Soul_Survivor88
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2015
- Messages
- 7,131
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Mental errors and coaching blunders deprived our beloved team from claiming the top seed.
The Patriots had four losses in the regular season and, effectively, four chances to solidify homefield advantage. In each one of these four games, something went disastrously wrong, and they were all things that could have been avoided. And please don't blame it on injuries. Even with the injuries, all four of these games were still the Patriots to win. Had Belichick and the team simply taken care of business during the regular season, the Patriots would be making Super Bowl travel plans, not cleaning out their lockers.
This team has consistently proven that it can win playoff games when given home-field advantage. And the numbers back this up: since their championship run began in 2001, the Patriots are 15-3 at home and 3-4 on the road in the playoffs.
(Interesting note: The Patriots have lost their last three road playoff games. And all three losses were in the AFC Championship and all three were to Peyton Manning-quarterbacked teams.)
Ultimately, the Patriots have only themselves to blame for not hosting the AFC Championship, and losing in Denver.
The Patriots had four losses in the regular season and, effectively, four chances to solidify homefield advantage. In each one of these four games, something went disastrously wrong, and they were all things that could have been avoided. And please don't blame it on injuries. Even with the injuries, all four of these games were still the Patriots to win. Had Belichick and the team simply taken care of business during the regular season, the Patriots would be making Super Bowl travel plans, not cleaning out their lockers.
This team has consistently proven that it can win playoff games when given home-field advantage. And the numbers back this up: since their championship run began in 2001, the Patriots are 15-3 at home and 3-4 on the road in the playoffs.
(Interesting note: The Patriots have lost their last three road playoff games. And all three losses were in the AFC Championship and all three were to Peyton Manning-quarterbacked teams.)
Ultimately, the Patriots have only themselves to blame for not hosting the AFC Championship, and losing in Denver.