Still a successful year

Many teams dream of just making it to the playoffs, and we made it to the AFCCG with all of our setbacks this year. Do I wish we had won? Of course!

However... I'm extremely proud of what my team has been able to accomplish with all the injuries and off-field issues that has happened this year. This years team is a team everyone can love and have pride in: gutsy, blue collar, and a never give-up attitude. No one can ever tell me or convince me otherwise.

Mr. Barkley can say I don't appreciate my team and that I am spoiled... but he is wrong, my heart is just bursting with pride with what our team has been able to accomplish.

successful given the circumstances but in the grand scheme of things, their is only one truly successful team every year. Some teams have productive years and some teams have unproductive years. I don't see how this year was any better than last year in terms of outcome outside of we lost more players to injury this year. Not to mention the fact that because they overachieved, we are again picking late in the draft. We need more talent to get over the hump and BB will have to find some gems or move up to do that.

TriplecHamp said:

I don't see how this year was any better than last year in terms of outcome outside of we lost more players to injury this year.

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I guess it's because I am old and I still remember the days back in the late 80s/early 90s when I'd be watching pats games with my friends and the first time we'd score in a game we'd be like 'thank god! no shut-out!'. And if we won? That was like time to riot and go streaking thru the neighborhood (ok, perhaps tmi).

So, yeah... even just making the play-offs is a win for me. Lol, even today when we finally got our first points on a FG, I texted my friend 'phew! no shut-out!', and he responded back "Yes! We rule!".

It was a good and fun season, much better than I thought. After they lost to the Ravens last year I was sure they wouldn't make it back to the AFCCG this year, three years in a row would be too tough. Hopefully next year they can get make and win. Today just wasn't their day and from the start of the game it felt like they were a little off.

PatsFan24 said:

It was a good and fun season, much better than I thought. After they lost to the Ravens last year I was sure they wouldn't make it back to the AFCCG this year, three years in a row would be too tough. Hopefully next year they can get make and win. Today just wasn't their day and from the start of the game it felt like they were a little off.

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I'm with you. When they said Donks deferred, I had bad feeling. Knowing that if you defer and if you score first your chances of winning is 74%.. I had a very bad feeling. But yes, it was actually a very exciting season.

I guess I don't believe in moral victories. It's not a sucessful season if you don't win a super bowl.

ensoul said:

I guess I don't believe in moral victories. It's not a sucessful season if you don't win a super bowl.

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Then you are the ultimate spoiled fan.

Patriots have been playing with house money all year. I'm pretty content with their results. They are not nearly the team the Broncos are at this point in time. Would have been nice to make it, but it was really a long shot. I'm already excited for next year.

Patriot_in_NY said:

Then you are the ultimate spoiled fan.

Patriots have been playing with house money all year. I'm pretty content with their results. They are not nearly the team the Broncos are at this point in time. Would have been nice to make it, but it was really a long shot. I'm already excited for next year.

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No they are not. Manning actually has people he can throw the ball to unlike Brady.

Proud of what the team did this season and where they got to. Just wanted to go out with a MUCH BETTER effort. I did not expect to go to the SB this season, let alone win it, but this team suckered me into believing in its HEART. There was lots of HEART all season - until today. I was angry while it was occurring, especially since it was compounded by losing to Manning. The Pats exceeded where I thought they would end up, and being the spoiled fan, I expected a HARDER FOUGHT battle when it came to our exit. This game was over before halftime and the HEART was missing. Call it outplayed, out-coached, or whatever you want - I will call it a very disappointing end to a wildly successful season. Extremely bittersweet.

ensoul said:

I guess I don't believe in moral victories. It's not a sucessful season if you don't win a super bowl.

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And you, and others like you are the ones that Charles Barkley was insinuating about. Can't you just be glad that we made it to the AFCCG? With everything our team had to overcome.. making it to the AFCCG is a major accomplishment. I'm just happy whenever we make it to the playoffs, but I guess thats just me.

They lost to a better team. If you look at how far the Patriots came from the beginning of the season till the end with the injuries, you have to see that this was a great year with the second youngest team in the NFL. Honestly I though Brady was going to stroke out a few games into the season. This team had heart.

Thank you Patriots 2013.

GrogansArmy said:

And you, and others like you are the ones that Charles Barkley was insinuating about. Can't you just be glad that we made it to the AFCCG? With everything our team had to overcome.. making it to the AFCCG is a major accomplishment. I'm just happy whenever we make it to the playoffs, but I guess thats just me.

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Maybe I am spoiled or bitter but gets tiresome continually losing the AFC title game and the SB because this team completely falls apart on both sides of the ball in either one of these games.

Yes it was amazing that made it that far but at the end of the day I don't see how a season can be successful getting bounced in the playoffs again.

ensoul said:

Maybe I am spoiled or bitter but gets tiresome continually losing the AFC title game and the SB because this team completely falls apart on both sides of the ball in either one of these games.

Yes it was amazing that made it that far but at the end of the day I don't see how a season can be successful getting bounced in the playoffs again.

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The season is a success in the fact that we even made it to the playoffs! Gods, I guess I'm just talking to myself here. You really need to go through some 1-15 and 2-14 seasons to appreciate what we have here. I guess Barkley was right: we really are spoiled when you can't understand that making it to the AFCCG (with all our set-backs) is a major accomplishment. :-(.

All in all, the players and coaches did a hell of a job. They needed a little more from the GM.

I wouldn't say the season was a success but they did overachieve and exceed most people's expectations. Take that for whatever it's worth. They have some young pieces to build on.

Patriot_in_NY said:

Then you are the ultimate spoiled fan.

Patriots have been playing with house money all year. I'm pretty content with their results. They are not nearly the team the Broncos are at this point in time. Would have been nice to make it, but it was really a long shot. I'm already excited for next year.

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Very well said. Anyone who didn't know we were playing on house money has their head up their <bleep>. That didn't mean we couldn't win last night or win the SB but it was an uphill struggle to the max. Teams don't do what the Patriots did. Teams do not have their best all star LB, best all star DT, second best DT, next best run stopping LB, both starting (the best and one of the better) TE's, an all star OT, have tons of missed games from some of their best players (Talib, McCourty, Dennard, Solder among others) have this group of WR's......and do what they did. They do not start this many rookies and unknowns and do what they did. It just is a rarity.
I don't want to erect a statue to the Patriots as they lost. But now that the season is over it is entirely appropriate to take stock of the season and recognize that 'wow, did we go further on less than just about any team I have ever seen". And that is worth something now that the season is over....

ensoul said:

Maybe I am spoiled or bitter but gets tiresome continually losing the AFC title game and the SB because this team completely falls apart on both sides of the ball in either one of these games.

Yes it was amazing that made it that far but at the end of the day I don't see how a season can be successful getting bounced in the playoffs again.

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Well next year maybe we can go 9-7 or 8-8 and you can bask in the change of pace

For reference see: NFL, salary cap, draft, parity, commonality of consecutively having winning seasons...

You are disappointed because the much better team didn't fall apart.

Listen to Belichick. The team the best that they were able to play.

If you don't see how more than one team in the league can have a successful season, then that is your perspective. You will almost always be disappointed and likely continue to whine.

ensoul said:

Maybe I am spoiled or bitter but gets tiresome continually losing the AFC title game and the SB because this team completely falls apart on both sides of the ball in either one of these games.

Yes it was amazing that made it that far but at the end of the day I don't see how a season can be successful getting bounced in the playoffs again.

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GrogansArmy said:

Many teams dream of just making it to the playoffs, and we made it to the AFCCG with all of our setbacks this year. Do I wish we had won? Of course!

However... I'm extremely proud of what my team has been able to accomplish with all the injuries and off-field issues that has happened this year. This years team is a team everyone can love and have pride in: gutsy, blue collar, and a never give-up attitude. No one can ever tell me or convince me otherwise.

Mr. Barkley can say I don't appreciate my team and that I am spoiled... but he is wrong, my heart is just bursting with pride with what our team has been able to accomplish.

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Afc championship game this year. Super Bowl or bust next year with a healthy team. Yeah, we are in business. Btw the Red Sox won the World Series too. Just another average year in Boston sports some cities could only dream.