No shame

[celticboy04]

Greetings,
I have to say some of Belichick's best coaching jobs were years this team did not win a Super Bowl, 2006 is another year that stands out as well. Situations in which most teams would have crumbled and taken many steps backwards. But no matter what happens, BB always finds a way for this team to be one of the best in the league.

I know many of us would love to see BB sign a lot of sexy names, but the way he builds the team is in a way they can at least be competitive all around and play the best team football possible. I know it is easy for many of us to play armchair GM, but in reality none of us would be better at that or coaching than BB. I could not ask for a better person to coach and evaluate players for my favorite team.

Celticboy04

 

[BritPat]

I've been following the Pats since late 2002 (and I've been watching the NFL for 25 years) - I've never seen a team take so many shots and keep getting back up as the 2013 Patriots. It has been (outside of the two SB teams I've seen) my favourite season as a fan by some distance.

So much heart and determination, so much character - on a par with the great 2003/2004 teams. I believe this was also the year which has cemented Belichick's place (as if there was any doubt) amongst the absolute all time great coaches. Nobody else could have taken this team to 12-4 on the back of what happened.

A crazy crazy year with so much promise going forwards. I can't wait for us to get healthy, for FA to start (SIGN ALEX MACK!!!!!) and for the Draft to come round.

Congratulations to the 2013 Patriots, they deserve it.

 

[IllegalContact]

There's this thing called the salary cap. . . .

Which is why this is Denver's swan song

Decker will require big $$, the Thomas .... Their money issues are about to explode

The pats are in good shape for next year. But I wonder about how much Brady truly has left in the tank

 

[AzorianPats]

Which is why this is Denver's swan song

Decker will require big $$, the Thomas .... Their money issues are about to explode

The pats are in good shape for next year. But I wonder about how much Brady truly has left in the tank

Brady is the least of my concerns. Obviously he's one more year closer to the end, but he was fine this season.

I do hope BB and Co look at how successful we were running at the end, and I hope we make an honest commitment continuing running it more next year. Especially after seeing in all time great in Elway all day on TV, and remembering how he rode off to the sunset with Terrell Davis.

 

[IllegalContact]

A commitment to running the ball while paying a qb 20m is difficult....

Brady is the least of my concerns. Obviously he's one more year closer to the end, but he was fine this season.



I do hope BB and Co look at how successful we were running at the end, and I hope we make an honest commitment continuing running it more next year. Especially after seeing in all time great in Elway all day on TV, and remembering how he rode off to the sunset with Terrell Davis.

 

[thenepatsrule]

Which is why this is Denver's swan song

Decker will require big $$, the Thomas .... Their money issues are about to explode

The pats are in good shape for next year. But I wonder about how much Brady truly has left in the tank

You have been wondering about this in almost every other game day thread since the past 4-5 years.

 

[IllegalContact]

You have been wondering about this in almost every other game day thread since the past 4-5 years.

Not true.......

 

[thenepatsrule]

Not true.......

Truth is considered to be universal if it is valid in all times and places. In this case, it is seen as eternal or as absolute

 

[IllegalContact]

Truth is considered to be universal if it is valid in all times and places. In this case, it is seen as eternal or as absolute

Yeah, well...... For his part, Brady fell flat on his face yesterday. He is healthy, but was unable to make the big play when the WR was in place to give him that opportunity.

 

[vyrago]

... At the very least, it's nearly impossible for the upcoming off-season to be as bad as the last one was.

This line made me cringe.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I share 100% the sentiments at the top of the thread: there is no shame in this loss for the reasons that have now been cited and recited many times and don't need to be repeated again.

But, I'm not as certain as others about what it all means for next year. It's too early to say, one way or the other.

The D super-out-performed any reasonable expectations yesterday, holding one of the best offenses of all time to 26 points; they kept the Pats in the game by surrendering FG's instead of TD's a couple of times early on. Peyton Manning is one of the greatest of all time and he is going to pick you apart eventually, but the D more than did its job...without Mayo, Talib and Wilfork! Remarkable.

But the Offense couldn't stay on the field and the TOP stat says it all...Manning used a full quarter of the game on just two scoring drives. It was amazing that the D was still standing at the end of the game. Hats off to every one of them.

I know that TB said before the game that his arm was stronger than ever, but, as has now been dissected in great detail, he missed a couple of big plays that could have turned the tide. Given the circumstances, there was, as he said often this week, no room for error and he made several.

So, I'm going to wait and see. See if Gronk comes back healthy...if Amendola can live up to expectations with a full year under his belt as a Patriot...if they can fill the key holes via the Draft and FA...if Brady is still Brady.

But, basically, I'm going to appreciate BB and what he got out of this team.

Thank you, Patriots.

 

[thenepatsrule]

Yeah, well...... For his part, Brady fell flat on his face yesterday. He is healthy, but was unable to make the big play when the WR was in place to give him that opportunity.

By place you mean 10 feet behind where the ball was about to drop??

Please dont try to hide your hatred for everything related to Brady. Skip Bayless does a better job of hiding his love for Tebow.

 

[robbomango]

26 points to the best offense in football is a good game any day of the week.

16 points is unaceptable when you're making the money Brady is making.

too many 3 and outs the defense was gassed.

Manning went one and done last year and he makes a ton of money as well, Flacco just had a huge pay day, played atrocious and didn't even make the PO's this year. By your standards every QB making TB's money and more should be in the SB or championship game this year but most players making that money were watching TB again on their couches.

He played with ligament issues in his hand, got sacked 40 times or so this season, our pass catchers had in between 30-40 drops, there's enough blame to go around. It was a tough year and nobody wanted to win more than him, you are just upset that we lost and need a fall guy. It was a complete team loss IMO.

The O didn't play well but without Gronk that's been the MO all season, for the passing game at least.

Very thankful for their efforts this year, a lot of grit and toughness as usual, Go pats 2014!!!

 

[grux]

26 points to the best offense in football is a good game any day of the week.

16 points is unaceptable when you're making the money Brady is making.

too many 3 and outs the defense was gassed.

The defense was also gassed because it couldn't get off the field. Manning had all the time in the world to go through his progressions and the result was two 7+ minute drives. I will agree that Brady & the offense didn't play great but the defense wasn't any better.

The Pats had a great season considering all of the adversity they had to deal with. There is no NFL team that has done it better for the past 13 years. We should be grateful that our team makes the playoffs and competes for a Championship every season.

 

[mosi]

So who, last year, predicted that the Pats would make the AFC Championship game without Gronk, Mayo, Hernandez, Wilson, Sea Bass, Welker, Lloyd, Kelly and Wilfork.

I thought so. This loss stings just like the 1986 loss in Denver but just like that year, this was a fantastic and magical year.

 

[PatsDeb]

Out-gunned, out-manned. This team was remarkably gutsy overcoming HUGE setbacks during the regular season and went as far as it physically could. I'm proud of what the Patriots accomplished this year. Here's looking forward to finishing the job in 2014.

Agreed. Been too bummed to come on here since Sunday, but this was one game where I wasn't too confident going in for the reasons Tune states. Was hoping the magic wouldn't run out, but it did. I'll be around and come back in force around draft time. Bummed to see today that Pepper Johnson is leaving too. I always feel like a little kid this time of year - desperate for things to stay the same, even though I know that's impossible.

At least we still have the Bruins

 

[Tunescribe]

Agreed. Been too bummed to come on here since Sunday, but this was one game where I wasn't too confident going in for the reasons Tune states. Was hoping the magic wouldn't run out, but it did. I'll be around and come back in force around draft time. Bummed to see today that Pepper Johnson is leaving too. I always feel like a little kid this time of year - desperate for things to stay the same, even though I know that's impossible.

At least we still have the Bruins

I figured you were taking a short break. (You missed some interesting exchanges with the usual influx of naysaying imbeciles. ) Please continue to chime in regularly, your perspectives are needed here.

 

[oldskool138]

At least we still have the Bruins

Not unless you don't like hockey.

 

[PatsDeb]

Not unless you don't like hockey.

Looks like oldskool needs to learn some new tricks! Seriously, my boys are die hard Bruins fans, so I started watching them again a few years ago (hadn't really watched them since I was a kid, and the best part about them in those days [when we had one TV in the house and if Dad wanted to watch the Bruins, you were out of luck on anything else] was the theme song), and I really like them now.

Pluses - more than one game per week; they are a good team and fun to watch; love Chara, the old man and captain of the team; and even though I have fun rooting for them, I don't have the gut wrench when they lose a game or play badly that I have with the Pats. Not sure if that is because one game doesn't mean as much, or I am not as emotionally tied to them. Either way, I have noticed that the last couple of winters don't seem as long now that I have another "team" to root for while the Pats are on hiatus. Try it, maybe you'll like it!

 

[PatsDeb]

I figured you were taking a short break. (You missed some interesting exchanges with the usual influx of naysaying imbeciles. ) Please continue to chime in regularly, your perspectives are needed here.

Thanks buddy, but I am sure you held the "mature" fan with perspective line just fine. I'll be around, just not as frequently. As I have said before, the Pats are my escape from the negative things in life, so I can't really stand to read ad nauseum about how they screwed up and were a disappointment. Pollyana-ish, I know, but what can I say? When the train stops I prefer to get off until the next one, rather than try to figure out how the old one could have run better.