Heartbreaking Pats Losses

[sb1]

Now for the Broncos 2005 playoff loss. Ben Watson made one of the best hustle plays of all time and the refs didn't have the guts to make the right call. Patriots ball at the 20 on the touchback. I'm firmly convinced Brady would have marched the Patriots right back down the field like he had the previous two possessions. And they would have handled the Seahawks in the SB.

Even if they had beaten DEN in my opinion they wouldn't have gotten by Pitt in the AFCCG. (I can stomach losses to Denver but not the Steelers. LOL.)

And like the 02 Pats, the 05 Pats team wasn't that good either.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Hard for me to call that loss heartbreaking since the team wasn't very good that year anyway.

In hindsight, I agree. At the time, though, we were looking at a defending SB champ who pulled magic out their backsides* with the way they won that entire '01 postseason run so the thinking was "just get in and find ways to win". That Jets loss crushed those hopes.

* Not meaning to say the '01 run was all luck, but rather when that team needed to make a particular play, they made it. Just a series of clutch plays pulled off game after game. Even BB is quoted as saying "I can't believe we won with that team."

Regards,
Chris

 

[QuantumMechanic]

1986 22-17 playoff loss to Denver. Don Blackmon jumps offsides and the whole front 7 just stops playing. Elway, king of throwing the bomb on a free play, finds his receiver deep for the go-ahead TD. Pats get one last-ditch attempt to drive for a tying FG, but Eason turtles in the endzone right before Rulon Jones swallows him whole and that was all she wrote.

Can't remember what year it was (somewhere in the 80s). NE was giving DAL all it could handle (in DAL) in some regular season contest. Late in the game, needing to take the lead, NE completes a pass to a RB (Craig James, I think) who manages to break loose and has a long gain into the redzone already in the books as the DAL defense catches up to him. Rather than cover up and go down, he tries to keep fighting as he's surrounded and (of course) fumbles the ball which is easily recovered by DAL. Game over.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Can't remember what year it was (somewhere in the 80s). NE was giving DAL all it could handle (in DAL) in some regular season contest. Late in the game, needing to take the lead, NE completes a pass to a RB (Craig James, I think) who manages to break loose and has a long gain into the redzone already in the books as the DAL defense catches up to him. Rather than cover up and go down, he tries to keep fighting as he's surrounded and (of course) fumbles the ball which is easily recovered by DAL. Game over.

The only game I can remember in that timeframe in Dallas was the Thanksgiving game in '84. I don't remember the end of that one, but I do remember James playing fairly well in it. What I remember it more for, though, is Eason getting sacked TEN times. I think that was the game when Eason started looking at the pass rush first before focusing on his receivers downfield, something that plagued him the rest of his career.

Regards,
Chris

 

[jmt57]

I am obviously in the minority here, but SB42 does not top my list. The reason is simple: because the Patriots had already won it all three times. Sure, putting the team (and their fans) through the ringer for an entire season (and as it turned out, for a decade) would have made a championship a tasty piece of retribution; there is no disagreeing with that thought at all.

But losing when your team has never won it all is far more excruciating, in my opinion.


First and foremost is the Ben Dreith game. What a complete fraud the officiating was in that game. Why so little was (and to this day, is) made of the calls and non-calls in that game is baffling. I guess none of it is brought up now because (a) it happened before many current football fans were born, and (b) it was the Patriots.


Second is the final game of the 1966 season. The Patriots had lost only one game since September. They were playing a Jet team that had won only one of their previous eight games. A victory means the Patriots win the AFL East, and play KC for the league championship. The Pats had battled the Chiefs to a 27-27 tie in KC four weeks earlier. Fans were confident the Patriots would win a rematch.

A victory over KC meant more than just a first league championship for the Pats and their fans. Winner of that game would go on to represent the league in the first ever AFL-NFL Championship Game, something that would soon become officially known as the Super Bowl.

(John Belushi voice): But noooooooooooooo. Perhaps the Patriots were looking ahead. The Jets crushed the Patriots. To make matters worse, with an old roster the team bottomed out the last year - and were not good enough to make the playoffs for another ten years. And to rub salt in the wound, two years later the Jets won it all.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

For me, SB42 and it's not even close.

I'm embarrassed with how sad, angry and depressed I was for an entire week.

You had lots of company. Incomparable in several ways; the undefeated season, losing to the Giants, yes not having any help from the zebras but, eschewing a 48-yard FG indoors on turf?? and pretending the Giants didn't have an exceptional pass rush (the ONLY thing they did well all year), Giants showing their class arriving for Patriots' "funeral" before the last game of our season dedicated to late hero Marquise Hill, literally weeks after honoring 'Skins gangsta Sean Taylor like a president, I can go on and on......

Not BB's best effort...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

In hindsight, I agree. At the time, though, we were looking at a defending SB champ who pulled magic out their backsides* with the way they won that entire '01 postseason run so the thinking was "just get in and find ways to win". That Jets loss crushed those hopes.

* Not meaning to say the '01 run was all luck, but rather when that team needed to make a particular play, they made it. Just a series of clutch plays pulled off game after game. Even BB is quoted as saying "I can't believe we won with that team."

Regards,
Chris

Well...David Patten falling unconscious out of bounds in Buffalo was...okay, that was fortunate...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

and (b) it was the Patriots.

THAT is the quote of history, summing up the last 57 years, and I, for one, am sick of the sh*t and as long as I'm breathing I am not putting up with it. Humorous, drunken, inaccurate takes from Thornton may be entertaining but it is not funny to me. And I'm not ranting here and going home. I am doing something about it and will keep y'all informed. With friends like Orthwein, Goodell, the Maras and the Rooneys, Bob Kraft doesn't need enemies. He's too busy traveling the scorched earth, handing out ugly blue jerseys to whomever he can find.

Here's a question: When Jamie Collins left, did he bring along the helmet he's been wearing all season? Was it painted? If not, then is it the league's policy that it's OK to put players "at risk" who sign on or switch teams during the year?

Very simply, any team can give two sets of helmets to their players, who can rotate them daily beginning from training camp, and then use either in games, without violating the league's safety protocol. Period. I point this out only with the thought of pacifying those who will wish to see the Cowboys/Raiders/Panthers silver helmets a couple times a season, and/or who associate the impostor flying elvis with anything other than an ugly, insulting loser symbol for all who hate, know and care nothing about the Patriots.

Tom Brady came here from Day 1 to bust his ass and do whatever he can to win, no matter how stupid, inappropriate and aesthetically abhorrent their uniforms are. He, and the rest of us, deserve so much better.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Even if they had beaten DEN in my opinion they wouldn't have gotten by Pitt in the AFCCG. (I can stomach losses to Denver but not the Steelers. LOL.)

And like the 02 Pats, the 05 Pats team wasn't that good either.

Dude have you paid attention to history? Brady owns the steelers, especially in foxboro. No friggin way Pitt would have beaten us in foxboro in he playoffs. Especially since Brady once again went into Heinz field that same year and beat Pittsburgh. Pitt was made for Brady to carve up.

Denver was our worst possible matchup. In Denver. Always is

 

[NG Pats Fan]

2011 Super Bowl loss was in some ways even more embarrassing, because it happened AGAIN to the same friggin team in the same way. When Brady completed 17 in a row and threw a TD to go up 17-9 in third quarter, I thought the route was on. Finally, get our revenge. Then our offense just collapsed. Can't believe we let them do it again to us. That was supposed to be our revenge game.

 

[sb1]

Dude have you paid attention to history? Brady owns the steelers, especially in foxboro. No friggin way Pitt would have beaten us in foxboro in he playoffs. Especially since Brady once again went into Heinz field that same year and beat Pittsburgh. Pitt was made for Brady to carve up.

Denver was our worst possible matchup. In Denver. Always is

Yeah and the 2004 Steelers rolled the Pats in the regular season. How did that work out for them in the playoffs?

The 2005 Pats were not a very good team. Period. They lose to Pitt and I bet it's not that close. Moot point anyway since they weren't even good enough to beat Plummer's Broncos.

 

[sb1]

2011 Super Bowl loss was in some ways even more embarrassing, because it happened AGAIN to the same friggin team in the same way. When Brady completed 17 in a row and threw a TD to go up 17-9 in third quarter, I thought the route was on. Finally, get our revenge. Then our offense just collapsed. Can't believe we let them do it again to us. That was supposed to be our revenge game.

The 2011 Pats didn't belong in the SB game to be honest. That defense was vile. They beat no winning teams that year other than the Ravens in the playoffs and they were extremely fortunate to beat them at all.

 

[PF_SU]

The 2011 Pats didn't belong in the SB game to be honest. That defense was vile. They beat no winning teams that year other than the Ravens in the playoffs and they were extremely fortunate to beat them at all.

They beat a ton of 8-8 teams. Oakland, San Diego, the Jets (twice), the Cowboys, the Eagles and the Broncos (twice).

 

[Triumph]

2006 AFCC NE vs Indy

I was there and it was like being inside a crock pot it was so damn hot inside the dome. This was the season where Brady had rag tag group of WRs. The first half was very NE like and the Pats had the lead at the half. The 2nd half the Colts came back. IIRC, NE needed 1 first down to just about run the clock out. Pats with the ball in Colts territory and on the right side a NE WR was uncovered. If Brady throws a fast ball to the sideline , its likely game over. Brady never saw the guy open and NE goes out on downs. Colts win and crush the Bears in the SB who the Pats would beat as well.

 

[sb1]

In hindsight, I agree. At the time, though, we were looking at a defending SB champ who pulled magic out their backsides* with the way they won that entire '01 postseason run so the thinking was "just get in and find ways to win". That Jets loss crushed those hopes.

* Not meaning to say the '01 run was all luck, but rather when that team needed to make a particular play, they made it. Just a series of clutch plays pulled off game after game. Even BB is quoted as saying "I can't believe we won with that team."

Regards,
Chris

Yup. Actually I'd say that Raider playoff game would have been heartbreaking if the tuck rule call didn't go our way. That was as lucky as any team could get.

 

[sb1]

They beat a ton of 8-8 teams. Oakland, San Diego, the Jets (twice), the Cowboys, the Eagles and the Broncos (twice).

They did beat a lot of 8-8 teams. Lost both games (Pitt, NYG) against teams with winning records though. I think there was another winning team they didn't beat but can't remember who.

 

[PF_SU]

IIRC, NE needed 1 first down to just about run the clock out. Pats with the ball in Colts territory and on the right side a NE WR was uncovered. If Brady throws a fast ball to the sideline , its likely game over. Brady never saw the guy open and NE goes out on downs.

I think you remembered it wrong. They never were on the Colts' side of the field. When they got the ball back they first got a 12-men penalty. Brady then completed two short passes to Caldwell and Watson to bring a 3rd and 4. On that play it looked like this:



Brady targeted Troy Brown but Sanders came flying in and nearly picked the ball off.

But the most memorable play of those final minutes is probably the fumble by Wayne. Ball popped up, Wayne was surrounded by Patriots but Wayne reeled it back in. And on top of that Banta-Cain got flagged for roughing the passer (because his hand touched Manning's helmet).

They did beat a lot of 8-8 teams. Lost both games (Pitt, NYG) against teams with winning records though. I think there was another winning team they didn't beat but can't remember who.

No, those were the two. The other loss (they went 13-3) came against Buffalo.

 

[Joey007]

These aren't the worst, but I thought I'd mention underrated ones:

Remember that week 2 game vs. Arizona in 2012? And then the Ravens game that came the week after that? Man I was in a bad mood for a while after those.

 

[PF_SU]

These aren't the worst, but I thought I'd mention underrated ones:

Remember that week 2 game vs. Arizona in 2012? And then the Ravens game that came the week after that? Man I was in a bad mood for a while after those.

Didn't the replacement refs screw up both times? Though the Arizona one should've been won. Gostkowski jsut missed the FG.

 

[Joey007]

Didn't the replacement refs screw up both times? Though the Arizona one should've been won. Gostkowski jsut missed the FG.

And it was all after we forced a miracle fumble, which without we would have had little to no time left on the clock to go down the field and score. We then on the next play had Woodhead take it into the endzone, only for it to get called back by a very bad holding call on Gronk.

Then Ghost missed a relatively easy kick to lose the game. Just the way that it ended made me sick to my stomach. I hate games where you get teased with victory like that.