Most depressing Patriot losses of all time

[Lifer]

im sorry, SB 42 isnt it. We have 3 titles behind us and it was still a SB season.
the old timers will remember the pain of thinking "we'll never win anything" after tough losses...

here are some worse ones in my book..

1. 1976 - Roughing the passer game
2. 1979 - Going to Denver when we were still in contention and losing in the snow something like 45-7. they used footage from the game in "Everybodys All-American"
3. 1979 - getting eliminated by getting upset at the Jets. following the game the famous Larry Johnson cartoon where the Red Sox player meets the Patriots player at the airport "Great Job, just a super choke!!!!"
4. for me, the worst night...1980..the night John Lennon was shot, and John Smith gets his kicked blocked in Miami as the season is lost. My two great loves at the time, the Beatles and the Patriots. a very bad night.
5. 1984 - Patriots needing a win in Denver, tie game, driving for a winning FG, Mosi Tatupu fumbles and the Broncos run it all the way back to win the game.
6. 1997 - playoff loss at Pittsburgh when Bledsoe gets stripped by Vrabel. My last straw with Drew. it always happened to Drew. from the moment on, i stopped hoping he'd be like Troy Aikman.

 

[MrTibbs]

AFC Championship game vs. the Colts in 06. By far the worst in my opinion, even worse then this seasons Super Bowl loss.

 

[PATRIOT64]

Anyone who does not agree that Super Bowl 20 was not the worst loss of all time either is less than 40 years old or can't remember it.

In 1986 the Patriots finally rose above the ashes and beat Miami in their home orange bowl which was about as high up in emotion as a Patriots fan can be but then a week later the high became a huge low thud by mid 2nd quarter - it was devastating even though the Patriots were big underdogs to da bears all Pats fans thought destiny was on thier side - it was not unfortunately on that day

 

[dhamz]

Rationalize all you want. Convince yourself if you can. More power to you. I wish I could.

The Pats beat the Giants they go down as the best team in the history of the game. They are the best record wise and the best statistically. They can never be bettered, unbeaten can only be equalled.

They lost a game, a Super Bowl, and immortality - and in heartbreaking fashion. Nothing in franchise history compares.

 

[kooooolaidd]

Super Bowl 42 game

We could have been known in the history of the game as the GREATEST team to have ever played. 18-1 means nothing. Just think about it. What could have been a mark in history turned into a simple season that undoubtedly was great, but mean nothing when it came to the game that really mattered to us. Thats all we care about. Id rather win like we did in 2001, 2003, and 2004 then lose in the fashion that we did in SB 42. As patriots fan, all we care about is winning Super Bowls. This loss is the most depressing one of them all. Period.

 

[PatsFan24]

Sb 42
Sb 31
2007 Afccg
2006 Afcdr

 

[Wildo7]

I don't really see how there's any discussion here.

 

[rabthepat]

Rationalize all you want. Convince yourself if you can. More power to you. I wish I could.

The Pats beat the Giants they go down as the best team in the history of the game. They are the best record wise and the best statistically. They can never be bettered, unbeaten can only be equalled.

They lost a game, a Super Bowl, and immortality - and in heartbreaking fashion. Nothing in franchise history compares.

I agree 100%.

 

[DocE]

Not only is the Super Bowl 42 loss the most depressing loss in Patriots history, it's the most depressing loss in the history of the NFL.

If the Patriots win that game, they go down as the best team EVER. This team would have been discussed long after everyone on this board has left for (hopefully) a better place. Every single team to have a great year from 2008 on, would be compared to the 07-08 Patriots. Instead, they will be known for being part of one of (if not THE) greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. It simply doesn't get any worse than that.

I personally would have loved to see Mercury Morris, Don Shula, et al, choke on a Patriots perfect season. It's depressing to think those expletives still can pop their damn champagne.

 

[Stop Being A Jerk]

We lost in 08 to the 10-6 Gi'nts with a chance to better the team that beat us in the '86 Bowl as the best team ever; our hopes and expectations were higher; we lost because we played the worst game we've played under Belichick, though we had the best team we've had; we underperformed in the game by about 200%; we allowed the Super Bowl to be won by Mannings two years in a row; we turned Eli frigging Manning be a Super Bowl hero; we lost a chance to get a respite from "Spygate"; we lost a chance to shut up those Doplphis; despite the terrible performance we still had a chance to win and blew it; another year of Brady's prime gone without a Super Bowl, despite having such a good chance at it; the reasons to be disappointed and upset go on and on and on.

By comparison, we lost in 86 against the Best Team Ever(tm), and all the other disappointing losses in this thread (except for the Colts in 06-07) happened with the seasons' expectations lower in comparison precisely because of our recent success. In other words, there were lots of positives to be taken from those losses, even the 76 game. Especially since that wasn't a Super Bowl. There are none to be taken from this one. None.

 

[italian pat patriot]

the most depressing one was surely this year Super Bowl loss that was in my mind every moment for many weeks

then there are several losses that i remember and have been mentioned too but the loss against NYG was very very tough / the toughest ever

 

[BSR]

Rationalize all you want. Convince yourself if you can. More power to you. I wish I could.

The Pats beat the Giants they go down as the best team in the history of the game. They are the best record wise and the best statistically. They can never be bettered, unbeaten can only be equalled.

They lost a game, a Super Bowl, and immortality - and in heartbreaking fashion. Nothing in franchise history compares.

Unfortunately, I have to agree.

 

[richpats]

I think the Denver playoff game was more depressing IMO. SB42 and the Indy AFC title game, our opponents fought harder than us and earned their victory. It's not depressing to admit that your team wasn't the better team THAT DAY.

But Denver, jesus, what did they do to win that game? They fell on a few balls, their offense was handed the ball inside the 10 on THREE separate occasions, and they pretty much got every call all game. And Bailey's fumble DID go through the end zone. I believe their first 24 points came off of 24 yards of offense. Unbelievable.

 

[richpats]

As for those who are saying the Pats would have been the "greatest ever" if they had won - personally, I was so disappointed in the Pats' play that even if they had won, they would have ranked below the 2004 Patriots in my book. Records be damned, the '04 Pats killed the Colts & Steelers and cranked it up against a game Philly team in the SB.

Little known factoid - the '04 Pats only trailed in 2 games in the 4th quarter (both losses, of course). The '07 Pats trailed in 5 games in the 4th quarter. Even though the '04 Pats lost more games I believe the '07 Pats were more ripe for defeat than we thought.

The '07 Pats let all of their playoff opponents (which were no better than 11-5) hang around late. All the playoff games this year were disappointing on some level. I just didn't see the fire in any of those games. Maybe we'll see it next year.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

SB42- No way there is a close second because of the magnitude

AFC Championship 2006 season vs Colts- Hard 2 weeks to watch the Colts in super bowl week

AFC playoff game vs Denver 05 season- Agree with someone, that game we beat ourselves..


AFC Playoff game vs Denver 1986 season- First real disappointment as a Pats fan, Super bowl 20 was difficult, but expected...

Super Bowl 31 - Thanks Bill, Thanks Desmond Howard..

 

[Patjew]

Most depressing thread of all time: This one.

 

[PatsDeb]

Forget depressing losses. Look at all the important, great games we've been in!!! We could be Jets fans or Buffalo fans people!! Or Detroit or Arizona.

I hope someone starts a thread about greatest Pats wins of all time (I am too lazy). There are so many moments of sheer joy I have gotten out of this team in the last 8 years (and even a few before that). It's sports - you win some; you lose some. The losses hurt, but the wins have been awesome!!

 

[Tunescribe]

I don't understand the mentality behind this thread. Why ruminate over and discuss such inherently negative stuff on a crisp April day with not a cloud in the sky? True fellowship of the miserable happening here.

 

[BionicPatriot]

SB 42 isn't? How can one even think that? I know if they won no one on this board wouldn't be on cloud 9. That was immortality, a championship.

I thought the Colts playoff loss was tough, it isn't even close to this.

 

[godef]

5. 1984 - Patriots needing a win in Denver, tie game, driving for a winning FG, Mosi Tatupu fumbles and the Broncos run it all the way back to win the game.

That team, part of what went to the Super Bowl the next year, fumbled a LOT despite their relative success. I recently re-watched Super Bowl XX and I was reminded that, essentially, we kept fumbling the ball away, otherwise it might have been a reasonable score. And in the play-offs, despite their three straight roads wins, they still fumbled more than a winning team should.