It's funny, I feel relief, not sadness...

[blackglass3]

He had his second best regular season ever (only second to his best season that just happened to be the greatest in NFL history) and this was coming off major knee surgery.

Hell the guy threw 5 TDs in a single quarter...

As a great NFL coach once said, stats are for losers.

 

[Steve1iron]

Glad that this team has finally been put out of its misery.

May the offseason bring a flurry of firings, starting with both coordinators.

Hopefully next year will see a much tougher, physical, aggressive team. Today's successful defenses ATTACK. We are the anti-that right now.

Let's replace Dancing LoMo, AD, some of the OL, get some OLBs, one good corner, and at least a couple of vets in FA.

I think TFB's best days are probably over too... he's got some great years left, but the magic appears to be gone... injuries + wife + kids + age have changed him mentally... whether that's temporary or permanant has yet to be sen. I'm proud to have TFB as our QB, but it's time to admit that perhaps we can't rely so much on him to single handedly win games for us ever again.

Amen. You have nailed it. This team has transformed from the aggressor to a team that allows every other team to dictate. We need to blow things up and i agree the coordinators have to be first. This defense has been a bend don't break D since Crennel left and was succeeded by Mangini and Pees.

The front office screwed up big time with Lewis and Galloway. The late cuts of both left us with a 2 WR offense. Edelman was a pleasant surprise, but he would be best as 4th or 5th receiver. With Welker out long-term we need big time help at WR. We need speed at LB, particularly outside. TBC is a nice player, but not a starter. This draft is loaded with speed LB's/DE's. Time to get two of those.

 

[Krugman]

Yup.I had a nagging feeling (like many here I beleive) this team was going to suffer a defeat similiar to this at some point in the playoffs,might as well get it over with and improve the draft position! Damnit!

 

[BradyFTW!]

That's really sad.

Are there any positives when it comes to defense? I mean, in a perfect world, is there something we could do in free agency to make us, well, not get beaten up by the Baltimore Ravens?

Pass rush, although we need to be better against the run too. Either way, I'd say we're a Terrell Suggs away from being a pretty good defense. That said, the Ravens ended the game before they even threw their first pass today, so maybe our defense is even worse than I think.

 

[furley]

Relief is what one feels after doing a number two. I would've felt better if the team didn't make the playoffs as someone else said. Conversely, by qualifying for the playoffs, you're prolonging the inevitable. All you can hope for now is a good draft and activity in free agency.

Personally, I don't feel like smiling or frowning. But when the Patriots lose, I lose, no more playoffs. Because I can careless about the rest of the NFL. I look forward to the off-season and fantasy football next season.

Go Celtics!

 

[dhamz]

The team is cleary at the crossroads right now. They aren't a bad team, might even be a playoff team next year with no changes if things broke right but they aren't a Super Bowl contender.

As it stands today, they are a team in decline and there is no argument that can be made against that statement - from 16-0 to a blowout loss at home in round 1 to a mediocre team in 2 years is a severe decline.

Do they retool and reload this offseason as they did in 2003 and 2007 or do they do little and let the decline continue? That is the question of this offeseason.

The scary thing about this season was Tom Brady was not the same QB he was before. He had nice numbers padded with some blowouts of bad teams but was nothing like the clutch QB who led this team and was the best player in the league the last decade. Hopefully it was an off year because of injuries and recovery from the ACL and not the start of a trend.

 

[pats1]

Is it possible to get some free agents to beef up our defense?

Losing this week instead of next week made that much easier, considering the final eight rule.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

If people want to criticize Brady, fine. But why the hell are you bringing up his marriage and kids? What the hell does that have to do with anything? It's a cheap shot and a low blow that has nothing to do with his play on the field.

We can talk about the mental issues in coming back from injury, not having McDaniels around, the over-reliance on Wes. But geez, leave the guy's family out of it.

 

[Fencer]

Good post.
Light played awful, Neil played awful, Maroney....ridiculous. Aiken as a WR? What? Hopefully Watson is gone. Baker was a bust. Green was a non-factor this season. Did he even play today? I don't mind if the Ghost is gone. He missed to many important kicks this year. Got to be a better college kicker out there. Hanson=Gone! O.C.=Gone!Sanders....Oh yeah right he made the defense better! He is awful (although Merriweather stunk today too). Worst DB in the league.

Give TB some weapons Bob! We need a starting RB, a starting WR (let Moss play the #3. Not an insult. He just got too beat up this year).

I am still proud of the Pats. They were seriously undermanned this year and bravado took over. That only goes so far. You need weapons and tools.

Cuts or no resigns please;
Light
Neal
Green
Sanders
Maroney
Woods
Alexander
Kcazur
AD (he actually was not bad today)
"Ghost"

THE OC !!!

DW Toys

Is this a parody post?

 

[aluminum seats]

This thread is pathetic. "Oh, I'm so relieved we lost! Now I don't have to be put through any more playoff games!" Ugh. Being relieved when you lose and are out of the race is what losers do. No thanks.

As frustrating as the loss was, much massive overstatement in a lot of these posts too.

 

[mayoclinic]

Glad that this team has finally been put out of its misery.

May the offseason bring a flurry of firings, starting with both coordinators.

Hopefully next year will see a much tougher, physical, aggressive team. Today's successful defenses ATTACK. We are the anti-that right now.

Let's replace Dancing LoMo, AD, some of the OL, get some OLBs, one good corner, and at least a couple of vets in FA.

I think TFB's best days are probably over too... he's got some great years left, but the magic appears to be gone... injuries + wife + kids + age have changed him mentally... whether that's temporary or permanant has yet to be sen. I'm proud to have TFB as our QB, but it's time to admit that perhaps we can't rely so much on him to single handedly win games for us ever again.

I think you're going a bit overboard.

I'm not happy the season is over, but I'm not surprised, and I wasn't emotionally devastated by this loss because I didn't think this team had what it took. I really didn't have much confidence in this team going into the game, based on their roller coaster performance all season. This was clearly not the kind of Pats team we have become accustomed to (spoliled by?). I outlined some of my doubts this morning in http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/270707-one-post-week-state-pats.html (see post #212), and was unfortunately correct. I didn't expect quite this level of meltdown, but I think in some ways it's a good thing to cleanse and move forwards.

I'm still optimistic for the future. I'm particularly optimistic about BB and TB. Brady is still one of the greatest of all time. He needs to re-assess himself and decide whether he is on the downside of his career, or whether he has what it takes to pick up and come back better than ever. I have no doubt that he can do so if he wants to. He needs to go back to doing what made him great in the first place - smart decision making, spreading the ball around, making the clutch play. I want him to go back to being Joe Montana, not morphing into Dan Marino. It doesn't suit his skills.

The FO needs to be absolutely ruthless about assessing this team from top to bottom, including itself. There is plenty of talent here and the nucleus for a contending team. The margin between an also-ran and a SB contender is not great - the Saints were 8-8 last year, and the Chargers looked mediocre at the beginning of this year. We can turn things around, I have no doubt. But hte margin between an also-ran and a bottom dweller is also not great, and we need to be absolutely brutal about doing what it takes to clean out the deadwood and leave this team with a solid nucleus to move forward.

BB also needs to decide whether this is the end of the dynasty or the beginning of another run. It's reasonable to say that after 10 years any coach may not have the same fire in his belly and be willing to do what it takes. If that's the case, perhaps we need to move on. If he's burned out, maybe he needs to step away from coaching and take a rest they way Cowher, Shanahan and Holmgren did. I wouldn't fault him if that were the case. But if BB still has that fire, there's no one better. He needs to be equally critical of himself and the staff he has assembled, and realize that they have simply not done an adequate job of putting the players in a position to win.

I think you could see tremendous turnover this offseason, with a lot of role guys leaving - Kevin Faulk, Stephen Neal, Jarvis Green, Adalius Thomas, Derrick Burgess, Matt Light, Nick Kaczur, Ben Watson, Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfork are just some of the names who could leave. The FO has to decide who is worth keeping and who should move on. We certainly need a hungrier, more physical team than the one that took the field in 2009. That team was too often soft, unable to execute the big play, unable to put away an opponent, and unable to rise to a challenge. We would do better with a less talented but hungrier team, like we had in 2001. And that includes the head coach if BB no longer has the drive or creativity that he used to. I personally don't think that will turn out to be the case, and that BB will rise to the challenge, but I could be wrong.

This uncapped year is a perfect time to reshape this team for the future. We have more wealth in the next 2 drafts (very talented drafts) than any other team in the NFL. The likelihood of an uncapped year will make it easier to trim the deadwood without severe cap repercussions than in the past, and to spend a bit more to bring in some key pieces if necessary.

Take a deep breath. As you say, hopefully next year will feature a much tougher, more physical, and aggressive team, from top to bottom, including the FO and coaching staff. The talent is there, but the mentality and experience was lacking this year.

This could be the end of the dynasty, or the start of a whole new adventure ....

 

[tajapandu]

Yeah this loss doesn't hurt nearly as bad as 05, 06, or 07. Still frustrating though.

ditto. And unlike most of the people here, I dont feel a sense of doom and gloom like everyone else here. I honestly think this team has quite a few years of playing at a high level left.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Being completely out of the game with only 10 minutes gone in Q1, will make it much easier for me to move on than a heartbreaking loss. Turnovers were the complete story, some were the Pats fault, others were the luck of the draw. It was good to see a few players really fired up, Faulk and Edelman played with fire today.

 

[SyN65]

Me too. This wasn't our year. The writing was on the wall all year.

I'm curious to see what BB is going to do this off season.

 

[stcjones]

Glad that this team has finally been put out of its misery.

May the offseason bring a flurry of firings, starting with both coordinators.

Hopefully next year will see a much tougher, physical, aggressive team. Today's successful defenses ATTACK. We are the anti-that right now.

Let's replace Dancing LoMo, AD, some of the OL, get some OLBs, one good corner, and at least a couple of vets in FA.

I think TFB's best days are probably over too... he's got some great years left, but the magic appears to be gone... injuries + age have changed him mentally... whether that's temporary or permanant has yet to be sen. I'm proud to have TFB as our QB, but it's time to admit that perhaps we can't rely so much on him to single handedly win games for us ever again.

man you must be related to me......great post. Could not agree more

we need: To rebuild the defense and secondary first and foremost. When we won our championships we did so primarily with a devestating defense and a low risk and efficient offense. Maroney had a bittersweet year....he showed some improved running ability but did continue alot of his dancing ways......and then to add a new twist....started fumbling in key situations. I think we can do better....Taylor and Morris are cooked too....need to bring in "new" talent at RB next year........with a FA and drafting another rookie......I think Faulk plays at least one more year....

Brady no longer has the hunger. I love him for what he brought to this organization....but he has a hot brazilian wife and likes the hollywood exposure. It is like a MD when he comes out of med school.....He is fired up to save the world.......he does great things, and helps alot of people....and then he gets into a rut and gets comfortable.....and then it doesn't mean as much to him.....and it becomes routine......This is where Brady is at...and yes like you say, he is coming back from a horrific injury...one of the toughest for a qb....and will forever have that fear of "another" critical hit......PLUS, he accomplished INCREDIBLE and legendary success in a short time by winning 3 sbs in 4 years.....and just doesn't have that fire in the belly anymore.....

we need to completely overhaul the OL......bye to neal, kaczur, and light.......sign some good fa's and draft well here......

Lastly, for the love of god....bring in some seasoned and creative coordinators......Pees is NOT a good defensive coordinator....he is near the BOTTOM when polled recently....The guy is at best average.....we need a genius....who is creative and can BRING many looks at an offense.....Pees sucked this year and in the past....and needs to go.....Hopefully Kraft sits down with BB and takes his ego out of the equation.....

 

[TriplecHamp]

I think we all have expected way too much from TB...the next few years the Patriots MUST build a dominating defense and a run game.

As much as it pains me to sy...this is what teh Jets have done and it is why tehy are still playing and we are not.

Exactly, we honestly just weren't that good.

 

[Michael]

It felt like the pre-Brady Pats. I never believed they had a chance at a championship so I wasn't disappointed. Only a little sad we won't get to see another Pats game for 9 months.

 

[stcjones]

I think you're going a bit overboard.

I'm not happy the season is over, but I'm not surprised, and I wasn't emotionally devastated by this loss because I didn't think this team had what it took. I really didn't have much confidence in this team going into the game, based on their roller coaster performance all season. This was clearly not the kind of Pats team we have become accustomed to (spoliled by?). I outlined some of my doubts this morning in http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/270707-one-post-week-state-pats.html (see post #212), and was unfortunately correct. I didn't expect quite this level of meltdown, but I think in some ways it's a good thing to cleanse and move forwards.

I'm still optimistic for the future. I'm particularly optimistic about BB and TB. Brady is still one of the greatest of all time. He needs to re-assess himself and decide whether he is on the downside of his career, or whether he has what it takes to pick up and come back better than ever. I have no doubt that he can do so if he wants to. He needs to go back to doing what made him great in the first place - smart decision making, spreading the ball around, making the clutch play. I want him to go back to being Joe Montana, not morphing into Dan Marino. It doesn't suit his skills.

The FO needs to be absolutely ruthless about assessing this team from top to bottom, including itself. There is plenty of talent here and the nucleus for a contending team. The margin between an also-ran and a SB contender is not great - the Saints were 8-8 last year, and the Chargers looked mediocre at the beginning of this year. We can turn things around, I have no doubt. But hte margin between an also-ran and a bottom dweller is also not great, and we need to be absolutely brutal about doing what it takes to clean out the deadwood and leave this team with a solid nucleus to move forward.

BB also needs to decide whether this is the end of the dynasty or the beginning of another run. It's reasonable to say that after 10 years any coach may not have the same fire in his belly and be willing to do what it takes. If that's the case, perhaps we need to move on. If he's burned out, maybe he needs to step away from coaching and take a rest they way Cowher, Shanahan and Holmgren did. I wouldn't fault him if that were the case. But if BB still has that fire, there's no one better. He needs to be equally critical of himself and the staff he has assembled, and realize that they have simply not done an adequate job of putting the players in a position to win.

I think you could see tremendous turnover this offseason, with a lot of role guys leaving - Kevin Faulk, Stephen Neal, Jarvis Green, Adalius Thomas, Derrick Burgess, Matt Light, Nick Kaczur, Ben Watson, Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfork are just some of the names who could leave. The FO has to decide who is worth keeping and who should move on. We certainly need a hungrier, more physical team than the one that took the field in 2009. That team was too often soft, unable to execute the big play, unable to put away an opponent, and unable to rise to a challenge. We would do better with a less talented but hungrier team, like we had in 2001. And that includes the head coach if BB no longer has the drive or creativity that he used to. I personally don't think that will turn out to be the case, and that BB will rise to the challenge, but I could be wrong.

This uncapped year is a perfect time to reshape this team for the future. We have more wealth in the next 2 drafts (very talented drafts) than any other team in the NFL. The likelihood of an uncapped year will make it easier to trim the deadwood without severe cap repercussions than in the past, and to spend a bit more to bring in some key pieces if necessary.

Take a deep breath. As you say, hopefully next year will feature a much tougher, more physical, and aggressive team, from top to bottom, including the FO and coaching staff. The talent is there, but the mentality and experience was lacking this year.

This could be the end of the dynasty, or the start of a whole new adventure ....

"BB also needs to decide whether this is the end of the dynasty or the beginning of another run. It's reasonable to say that after 10 years any coach may not have the same fire in his belly and be willing to do what it takes. "

I think you are right here......he may be fried by this point....hope not but I could see it....

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Brady no longer has the hunger. I love him for what he brought to this organization....but he has a hot brazilian wife and likes the hollywood exposure. It is like a MD when he comes out of med school.....He is fired up to save the world.......he does great things, and helps alot of people....and then he gets into a rut and gets comfortable.....and then it doesn't mean as much to him.....and it becomes routine......This is where Brady is at...and yes like you say, he is coming back from a horrific injury...one of the toughest for a qb....and will forever have that fear of "another" critical hit......PLUS, he accomplished INCREDIBLE and legendary success in a short time by winning 3 sbs in 4 years.....and just doesn't have that fire in the belly anymore.....

I said this at the beginning of the season and got blasted for it. Believe it or not, I starting noticing it during super bowl 42 and how he disappeared after his injury in 2008. It was bizarre how little emotion Brady displayed chasing history in the super bowl against the Giants. BB looks the same way at times too.

 

[TriplecHamp]

I think you're going a bit overboard.

I'm not happy the season is over, but I'm not surprised, and I wasn't emotionally devastated by this loss because I didn't think this team had what it took. I really didn't have much confidence in this team going into the game, based on their roller coaster performance all season. This was clearly not the kind of Pats team we have become accustomed to (spoliled by?). I outlined some of my doubts this morning in http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/270707-one-post-week-state-pats.html (see post #212), and was unfortunately correct. I didn't expect quite this level of meltdown, but I think in some ways it's a good thing to cleanse and move forwards.

I'm still optimistic for the future. I'm particularly optimistic about BB and TB. Brady is still one of the greatest of all time. He needs to re-assess himself and decide whether he is on the downside of his career, or whether he has what it takes to pick up and come back better than ever. I have no doubt that he can do so if he wants to. He needs to go back to doing what made him great in the first place - smart decision making, spreading the ball around, making the clutch play. I want him to go back to being Joe Montana, not morphing into Dan Marino. It doesn't suit his skills.

The FO needs to be absolutely ruthless about assessing this team from top to bottom, including itself. There is plenty of talent here and the nucleus for a contending team. The margin between an also-ran and a SB contender is not great - the Saints were 8-8 last year, and the Chargers looked mediocre at the beginning of this year. We can turn things around, I have no doubt. But hte margin between an also-ran and a bottom dweller is also not great, and we need to be absolutely brutal about doing what it takes to clean out the deadwood and leave this team with a solid nucleus to move forward.

BB also needs to decide whether this is the end of the dynasty or the beginning of another run. It's reasonable to say that after 10 years any coach may not have the same fire in his belly and be willing to do what it takes. If that's the case, perhaps we need to move on. If he's burned out, maybe he needs to step away from coaching and take a rest they way Cowher, Shanahan and Holmgren did. I wouldn't fault him if that were the case. But if BB still has that fire, there's no one better. He needs to be equally critical of himself and the staff he has assembled, and realize that they have simply not done an adequate job of putting the players in a position to win.

I think you could see tremendous turnover this offseason, with a lot of role guys leaving - Kevin Faulk, Stephen Neal, Jarvis Green, Adalius Thomas, Derrick Burgess, Matt Light, Nick Kaczur, Ben Watson, Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfork are just some of the names who could leave. The FO has to decide who is worth keeping and who should move on. We certainly need a hungrier, more physical team than the one that took the field in 2009. That team was too often soft, unable to execute the big play, unable to put away an opponent, and unable to rise to a challenge. We would do better with a less talented but hungrier team, like we had in 2001. And that includes the head coach if BB no longer has the drive or creativity that he used to. I personally don't think that will turn out to be the case, and that BB will rise to the challenge, but I could be wrong.

This uncapped year is a perfect time to reshape this team for the future. We have more wealth in the next 2 drafts (very talented drafts) than any other team in the NFL. The likelihood of an uncapped year will make it easier to trim the deadwood without severe cap repercussions than in the past, and to spend a bit more to bring in some key pieces if necessary.

Take a deep breath. As you say, hopefully next year will feature a much tougher, more physical, and aggressive team, from top to bottom, including the FO and coaching staff. The talent is there, but the mentality and experience was lacking this year.

This could be the end of the dynasty, or the start of a whole new adventure ....

Great post, I felt like this team had the talent at some areas and were just to thin and not as talented as others. For instance, our receivers not being able to beat man coverage on a gamely basis. Hopefully we bring in some good PRIME free agents and some stud Rooks. But Honestly this thought came to my mind. What makes us so special? The Jets have a coach that seems fun to play for and they look like their on the upside. Their are now plenty of places for FA to go where they have "a good chance to win every year". With an uncapped year it may be harder for us to land key FA because we just dont have the same mystic. Hopefully Im wrong.