Overall A Good Season and Bright Future

[Ring 6]

I am going to wait until watching again to comment on the SB. My state of shock seems to have affected my memory of the game.
But, a few thoughts on my mind outside of the game itself
-At first I thought Dynasties dont lose SBs, then I realized all of the dynsaties that won every SB they played in lost before getting to it in the other years.
-I would trade as many of the 18 wins as necessary to have gotten the last one.
-I think of this season as a failure, because we did not achieve what we had every opportunity to.
-I will think of this season as a success from a long view, however. I can't discount 18 games that were, IMO, the best 18 game stretch any team has ever played. Altohugh they disappointed in the most important one, they still only disappointed one time in 19 tries.
-I've come to associate big game clutch charateristics to the Pats. But now 2 years in a row they have not had them. They simply didnt do any of the things I would have expected on sunday, after last season ending with a poor job in the clutch in Indy.
-I dont know how or where it happened, but the Pats have lost that big game edge. THAT is what needs to change going forward. We will be in the hunt for many years, but that clutch play attribute is what we need back.

Overall, its hard to call this anything but a good year that ended disappointingly.

 

[BelichickFan]

-I think of this season as a failure, because we did not achieve what we had every opportunity to.

Yeah, before the playoffs I decided that if we lost in the playoffs I would get the T Shirt the NFL is (was, anyway, I haven't looked recently) selling called "Record Breaking Season" with Brady and his 50 TD, Moss and 23 TD + 16-0 Regular season. But I've lost my enthusiasm for it now - which is just as well as a quick look at the site and I don't see it anymore.

 

[upstater1]

I don't remember the SF 49ers losing, but you are definitely correct about the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

[mdhprime]

I am going to wait until watching again to comment on the SB. My state of shock seems to have affected my memory of the game.
But, a few thoughts on my mind outside of the game itself
-At first I thought Dynasties dont lose SBs, then I realized all of the dynsaties that won every SB they played in lost before getting to it in the other years.
-I would trade as many of the 18 wins as necessary to have gotten the last one.
-I think of this season as a failure, because we did not achieve what we had every opportunity to.
-I will think of this season as a success from a long view, however. I can't discount 18 games that were, IMO, the best 18 game stretch any team has ever played. Altohugh they disappointed in the most important one, they still only disappointed one time in 19 tries.
-I've come to associate big game clutch charateristics to the Pats. But now 2 years in a row they have not had them. They simply didnt do any of the things I would have expected on sunday, after last season ending with a poor job in the clutch in Indy.
-I dont know how or where it happened, but the Pats have lost that big game edge. THAT is what needs to change going forward. We will be in the hunt for many years, but that clutch play attribute is what we need back.

Overall, its hard to call this anything but a good year that ended disappointingly.

In my opinion, the big game edge that was missing was the big defensive play. When the offensive line had problems in the past, and Brady didn't have time or was off his game, the defense always showed up with a play in the big games. Whether it was Law picking off Manning multiple times, McGinnest sacking Warner fo a huge loss, or what have you. Overall I think the defense played well in the SB this year, but one factor that stood out was that the defense misses Colvin. Having Vrabel and Colvin in the field at the same time and generating a consistant pass rush would have evened field enough for the Patriots to pull it off with a subpar offensive performance. As it turns out, they were three points short. You can be very successful in the NFL with a decent (not great) secondary, but you need to have a very good pass rush (as the Giants proved in the SB.) I think shoring up this area should be high on the Patriots list of offseason priorities.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

As my first ever post, I want to echo that I think this season was a success, and another step towards the march of our Dynasty.

I was a long time poster at a certain popular Patriot message board that had 4 letters, and I'm so sick of it, I went looking for greener pastuers... and I found them here.


Guys we have the greatest Franchise in football right now... No one else can claim the envy, and jealousy every team has for us... Sure we lost this one, but we have been competeing EVERY YEAR.

And that is what it is all about, you don't win everytime... Even Steve Young lost in the playoffs, The fact that we are given a chance EVERY year to compete for that trophy is something we haven't seen since teh cowboys, and I'm still happy as hell about this team.

I think they got a little arrogant from top down, the tradmarking, and some of Brady's comments, I noted in another MB, that this had too many Ram like qualities about it... and i wasn't so ****y.

But we will be right there next year...


And Guys,
Morris coming back from injury, and Colvin will be huge. Those are 2 players that shaved a notch off the dynamic ability to change offensively and defensively.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

3 years ago, lost in the Divisional Round
2 Years ago, lost in the AFC championship
This year, Lost in the Super Bowl.

Next year...
Maybe we can lose the Pro Bowl...

 

[mgteich]

We will have more than six months to discuss the future, and I do agree with all your comments.

I do have an idle thought though. I don't think that Charlie would have run the offense as poorly in the second half. Josh was really terrible under pressure. In a few months, people will still say that the 2007-2008 patriots had either the best or the second best offense in the history of the game, and the best or second best offensive talent, and the best or second best QB. And I am fine with us being compared to 49ers in their best days.

What they will NOT say is that we have the best or second best OC.

Belichick coaches the defense on Game Day and ignores the offense. The defense had a gut check at the end of the game and came up short, but they did a pretty good job. NO ONE would have expected the Giants to score 17 points and WIN!!!???

If Belichick is not even going to look at the game when Brady is being knocked on his butt, then he needs a better offensive coordinator to take care of business on Game Day.

I am going to wait until watching again to comment on the SB. My state of shock seems to have affected my memory of the game.
But, a few thoughts on my mind outside of the game itself
-At first I thought Dynasties dont lose SBs, then I realized all of the dynsaties that won every SB they played in lost before getting to it in the other years.
-I would trade as many of the 18 wins as necessary to have gotten the last one.
-I think of this season as a failure, because we did not achieve what we had every opportunity to.
-I will think of this season as a success from a long view, however. I can't discount 18 games that were, IMO, the best 18 game stretch any team has ever played. Altohugh they disappointed in the most important one, they still only disappointed one time in 19 tries.
-I've come to associate big game clutch charateristics to the Pats. But now 2 years in a row they have not had them. They simply didnt do any of the things I would have expected on sunday, after last season ending with a poor job in the clutch in Indy.
-I dont know how or where it happened, but the Pats have lost that big game edge. THAT is what needs to change going forward. We will be in the hunt for many years, but that clutch play attribute is what we need back.

Overall, its hard to call this anything but a good year that ended disappointingly.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't remember the SF 49ers losing, but you are definitely correct about the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 49ers won 4 SBs in 9 years. They were 4-0 in SBs. They lost before getting to the SB 5 other times.

 

[Stop Being A Jerk]

I'm just shocked at how bad they played. That's the worst part.

 

[Ring 6]

We will have more than six months to discuss the future, and I do agree with all your comments.

I do have an idle thought though. I don't think that Charlie would have run the offense as poorly in the second half. Josh was really terrible under pressure. In a few months, people will still say that the 2007-2008 patriots had either the best or the second best offense in the history of the game, and the best or second best offensive talent, and the best or second best QB. And I am fine with us being compared to 49ers in their best days.

What they will NOT say is that we have the best or second best OC.

Belichick coaches the defense on Game Day and ignores the offense. The defense had a gut check at the end of the game and came up short, but they did a pretty good job. NO ONE would have expected the Giants to score 17 points and WIN!!!???

If Belichick is not even going to look at the game when Brady is being knocked on his butt, then he needs a better offensive coordinator to take care of business on Game Day.

I dont know why people feel the need to blame the OC for the OL not blocking.
Now Belichick doesnt know how to coach because you disagree with him about how he should spend his time during the game?

I guess we are all pretty pi$$ed off, I just hate people trying to create places to lie blame.
There is only one area to lay blame: We didn't play well enough.
The OL didn't block. The D didn't get a stop when the game was hanging in the balance.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm just shocked at how bad they played. That's the worst part.

I'm trying not to comment a whole lot on the game until after Ive watched it again (I will need to force myself to). But isnt it realistic that the Giants played great rather than we played poorly?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

We will have more than six months to discuss the future, and I do agree with all your comments.

I do have an idle thought though. I don't think that Charlie would have run the offense as poorly in the second half. Josh was really terrible under pressure. In a few months, people will still say that the 2007-2008 patriots had either the best or the second best offense in the history of the game, and the best or second best offensive talent, and the best or second best QB. And I am fine with us being compared to 49ers in their best days.

What they will NOT say is that we have the best or second best OC.

Belichick coaches the defense on Game Day and ignores the offense. The defense had a gut check at the end of the game and came up short, but they did a pretty good job. NO ONE would have expected the Giants to score 17 points and WIN!!!???

If Belichick is not even going to look at the game when Brady is being knocked on his butt, then he needs a better offensive coordinator to take care of business on Game Day.

The only thing that would have been different were Charlie on that sideline is the colorful explative laced commentary he would have been unleashing on his offense, and his OL in particular. But tearing them a new one doesn't overcome the kind of performance too many of these players turned in. Charlie might have tried another trick or two, like rolling Brady out, but the truth is on a bum ankle maybe they couldn't, and it's not Brady's favorite situation from which to operate.

Bill has always coached up the D in spurts. He never devoted his entire attention to it prior to Manginius and Pees arrival on the scene. Of course he's working with an older crew who have lost a step teamed up with a younger crew who haven't got the experience in the system, nor has their DC. RAC was a commanding presence on the sidelines. Pees is something of a milque toast. Mangini was just a prick.

In the end, all coordinators here do is run Bill's system. If he wanted more adjustments they would have made them. Execution was the issue on offense. The two worst coaching decisions of the day were made by Bill. But they likely were rooted in his lack of confidence in one player and his overconfidence in a group of others. Bend but don't break defense relies on playmakers making plays when the the game is on the line. Our playmakers didn't quite make those plays on a handful of occasions.

 

[Garbanza]

18-1 sucks out loud. Anyone sees this in a postive light is crazy. I would rather have seen perfection thrown out the window agianst the Ravens and won an SB than this let down. Shoot, Id rather have gone 18-2 - with an SB loss. This is the WORST LOSS EVER. Anyone that disputes that is delusional.

 

[#12]

18-1 sucks out loud. Anyone sees this in a postive light is crazy. I would rather have seen perfection thrown out the window agianst the Ravens and won an SB than this let down. Shoot, Id rather have gone 18-2 - with an SB loss. This is the WORST LOSS EVER. Anyone that disputes that is delusional.

Well you can only focus on one of two things, the positives or the negatives. With the pain of the loss being so great I can see why ppl want to focus on some positives. There is a lot to look forward, and nothing you can do about these situations other than to put what happened in the past. At least that's how I'm choosing to look at this. If (when) we win another superbowl, it will be erased from my memory.

 

[Ring 6]

18-1 sucks out loud. Anyone sees this in a postive light is crazy. I would rather have seen perfection thrown out the window agianst the Ravens and won an SB than this let down. Shoot, Id rather have gone 18-2 - with an SB loss. This is the WORST LOSS EVER. Anyone that disputes that is delusional.

Actually you sound delusional with your ranting.
It would have been better to lose ANOTHER game AND the SB too?

WORST LOSS EVER?
As I said, the season is a failure because we didnt finish.
You sound like you would rather have had 0-16.
It is what it is. This team was good enough to win every game for 18 weeks and not good enough to finish the job. That makes the 19th one truly blow, but it doesnt change the other 18.
I would trade any or all of those 18 wins for a SB win, but it doesnt work that way. In the end, as a fan, I had 18 weeks of perfection. I sense you feel betrayed or that this loss belittled the other games. It really did not.
It betrayed or belittled the HOPE of a perfect season, and the EXPECTATIONS all Pats fans had, but I'll take the ride with the crash landing at the end over no ride at all.

 

[#12]

It betrayed or belittled the HOPE of a perfect season, and the EXPECTATIONS all Pats fans had, but I'll take the ride with the crash landing at the end over no ride at all.

Best post I've seen all day. Very well put, and I agree completely.

 

[stcjones]

We will have more than six months to discuss the future, and I do agree with all your comments.

I do have an idle thought though. I don't think that Charlie would have run the offense as poorly in the second half. Josh was really terrible under pressure. In a few months, people will still say that the 2007-2008 patriots had either the best or the second best offense in the history of the game, and the best or second best offensive talent, and the best or second best QB. And I am fine with us being compared to 49ers in their best days.

What they will NOT say is that we have the best or second best OC.

Belichick coaches the defense on Game Day and ignores the offense. The defense had a gut check at the end of the game and came up short, but they did a pretty good job. NO ONE would have expected the Giants to score 17 points and WIN!!!???

If Belichick is not even going to look at the game when Brady is being knocked on his butt, then he needs a better offensive coordinator to take care of business on Game Day.

I wish that BB would see the light on this one and bring in a clever, creative and SEASONED OC and send the boy blunder packing. Seriously, with all the offensive weapons we have......and the boy blunder has trouble getting our offense going in many games.....or at least the big ones against QUALITY defenses........If they are doubling up on Moss that HAS TO LEAVE SEVERAL other options open in passing lanes......Now I know in the SB there was NO BLOCKING from the offensive line....they plain out sucked....but Josh needed to do something to adjust to the onslaught that was going on....quick screens.....bring in Evans or ANYBODY in the backfield to provide more blocking......dump offs to RB when they brought the house......and he did NOTHING except choke up puke........We need a change before next year.....one man's opinion

 

[JoePats]

I'll take the ride with the crash landing at the end over no ride at all.

Well said AJ.

 

[braveht]

Andy,
I would say great not good !!
The G men may have outplayed us, but also got the bounces and made the circus catch as the 2nd half of a Houdini act... and it took all that to edge us.
The disappointment was that we had an opportunity; BUT the only reason we had it was that we answered the bell 18 times. (I was in Baltimore for a game that we would have lost except for a bunch of favorable happenings on 4th down...timeouts, Hoch's early start, TB's scramble. The Greeks and Romans would have said the gods favored us then; if so, they had their money on the Giants Sunday. As hobbs said that last drive was eerie in the breaks they got. That's the way the ball bounces. Runniong up the score is the only defence.)
I am in the minority who treasure the Pats' eason as very special, even if punctuated with a bitter end. History will see a Super Bowl winner every year (yawn), but take due note of an 18-0 start/ 16-0 reg season. I just don't think that winning the SB, March Madness, or World Series is really that definitive. Even as a die hard St.L Cardinal fan I certainly would not say they were the best team in MLB in 2006, but would say the Pats had the best 2007 season.

As the Sox usta say "we'll get em next year!

 

[Ring 6]

Andy,
I would say great not good !!
The G men may have outplayed us, but also got the bounces and made the circus catch as the 2nd half of a Houdini act... and it took all that to edge us.
The disappointment was that we had an opportunity; BUT the only reason we had it was that we answered the bell 18 times. (I was in Baltimore for a game that we would have lost except for a bunch of favorable happenings on 4th down...timeouts, Hoch's early start, TB's scramble. The Greeks and Romans would have said the gods favored us then; if so, they had their money on the Giants Sunday. As hobbs said that last drive was eerie in the breaks they got. That's the way the ball bounces. Runniong up the score is the only defence.)
I am in the minority who treasure the Pats' eason as very special, even if punctuated with a bitter end. History will see a Super Bowl winner every year (yawn), but take due note of an 18-0 start/ 16-0 reg season. I just don't think that winning the SB, March Madness, or World Series is really that definitive. Even as a die hard St.L Cardinal fan I certainly would not say they were the best team in MLB in 2006, but would say the Pats had the best 2007 season.

As the Sox usta say "we'll get em next year!

Great only happens with a Championship.
My mentality when I posted this was the season is a failure, because we didnt finish, but I'm not going to let that take away from 18 great weeks.
As I said, I'd rather be 7-9, back into the playoffs and win the SB than 18-1 without a Championship.