especially at WR, and the way that the team admirably overcame injuries and other definciencies is incredibly impressive to me.

As tough as I was on Caldwell and the general dearth of receivers earlier this year I can't even be made at Reche for yesterday's game. Sure he dropped a few key passes - it happens. He did not have his best game.

We would not have been in that game without his contributions though - and it remains unfair in my mind to expect Reche to consistently play at the leve of a #1 WR when that is not what he is.

Next year is all about depth at LB (come back Tedy!) and building on what we have at WR... which, athough I couldn't have been more skeptical early on in the season, is a very good foundation with Caldwell and Gaffney.

So Congratulations to the Colts - they played a great game and went a long way in shedding their choke reputation - but they, us, and every team should note well what the Patriots did in their rebuilding year.

 

[chunkypony]

Thank you, that's what I have been saying all along. After we beat the Jets, I thought we might have a chance against the Chargers, but didn't expect a victory. We were playing on house money during the last two games. Everything after the Jets game for me was gravy. I am obviously very dissapointed that we lost the game to the Colts in such a devastating fashion, but I think we attack next year with a more solid team, with less question marks all over the field.

 

[BlitzFritz]

We are in very good shape in the trenches on both sides of the ball. BB has made sure of that in his early round drafting.

We need to improve at LB, Safety, and WR. That should be simple enough!

 

[Ceresco]

I agree, Thats a great way to look at it.

We will be back and better than ever!

 

[JoeSixPat]

This was a very bizarre offseason. FA was delayed by the new CBA - and once the bell rung on that it was a feeding frenzy with GMs spending money like drunken sailors.

That's not how this organization works. They had their targets, got some but not others. In retrospect maybe they'd consider making a trade for Stallworth or another available WR but that's water under the bridge.

Of course by the time the feeding frenzy died down the high level of activity left fewer available players than in past years. Add to that the Branch situation and the team wasn't going into this season exactly as they might have liked, but as they always do, the sum of the whole is greater than their parts and this team over-achieved, hitting its stride at the right time.

Free Agency and other aspects of this offseason will be more orderly this season and we'll do what makes sense to improve the team as best we can.

My expectation is that we will be stronger next year than we were this year and that is pretty damn good.

 

[ironwasp]

This is pretty much how I see it.

For my money we've been in bonus territory since we landed in San Diego last week. I don't think I've ever really felt that there was a Superbowl in this team until we went 21-3 up last night. It just seemed there were too many wounds and too many of those being patched up with band aids rather than getting the major surgery they needed.

But what that demonstrated was that this team has a lot of heart and a lot of courage and they came to within a five yard penalty (or a dropped catch, an interference call, whatever...) of reaching the big one. I'm disappointed they didn't make it, btu I'm proud of what they achieved.

Now it all starts again, and I think BB and SP face what might their be their most challenging off-season yet. Last year was difficult, sure, but this year they need to address the unit - the linebackers - that has to my mind been much of the soul of the Championship team, and that will be extremely tough.

It doesn't look like there's a lot of help available in free agency, and that means those guys are going to have to get seriously creative as well as having another spectacular draft.

 

[Michael]

I know everyone's pretty down today. Personally I'm feeling ok though.

Maybe its because I did not expect the Patriots to go as far as they did this season that I appreciate this great run the team had.

In my mind this was a rebuilding year - AND WE STILL nearly made it to the SB (unfortuante because even in our "rebuilding year" we still could have taken the Bears)

In my mind, given the personnel changes, especially at WR, and the way that the team admirably overcame injuries and other definciencies is incredibly impressive to me.

As tough as I was on Caldwell and the general dearth of receivers earlier this year I can't even be made at Reche for yesterday's game. Sure he dropped a few key passes - it happens. He did not have his best game.

We would not have been in that game without his contributions though - and it remains unfair in my mind to expect Reche to consistently play at the leve of a #1 WR when that is not what he is.

Next year is all about depth at LB (come back Tedy!) and building on what we have at WR... which, athough I couldn't have been more skeptical early on in the season, is a very good foundation with Caldwell and Gaffney.

So Congratulations to the Colts - they played a great game and went a long way in shedding their choke reputation - but they, us, and every team should note well what the Patriots did in their rebuilding year.

Actually it was worse than that. We missed the SB by just 1 first down. I don't deny the Colts their win but, I'll never congratulate them. From the "Don't sell your tickets to Patriot fans" to the heat being cranked, to the ticky tack roughing the passer, bogus PI on Brown (while not calling the blatant PI by the Colts. Also amzing that Colts NEVER NEVER NEVER get called for holding Must be a record right there) they just got all the breaks. And that's the NFL for ya. On a truly level playing field the Pats go on to the SB. And nothing in Manning's legacy changes. Because nothing about Manning has changed.

 

[ironwasp]

And nothing in Manning's legacy changes. Because nothing about Manning has changed.

I think that's churlish, frankly. Manning started the game horribly. Gave up the big pick, was getting smacked around a fair bit. But he stayed in there, took some hits and gradually hauled his team back into the game as our defence wilted in the hothouse.

Would the Peyton Manning of 2004 have managed that? I don't think so. He came back from pretty serious adversity and led his team to victory, and I tip my hat to him.

 

[DefenseRules]

If it's any consolation, I just heard from a friend of mine who covers the team and was at the game. He was on the sidelines and he said that the Pats were hit harder by the temperature in the dome and the flu than was being reported. He said that guys were physically spent in the second half and it was all the team could do to field healthy bodies. I've heard this from other sources as well and it makes a lot of sense. I think that we sometimes forget that these guys are human. I just got over a severe case of the flu last week. I can't even imagine how much worse those players must have felt trying to play that game under those conditions.

 

[DarrylS]

It was a great year, but there are some needs that need addressing.. putting Caldwell in as a #1 receiver is a role he cannot handle.. playing TBC full time is something above a situational player.. Sanders and Hawkins are ok, but not much more than that. Playing Alexander in an AFL championship game, defies our belief in the depth of this team.

We need to look at if Jackson can step up and take over #1 receiver role, look at TBC to see if we can get him back as a situational player.. and look at our safety situation.. our CB situation is good, but need to decide on Assante real soon, if he does not want to stay time to move on.

This is a very good team, with a very good core group of players.. I suspect that we will be close to the top next year, there are adjustments needed and I know they will be made.

 

[PromisedLand]

If it's any consolation, I just heard from a friend of mine who covers the team and was at the game. He was on the sidelines and he said that the Pats were hit harder by the temperature in the dome and the flu than was being reported. He said that guys were physically spent in the second half and it was all the team could do to field healthy bodies. I've heard this from other sources as well and it makes a lot of sense. I think that we sometimes forget that these guys are human. I just got over a severe case of the flu last week. I can't even imagine how much worse those players must have felt trying to play that game under those conditions.

I think that's what makes this hard for me to take. If it weren't for the flu, we would be in our 4th Super Bowl in 6 years, and expected to win, and if we did we would be tied with the 70's Steelers for greatest dynasty ever, and Brady would be tied with Montana for most Super Bowls by a quarterback, ever.

Even with the flu and the heat we were SO close - it just seems to be incredibly bad luck for the team to be hit with the flu like that at this time. I guess it wasn't meant to be, but it really feels like it was ours and then fate snatched it away.

 

[Patriot Missile]

What is this about rebuilding? Every team deals with departures in free agency with key losses/gains. The fact that the Patriots front office decides not to overpay for a players services doesn't make them rebuilding, it was just good business sense in my book. If the Colt's lose Freeney to free agency in the offseason does that mean they are rebuilding in his absence? Or are they a team in transisition without a probowl type DE?

We lost key players to free agency,Coaches wrenched from us, and had an injury bug along the way. I wouldn't call that rebuilding,I'd call it a stroke of bad luck. Our 2nd pick who was suppose to come in and contribute didn't donate a drop of blood to this team. A hasbeen who played suprisingly good got injured for the season leaving us no depth at all at LB. Our team leader and Captain goes down to some freak cheapshot block,again leaving us no depth in the 2ndary. Make no mistake,this was not a rebuilding year by any stretch of the way. Just a funny bounce here and there. I'm proud of this team and the organization for the decisions they made. There is no such thing as rebuilding with this front office. It's called preventive maintenace.

 

[vyrago]

Does he or you or anyone know why it was so hot in the dome? Did something malfunction or was that the old Red Auerbach ploy?

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

It was only a rebuilding year insofar as the passing offense was concerned. And then only because management badly misjudged the situation and ended up gambling by relying on a bunch of average WR's to play better than they had any right. Sometimes you win these gambles sometimes you don't. This year Pats management didn't.

I thought the rest of this years team was more than good enough to be Lombardi trophy winners. In fact, if we didn't have such a crappy WR tandem I firmly believe that we'd be hoisting our 4th Lombardi in two weeks time. It's a shame we won't be

 

[BelichickFan]

You guys can look at the bright side all you want. I knew going into the playoffs this was a flawed team - I think we all did. But despite that we were up 21-3 near halftime with a 3rd and 10 on defense . . . and lost the game. Nothing about expectations going into the season or going into the playoffs can make me feel better about that.

 

[DefenseRules]

Does he or you or anyone know why it was so hot in the dome? Did something malfunction or was that the old Red Auerbach ploy?

There are suspicions that the heat might have been a deliberate ploy, but no proof. Heck, I heard that Bruschi was tossing his cookies on the sidelines last night. There's no telling how sick this team was or how many players were sick.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

You guys can look at the bright side all you want. I knew going into the playoffs this was a flawed team - I think we all did. But despite that we were up 21-3 near halftime with a 3rd and 10 on defense . . . and lost the game. Nothing about expectations going into the season or going into the playoffs can make me feel better about that.

When we came out in the 2nd half, allowed the long drive for 7 and then did a 3 and out, I knew the 2nd half was going to be painful for the defense. They already looked wasted.

We were there, the end was clearly in sight and we couldn't close it out. Frustrating, really frustrating....

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

You guys can look at the bright side all you want. I knew going into the playoffs this was a flawed team - I think we all did. But despite that we were up 21-3 near halftime with a 3rd and 10 on defense . . . and lost the game. Nothing about expectations going into the season or going into the playoffs can make me feel better about that.

double post, sorry

 

[richpats]

You guys can look at the bright side all you want. I knew going into the playoffs this was a flawed team - I think we all did. But despite that we were up 21-3 near halftime with a 3rd and 10 on defense . . . and lost the game. Nothing about expectations going into the season or going into the playoffs can make me feel better about that.

In the previous 3 AFC title games, the Pats have gone for the KO in the first half and did the same last night. The problem is that this wasn't against Pittsburgh or Indy in the muck at Gillette. If the Colts had an ounce of life in the 2nd half I knew they were going to blow us out of the building. A few great plays from our DBs prevented that from happening early on.

Dungy pulled one on Belichick to open the 3rd quarter- he knew BB was going to heavily defend the long ball so he just decided to methodically wear down our D and pull within one score. It seemed ludicrous considering how much time it killed but it did pay off in the end.

Honestly, going up 21-3 was the worst thing to happen to the team. I think the offense got lazy and the D was not as intense. They expected the Colts to just quit, little did they know that Indy wasn't going to go down quietly.

Yes, this was a flawed team going into the postseason, so flawed in fact that I was nervous playing the Jets. The Pats managed to pull victory from the jaws of defeat in San Diego but didn't have enough magic left in Indianapolis.

 

[RayClay]

The Patriots thin spot in the end wasn't on offense, but defense.

I don't even remember the name of the special teams guy who ended up at safety and our and it looked like we had 3 competent linebackers in a defense that requires 4.

Bottom line is, we could have snuck by and got 2 weeks off to recuperate and we didn't have to destroy our draft and salary cap.

Competitive every year is the ticket.

I commend The Colts for their consistency. A guy like Rhodes is a valuable, experienced contributor and they pay to keep Peyton and receivers.

Their run defense sucked, but they patched and schemed to keep it together.

Our plan involves big linemen. Our Big 3 will be in place along with different TEs, RBs and quick WRs on offense.

We need to reload at LB and DB.

People want us to spend on WRs like the Colts do, but that would make as much sense as the Colts drafting huge linemen and letting their receivers go.

Teams that are consistent and have a plan are always competitive. the others are 1 year wonders.