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The Patriots missed the playoffs with an 11-5 record in 2008. This Sunday night, a 6 win team can make the playoffs in the NFC (at best 7 win). A 9 win team as well in the AFC.
AFC:
In fact, four (of 6) AFC teams will make it even if they end up with 9 or 10 wins. A fifth one can be 11-5 and make it in that case. In other words, the 2008 team could have the HFA alongside the 2014 team.
NFC:
Every NFC playoff team that loses in Week 17 will have the same or worse record than the 2008 Patriots, as well. That could be the entire NFC squad finishing 11-5 or worse.
NFL:
With a few losses expected in week 17 from each playoff contender in each conference, especially if they’re playing each other, only 4-6 teams in the NFL will finish with a better record than the 2008 Patriots.
The 2008 Patriots, a likely top 5 team in 2014 alongside this year's Pats.
Thank you, Patriots, for working hard that season and doing better this year. Keep it up!
And then had to watch them get a higher draft pick on top of that.To really twist the knife, the 11-5 Pats were sitting at home watching the 8-8 Chargers not only play in a playoff game but HOST one.
And then had to watch them get a higher draft pick on top of that.
The 2008 team is highly overrated and would have gotten smoked in the playoffs without Brady. They faced the AFC and NFC west that year. SD at 8-8 won the division and smoked the Pats by 20. Arizona did come here and get smoked but it was in the snow and they clearly couldn't handle it but did make the SB with their 9-7 record. The Steelers also crushed the Pats that season. Cassel simply couldn't handle the better pressure defense of the Steelers and Chargers which Brady had done well against the year before, not as well in the playoffs but I still think that was partially his leg causing him to not to be able to move around the pocket.
Thats what makes the Brady injury suck so bad, there was nobody in the AFC that could have stopped the Patriots that year if Brady was at the helm.2008's 11-5 record is overrated, but their playoff chances weren't. They would almost certainly have won a wildcard round game and would have given Pitt a run for their money. They weren't the same team that lost to SD and the Pitt game was two Moss drops away from being 20-10 NE at halftime, or perhaps even 24-10.
If you want to make the case that they wouldn't have stacked up, it isn't Matt you should be looking at, but the defense.
All that said, I don't see why I should lament that team's exclusion from the playoffs. They could easily have knocked SD out themselves and the only win over an AFC playoff team was over Miami. They locked the door on themselves.
Something was wrong about that team though..Yes I would have liked for them to have the chance to make the playoffs. Probably would have won a game or two. They were rolling in December.
Also, on an unrelated note, R.I.P to the 2010 pats. They were 07 dominant in those last 8 games. Never seen a team with so much momentum flame out like that.
2008's 11-5 record is overrated, but their playoff chances weren't.
They would almost certainly have won a wildcard round game and would have given Pitt a run for their money. They weren't the same team that lost to SD and the Pitt game was two Moss drops away from being 20-10 NE at halftime, or perhaps even 24-10.
If you want to make the case that they wouldn't have stacked up, it isn't Matt you should be looking at, but the defense.
All that said, I don't see why I should lament that team's exclusion from the playoffs. They could easily have knocked SD out themselves and the only win over an AFC playoff team was over Miami. They locked the door on themselves.
Thats what makes the Brady injury suck so bad, there was nobody in the AFC that could have stopped the Patriots that year if Brady was at the helm.
If you want to make the case that they wouldn't have stacked up, it isn't Matt you should be looking at, but the defense.
He was awful against the better defenses and the Steeler's game was in NE so traveling to Pitt it would have been ugly. Maybe they beat Miami in round three but that's about it.
Those passer ratings were against some crap teams plus Arizona in the snow.
So, you don't think his early season struggles has anything to do with the fact that he hadn't played in a game for 8 years? Or that his latter season success had anything to do with getting more comfortable? It's all just a matter of who he played?
In 2010 at home vs Baltimore in the playoffs he was 9/18 for 70 yards and 3 interceptions vs Baltimore. That's how 2008 would have played out in my opinion
That seems like a stretch. The offense around Matt was substantially better in 2008 than it was in 2010.