This is why I am starting to feel better about tonight's events

We struggled big time when Hightower was done ... there was no way to set the edge on both sides and Denver exploited it ... it is what it is and I don't blame the coaches at all. The team did the best they could defensively but no Collins and Hightower was too much to overcome ... surprised we almost did it really but that mile high atmosphere got us in the end ... not enough bodies to rotate.

neuronet said:

One thing I have learned: I don't trust jack squat the first night. We don't know how bad it is. People walk on torn ACLs and MCLs all the time. Philip Rivers played on one for most of a season.

I know two things: he is tough, and he was in agony. That much was clear. And that makes me pessimistic. For now.

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Ummm, where there pictures of Lewis walking to the bus? Was Lewis seen in the locker room? Was Lewis seen bedding over, dressing and normally? This is the Pats. I'm more interested in Hightower. Haven't heard anything.

This loss will re-focus everyone and take the undefeated season pressure off.

Even without Gronk, if we can get Amendola and Edelman healthy in the playoffs plus Collins and Hightower as well, we're poised to make a deep run.

If our offensive weapons are healthy by playoffs, (edelman, dola, gronk) and our defensive best LBs (hightower, collins) are as well, this team would have jelled w/ the down the stretch Oline and secondary (Oline due to solder injury and secondary with CB depth issues) considering a lot of our Oline are playing much better than expected and our starting CBs playing way better than we ever thought

so we stay healthy from this point on, and currently injured guys get healthy by week 19....and win most of our remaining games to get the top seed

we're fine, undefeated is the ONLY thing we lost tonight, if Gronk is good by playoff time or sooner

I wanted an undefeated, FU tour, season. Especially after what we fans had to endure all offseason. I really, really, really did want the team to go 19-0....

But you know what, this loss puts things in perspective a bit. The depth on that 2007 team was constructed to, well, near perfection.

This 2015 team has had its holes and question marks since day one of training camp. Runningbacks, Cornerbacks, Wide Recievers, the Line. You knew we'd be good, but had no idea how good, especially not perfection good.

I think a majority of this board picked us to loose at least two games. We lost one. Who knows, maybe another, and that's fine. This team is more like 2003, that 14-2 year. Resilient and battle tested.

A loss stings, especially one where the refs blantantly screwed us over, but in the end, if we're healthy, we'll win it all, because we have without a doubt the best team in the league.

And there is a huge risk with trying to go undefeated. If RG is healthy the odds of winning the SB probably improved tonight IF Bengals and Broncos lose another game or two.

A positive is that we haven't heard anything about Martin, so I assume his hamstring survived the game without being reaggravated.

Good, because we need him.

Dr Pain said:

Bigger concern is will the refs continue to fix games.

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This really is what it's coming down to. Goodell and his henchmen couldn't derail the Patriots with framegate so now we're seeing the backdoor approach through officiating. The only way around it for New England is being up by two scores in the fourth quarter. The way Gronk has been targeted for OPI is the most outrageous example of what's going on.

VectorPrime said:

I agree 100%. This game means nothing if the injuries aren't a concern. The Broncos will not go 5-0 to end their season. They will drop at least 2 with that offense and QB and their growing pains. We will beat them out for HFA no question. We just need to be careful about the Bengals. There isn't much wiggle room there.

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Pats still hold the #1 seed even with this loss. Remaining schedule isn't that tough that they can't win out, problem solved. Bengals still have to play Denver.

I was screaming after Gronk went down "The season is over!" Was so pissed! Feeling a bit better now that the reports are sounding like he will be fine. As frustrating as it was to lose this game - and the way we lost it - I'm o.k. with it. As long as we get healthy for the playoffs. We should be fine even if were to slide to a #2 or 3 seed (which I still don't see happening).

venecol said:

Pats still hold the #1 seed even with this loss. Remaining schedule isn't that tough that they can't win out, problem solved. Bengals still have to play Denver.

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I would prefer being able to sit everyone week 17. We will need both the Broncos and Bengals to drop one to be able to do that.

Seems like this is the appropriate thread to give praise to our warriors tonight, defeated but undaunted. Yes the final possession was a major disappointment, but up until that point the team played as magnificently as possible, given the limitations of injuries and one-sided penalty flags. As soon as Hightower went out I felt that our backs were against the wall, and then with Gronk carted off, it felt inevitable that we would lose. Yet Brady still brought us back for OT in a performance that should stand high in his pantheon of great games. With only Lafell and Drop-two-carry-one Chandler to throw to, it was great theater, even if the end was heroic tragedy.

Given that this was the top defense in the league, according to some, it was a creditable effort. I know that is small solace for the loss. But if the rumors of Gronk and Hightowers injuries are accurate (ie not too serious), then the game was a great testament to the mental strength of the team. To come so close with all the personnel losses, and the refusal of the refs to throw flags on the Broncos for identical infringements, in Denver, in a snow storm, suggests that they have the mental strength and eventually the skill sets to overcome equal or greater challenges in the playoffs.

VectorPrime said:

I would prefer being able to sit everyone week 17. We will need both the Broncos and Bengals to drop one to be able to do that.

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Is that the Miami game? If so, the fins suck. We can probably win with second stringers.

They stacked the deck against them and they still almost won despite the awful ref job.

Hightower was a huge loss thus once he went out their running game magically started working.

If this is the best the NFL can do then I have little doubt if this team gets healthy they will be the last team standing in February.

Edelman
Amendola
Hightower (crossed fingers)
Collins
Gronkowski (same as above)

Btw with that cast of characters it could be in Mile High or Cincinatti and it wouldn't matter although I think it will be at Foxboro. Any which way this team is going to win the super bowl if healthy. Refs or no refs.

broncos still have to play @pitt and host the bengals. We need those two to win and bengals to drop a game elsewhere .

Not Positive, but if Pats and Cinci both end up with 2 loses, I think the Pats will get the higher seed Which would give us #1. Denver will not win out. They have Cinci and Pitt and I don't see them winning both. So we would have to lose 3 games to lose first seed assuming Denver loses 1 more.

We just need to do it the rest of the way and if we get week 1 bye its going to only help our team getting healthier.

All of these guys could/will be back for playoffs...hopefully Gronk. So there's that

But i don't want this game to have any effect on seeding worst case because of the calls

12Brady said:

Gronk left on the cart. No way I can see him not being done till 2016.

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Roethlisberger has left on a cart TWICE this season and he's come back shortly after each time. I'm less worried about Gronk now than I was two hours ago.

I'm bummed because I wanted 19-0 and thought this would be the best time to do it. But with all of the injuries, that was really pushing it, and getting the pressure of a perfect season off of the psyches of these players is a nice consolation. The 2007 Pats were burnt out by the end, this year's team just needs to get healthy in time for the playoffs. Solder and Lewis were already key losses and can't afford any more casualties going forward.

Just need to win the Super Bowl and nobody will really care about what happened tonight. 19-0 would be nice, but you still only get one Lombardi trophy, and THAT is thankfully still in play.

Patswinagain said:

Not Positive, but if Pats and Cinci both end up with 2 loses, I think the Pats will get the higher seed Which would give us #1. Denver will not win out. They have Cinci and Pitt and I don't see them winning both. So we would have to lose 3 games to lose first seed assuming Denver loses 1 more.

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Cinci will win a tiebreaker with us unless we lose to the Eagles, because they'll have a better AFC record.