The last 4 years have produced 3 playoff teams, one which missed the playoffs despite going 11-5 without it's future HOF QB for almost the entire season. They had a 16-0 regular season, were within a minute of winning a 4th Super Bowl and within a few minutes of going to a 5th (before the flu and injuries caught up to them).
The losses have been very painful because of the stage on which they have occurred. But the fact that the Pats are even in position to lose an AFC Championship game or Super Bowl is a reason to be happy. Football is much more of a crap shoot than other sports. One injury to a key player and your Super Bowl aspirations can go out the window. One bad bounce, fluke play or missed (or bad) penalty can end your season.
Anyone who is whining and crying over how awful the last 5 years have been is either a complete bandwagonner or in serious need of a reality check. The Pats have been one of the best, if not the 2nd best (top spot goes to Pittsburgh the last 5 years IMO) team in the NFL in the time span which the OP is crying about.
Getting to and winning Super Bowls is insanely difficult. Sometimes, not infrequently in fact, the better team loses. The 2001 Patriots were nowhere near as good as the Rams that year talent-wise. Same for the 2007 Giants compared to the Pats.
Look at the Colts and Saints this year. Both could end up 16-0 but they can't both win. Think their fans will be crying next year about what a waste the 2009 season was?
Fact of the matter is, the Pats will be in the playoffs this year, and most likely will make it at least 2 of the next 3 years (provided Brady is healthy and BB sticks around). Once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen. To write this year off now is idiotic. To "want the last 5 years of [your] life back" is so far beyond idiotic that I'm surprised anyone could type it with a straight face.
