The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

Sick and tired every year of hearing its not as important of how you were playing early in the season,its how you play when december comes around ,In case of the New England Patriots games early in the season and especially the Indy game was probably the reason we are not in the Super Bowl this year,Those game losses frequently come back to haunt you - Despite what the media says,even an AFC/NFC clash is important in September or October - Ask the 2006 Patriots on playoff positioning if its not just as important,Its a stupid statistic the media conjures up every year, Pure stupidity,If we had beaten Indy earlier this season its more than likely we would be in Miami on this monday..

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

I'd say losing to Miami and the Jets had more to do with it then losing to the colts earlier in the season.

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

Not only do those losses hurt playoff position, the team does not have enough wins against quality competition under its belt to prepare them for the postseason. The 3 losses this year against winning teams were ALL IN FOXBORO! To teams with equal or worse records!

Look back to our performance against winning teams in the '03 and '04 regular season, that's why those teams dominated in the postseason. Lately, the Pats are mediocre against winning teams and then have to travel into hostile environments where they fall apart.

Our last 2 playoff losses were against teams that had beaten the Pats in the regular season- if the Pats win those games then they are playing at home to the Broncos and Colts.

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

Bottom line we beat Indy at home in Nov the AFC Title game is in Foxboro..

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

Said it before, you can't look back. Granted the losses mattered, but the changing of the seedings would effect who we play, where we play and when we play. You can't assume that 1. we would even face the Colts in the playoffs and 2. that the AFCC game would be in Foxboro.

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

bottom line..we hold on to 21-6, get a first down with 2:14 remaining we go to miami..
indy won 9-0 in the start of the season ..ended up 12-4 ...all games count..

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

That is true, its why football is such a great sport that is why every game counts.. Baseball the stupid Red Sox could lose 3 games in a row and it wont matter.. Football is a very special sport people should never take it for granted..

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

All games count, but games early in the year are not "must" wins. You can recover from a loss early on by winning more games in the second half of the season. When there are only two games left and you need two games to make the playoffs, those are must wins.

Trying to pick out games to win because of tie-breakers is really lame, and works only in hindsight as youk don't know who you will face and if they will have the same record as you. Forget trying to manage the tie-breakers. Don't tie. Finsih with a better record.

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

Win one of the Miami, Jets, or Broncos games and the same is true.

Re: The myth is over "Games in Sept. & Oct. ALWAYS count!"
 

Why does everyone assume this?? If the Pats beat Indy in the regular season, they get the 3 seed and the Colts the 4. New England plays Kansas City in the WC Round, while the Colts play the Jets. Assume both teams win those games, then New England goes to Baltimore, while Indy goes to San Diego, which is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCENARIO. Honestly, I think that if the Pats beat the Colts in the regular season, the AFCC is in San Diego, and not Foxboro...

Obviously, wins and higher seeding matter, but everyone naturally assumes that the Chargers still would have lost in the Divisional round...who knows what happens? It's kind of like the people who were saying last year had the Pats knocked off Denver in the Divisional Round, they would have beaten the Steelers at home in the AFCC, despite the fact that the Steelers rolled through 3 road games.... you can't assume anything...