Thanks to the Patriots for a good season

[Bill B.]

After reading some of the posts here time for something positive. I think we should just relax and thank the Patriots for their effort and giving us an entertaining year. When this year started, expectations were really low for the Patriots. Consider that we lost starters Nick Kaczur, Ty Warren, Leigh Bodden, and Brandon MacGowan at the start of the season. During the season we lose Kevin Faulk, Stephen Gostkowski, Stephen Neal, Mike Wright and Jonathan Wilhite. We didn't have Mankins to start the season. Starters Randy Moss and Laurence Maroney get traded during the season. We have a roster loaded with first and second year players and a bunch of undrafted free agents, all who were expected to contribute. We end up going 14-3 with a very tough schedule. We went 6-2 against playoff teams. This is a big accomplishment for a team that supposedly was rebuilding.

I think the future looks bright for the Patriots. With all the experience the young guys got, and with all the draft picks, the Patriots could be setting themselves up really good for the future. Brady has shown that he has a lot left in the tank and Belichick is still the best coach in the NFL.

Instead of whining and moaning about the last couple of playoff losses, it makes me appreciate the Super Bowls we did win even more. So many things have to go right just to get there and to do it 3 times in a 4 year span is amazing.

Call me a homer if you want. It is a moniker I will wear proudly. All chicken littles can get off the bandwagon if they want to. Right now I am looking forward to the draft.

 

[Haley]

Nice post, Bill B.

I'm sure more patsfans would respond but right now they are busy hanging out with these guys:

"We will never swing again!"



Thanks for taking the time to post something positive. I enjoyed reading it.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Thanks for a insightful post, amid all the crap threads on here claiming the sky is falling.

The talent gap between playoff teams is pretty damn small and so it will come down to outplaying somebody on a particular day. Single elimination is brutally unforgiving to having a bad day and the armchair analysts eager to tear the team apart to "fix" it can't quite grasp that.

 

[italian pat patriot]

in august 2010 i would have simply loved a season like this

so , i agree totally - it was a good one

 

[363839]

Always look on the bright side of life so thanks for an unexpected very successful regular season. We'll get 'em next year!
Best thread in the forum today.

 

[Kid~Brady]

Good thread. I only had to cringe twice this year during the regular season, we had a hell of a season. I enjoyed it. Next year we'll be that much better with the draft and players like Bodden returning.

Nobody wanted to lose, especially to the Jets. Its football, its life.

 

[Patsgirl_DK]

After reading some of the posts here time for something positive. I think we should just relax and thank the Patriots for their effort and giving us an entertaining year. When this year started, expectations were really low for the Patriots. Consider that we lost starters Nick Kaczur, Ty Warren, Leigh Bodden, and Brandon MacGowan at the start of the season. During the season we lose Kevin Faulk, Stephen Gostkowski, Stephen Neal, Mike Wright and Jonathan Wilhite. We didn't have Mankins to start the season. Starters Randy Moss and Laurence Maroney get traded during the season. We have a roster loaded with first and second year players and a bunch of undrafted free agents, all who were expected to contribute. We end up going 14-3 with a very tough schedule. We went 6-2 against playoff teams. This is a big accomplishment for a team that supposedly was rebuilding.

I think the future looks bright for the Patriots. With all the experience the young guys got, and with all the draft picks, the Patriots could be setting themselves up really good for the future. Brady has shown that he has a lot left in the tank and Belichick is still the best coach in the NFL.

Instead of whining and moaning about the last couple of playoff losses, it makes me appreciate the Super Bowls we did win even more. So many things have to go right just to get there and to do it 3 times in a 4 year span is amazing.

Call me a homer if you want. It is a moniker I will wear proudly. All chicken littles can get off the bandwagon if they want to. Right now I am looking forward to the draft.

Agree 100%. The Patriots have given me a lot of fun/happy moments this year. Sure I wish it didn´t have to end this way but with all the young players I didn´t really expect them to win it all - of course I hoped so. The only thing that really hurts it that they had to loose to the stinking, classless Jets especially the way they have been talking lately.
Can´t wait for the draft and next season (just get that CBA done). The way this team is heading and all the nice draftpick makes me think they have a potential chance to win the big one within the next couple of years.

 

[Angry Man]

Excellent post. Yesterday was a heart breaking day which I won't deny. But looking back upon the season this team has grown so much and has come so far. New blood has emerged on the team such as Woodhead, Gronkowski, Hernandez, and many others. I really feel that next season will be the year that we Patriots finally get that fourth ring. It hurts that it wasn't to happen this year but at this point the best thing both the team and us fans can do is to move forward.

Keep your heads up my fellow Pats fans.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Back in August I would have told you I'd be happy with a playoff appearance and getting the youngsters some postseason experience. Even though it didn't quite work the way I thought it would, that's essentially what happened. But we also defeated several elite teams on the way and just plain beat down a few of them. I'd say we're a little bit ahead in the rebuilding schedule. This was basically our 2001 minus the playoff success, a completely rebuilt team that wasn't supposed to do much of anything, overachieves like crazy.

We're in great position for the next 4-5 years at least and plenty of picks in the upcoming draft to work out the few kinks we have left. We'll have plenty more shots at the postseason, let's hope next time we play smarter and get better play out of our leader. The youngsters have gotten valuable experience this season.