Does this game make up for the heartbreaking losses?

The Brandon Five said:

Somewhat.

2007 still stings.

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Exactly what i was about to post.... somewhat. It really won't make up for the 07/08 loss, the way the pats took the lead near the end of the game only to have it taken away by the ref swallowing his whistle for Willy Macs in the grasp no call, and tyrees fluke catch. That was a real heart breaker i've never gotten over. BUT this win does shut the clowns up when it comes to not winning one wince we "cheated" THAT makes me feel A LOT netter.

It just makes you realize that there is a really fine line between finishing and not.
I used to feel like that was a teams characteristic, but it seems more and more now that you have to be consistently good to get in the hunt and then cash in your share of times.
The years we were the best it wasn't by a lot and the years we weren't it may have been by even less.

Nothing could ever make up for 42. We could blow the Giants out in 5 Superbowls in a row and I would still be pissed and distraught over that game. For me that sting will last forever and I will never be able to watch that game again.

This one however does make up for 46 and all the other playoff loses. Not to mention all the other crap that has surrounded this team the past few years.

AndyJohnson said:

It just makes you realize that there is a really fine line between finishing and not.
I used to feel like that was a teams characteristic, but it seems more and more now that you have to be consistently good to get in the hunt and then cash in your share of times.
The years we were the best it wasn't by a lot and the years we weren't it may have been by even less.

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I have always felt that this was Belichick's organizational philosophy, get into the playoffs as consistently as possible and you will win your share.

BradyToAmendola said:

The '06 loss to the Colts, the Tyree game, the 2nd Giants game.. to me, this makes up for it all and I no longer feel like we've "left any on the table" because we just ****ing STOLE one.

Down 14 to Baltimore twice. TWICE.

Tied for the biggest comeback in SB history. Seattle had the ball at the 1. 99/100 times Seattle probably wins in that situation.

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It helps a little, but 06 half the team had the flu. Irsay pumped up the heat when the Pats were on defense and piped in crowd noice when Pats had the ball. Talk about irony in the midst of footballs being a few ticks under pressure. The 07 team thought all they had to do was show up and they'd win.

What do you mean by stole one? The Patriots scored 14 points in crunch time against a good D and then put up a goal line stand. I'd say they earned every bit of last nights championship.

I think the "strain" (obviously it's relative use of that term when comparing NEP to most other franchises) of not having a 4th ring was a somewhat real thing, for many reasons that people have already mentioned in this thread, like negative media attention and the ability to compare this run to the greatest franchise runs in NFL history.

Now, most of that is buried under the weight of a 4th ring, and that's just fantastic.

I do agree that the 06/07 seasons still linger.
(06) how much sweeter it'd be to have salted Indy away in their dome to then go face an incredibly weak NFC participant; and
(07) how impossibly close they came to the perfect season, a run the likes of which may not be repeated for many years.

I don't think anything short of 19-0 would erase how much SB42 stung, but this definitely helps a lot. If this is the high point, and the Pats don't win another in the Brady/Belichick era, I think that would be just find. It doesn't feel like they really *need* to win another one anymore. I hope they do, and I sure as hell wouldn't bet against them, but I think this one is the most satisfying of the four.

Ivan said:

I have always felt that this was Belichick's organizational philosophy, get into the playoffs as consistently as possible and you will win your share.

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I think its just a fact that it is really hard to win a SB. Just by odds, if you win your division every year, you are, at best going to win in once every 8 years. We tend to think that when we are among the few best we are supposed to win it all, no matter what. Things happen. Look at Seattle, Baltimore, Green Bay who all felt they had games in hand and lost.

I'll never be over Macho Grande

It makes up for Super Bowl XLVI but not for Super Bowl XLII. Nothing will ever make up for that disaster of a game.

Such complex feelings on this.

No it doesn't make up for the cumulative sting of the six — SIX — "if only" endings: the '06 Eric Alexander game, SB 42, the '10 visional collapse to the J..s, Sb 46, AFFCCG.

But those games made this one more precious.

We can never get back the high of that first Lombardi. The next two were great, and I remember feeling relieved just a little at the end of those because they were "supposed to" win.

But this one: This one is 90% relief. After all the franchise has been through — all the stuff aiming to detract from its exemplary success, all the Helmet-Manningham-Kearse hellfire from the football gods — that Interception was such a major relief. (Even then it wasn't easy: I texted a friend: "Does Brady even have room to take a knee?" Thank you Bennett.)

I guess my answer then is: No, it doesn't make up for those heart aches (which any number of franchises wish they had such history). But it wraps them up nicely into a nice mental and emotional keepsake of just how hard it is o accomplish what this franchise has accomplished.

The only thing that could make up for SB 42 is a 19-0 season. One of the worst losses in sports history.

Also, I can't get past 2010 vs Jets yet. Or Colts in 2006.

Everything else; SB 46, the Ravens and Broncos losses, I'm probably over it.

This makes up for the Jets loss in 2010, Giants in 2011, Ravens in 2012 and Broncos in 2013.

Nothing can make up for 2007.

.......except maybe if we win back-to-back next year!

Hell no this doesn't make up for it. Only 4 superbowls in 13 years? What a disappointment. Thank god for yesterdays win or I seriously would have to call this Belichick and Brady experiment a failure.

Seriously though 06, Superbowl 46 and of course Superbowl 42 still sting a little for me. Even Brady said as much yesterday that he always thinks back to plays that he could have made still. However, I think those losses made this SB even sweeter. We had to go through a lot of suffering to finally get back on the mountain top.

Absolutely. I'm at peace.

takes away 75% of the 2007 sting

I don't think I will ever get over the 18-1 season but whenever I think of that loss I can now remind myself of this win. The win where the pats got their 4th ring and Brady went down as the greatest QB in NFL history.

Sounds dumb but watching the pats win the superbowl with my dad, aunt, my son, my daughter my father and mother in law (sadly my wife had to work so she was not there) are memories I will take to the grave with me.

I want a third pats vs giants SB. But giants are so bad now, Brady May not get a chance to revenge.

I do have an amazing feeling right now. this was the goal. win one more before brady is gone.



but no, that doesn't make up for 07. if we were to win one more, which would give him 5.... that would absolutely make up for it. that would make us hands down the goat franchise. that would erase all the pain. hell, that could the erase the celtics 09 loss too lol

This win purged me of all the the losses. I felt they came full circle, scene of the crime so to speak. Then you get the miracle catch, but they closed it! They delivered. I am free of all previous regrets. Go PATS!