Hi,
I'm new to the forums, but have been attending Pats games for the last 5+ years (pretty much every home game, some away)...figured I'd add my 2 cents
EBAY is definitely the way to go, but wait til a few days before the game, the prices usually fall a good 50% on wednesday/thursday, assuming the game is on a sunday. If you look for pats/browns tickets now, for example, people are charging $400-$500 for upper level corner seats, which is insane. If you look on thursday or friday, those same seats will be down around $225 a pair...on saturday, probably around $175. I would ALWAYS wait, if possible, until a couple of days before the game. As a point of comparison, my fiancee and I went to the chargers game...had great seats (mezzanine section, 3rd row, closest section to the club seats) and paid $300, which is reasonable for such a highly anticipated match up - we bought our tickets (e-tickets) friday evening. Those same seats/section was going for upwards of $300 a piece on stubhub/other online sites..
While most people seem to disagree, I think e-tickets are great, and I've never had a problem with them (and my pats tickets are almost always e-tickets...i've also been to lots of concerts using these)...just use common sense and discretion when purchasing. A powerseller with feedback of 99% or better will not risk their reputation by scamming people. Also, if you find a seller with good seats/prices every week, stick with them! I've gotten e-tickets for the jets,chargers, and bills game from the same seller every week..all and fairly reasonable prices (25-40% over face). E-tickets are usually cheaper, and they allow you to buy tickets at the last minute (and thus save lots of $$) as there's no shipping/etc.
...and finally, craiglist -- though prices are usually pretty nuts on there until a night or two before the game. Right now pats/browns are going for like $125-$150 a piece for SRO's. It's nuts...usually the night before, however, you'll get a good deal.
and I'm done rambling, just thought I'd share some tips. I'm a college student so I've had to be fairly resourceful in order to find affordable tickets. Ebay is definitely you're best bet, just wait until a couple of days before the game and make sure to buy from a reputable seller.
- Joe