The "good for a rebuilding year" talk does not fly with me...

[Pessimistic Pete]

At the beginning of the year did anyone see the Patriots as a 14-2 team? No.

But that does not *****-ing matter. They DID go 14-2 (#1) and were two home games (against a team they had just beat 45-3 and the historically owned Steelers) from going to the SUPER BOWL. Pre-season expectations are irrelevant, this team has proved they're a SB team since the Steelers game.

Do you know how rare an opportunity like that is? How can you just assume the Patriots will be right back next year? The NFL rarely works like that. Brady had an MVP season, the Patriots set a historical mark of excellence for turnover ratio and our offense was scoring 30+ points a game.

We blew an amazing opportunity to win a Super Bowl. I am not chalking it up as a "good rebuilding season" but rather "this is the third time we clearly should of won the SB and did not". Saying "oh well, good rebuilding seasons" assumes that the team will perform even better next year.

An amazing regular season completely down the drain, all for nothing. We won big, we blew out the elites, we won some tight ones and put together the 2nd most impressive regular season resume of the Belichick era. Hell, we even went into the playoffs EXACTLY how you want, playing your BEST football, off a huge winning streak and clicking on all cylinders, off a bye and against an inferior opponent.

I can't believe it.

 

[ausbacker]

I'm with you Pete.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

I hate that once again I have to be negative, but I think most people know I was actually feeling great the whole second half of the season.

2006: Were we better than Chargers? No. But we found a way to beat them we WERE leading the AFC Championship game 21-3. At that point, we should of went on to win the Super Bowl.
2007: Self explanatory.
2010: 14-2, #1 seed, self explanatory.

2002, 2005, 2008 and 2009 we just simply weren't good enough, you can live with that.

I will always be forever grateful of the 3 in 4 years we won, but now it's as if we're doing the reverse dynasty.

 

[PatsCelticsSox]

I agree with you. Coming into the season, people weren't expecting this much. But Brady had an incredible season and the defense got better as the season went on. I was expecting more especially after getting embarrased at home last season.

 

[Real American Hero]

It doesn't fly well with me either but you can't replay the game so what are you to do? Be miserable or try and look for a silver lining in all of this?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

It's just hard to believe this team was as good as we thought when they were dominated so badly in this game against a team they've already seen twice this season. Yes, we know they can beat the Jets badly, as they did earlier. But they also lost 2 out of 3 to them. Even if the Pats hadn't turned the ball over today, I still think they lose the game. The Jets are the more talented team. The Pats really overachieved all season and won the turnover battle frequently.

 

[mb6592]

At the beginning of the year did anyone see the Patriots as a 14-2 team? No.

But that does not *****-ing matter. They DID go 14-2 (#1) and were two home games (against a team they had just beat 45-3 and the historically owned Steelers) from going to the SUPER BOWL.

Do you know how rare an opportunity like that is? How can you just assume the Patriots will be right back next year? The NFL rarely works like that. You're also assuming are offensive will be as effective, Brady will be as effective, etc.

We blew an amazing opportunity to win a Super Bowl. I am not chalking it up as a "good rebuilding season" but rather "this is the third time we clearly should of won the SB and did not"

I can't believe it.

anyone that doesn't understand or pooh-poohs this point or shows false bravado is just kidding themselves - and to the fu--ing J-E-T-S of all teams. Why did this fu--ing team let this happen? Our worst nightmare. Our arch rival gets killed 45-3 and still have the foolishness to talk, talk, talk. Close game? Fine, we'll settle - but do not lose to this #6 seed after they trash talked how they didn't care that we were the #1 seed, that they didn't care that we were 30 - 1 in our building, that Brady was no Manning and that Belichick was the best coach (dripping sarcasm) but Ryan only had to be better for 3 hours on Sunday. How do you know Ryan was being a ****? Because he now says Belichick outcoached him last night. I sort of hope the Jets win the Superbowl - this team needs a wakeup call. 0-3 & 0-2? are you fu-cking kidding me? I (and all of you) have laughed my azz off @ the Colts all these years, little did I know what was around the bend.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

same here pete .

 

[Coach42]

Humble pie tastes like sh*t but to complain about this season, you're a spoiled jerk.

 

[tests]

i completely agree with you Pete. Opportunities like this rarely happen.

gotta admit one thing though, there was a poster on this forum that kept on dissing the Patriots defense game after game (i forgot his name). Although the offense is a huge reason as to why we lost, the defense did not pressure mark sanchez whatsoever and you could almost tell that the Patriots defense were relying on "turnovers."


God i just hope this team can recover. 3 straight playoff losses?

On the bright side, we have an incredibly talented and young team who will only grow. TFB also has a good 4 years, and hopefully we can get someone that can take the load off of him in big game situations.

Nonetheless, very disappointed.

 

[JFK]

We honestly underachieved. Why have the best record, beat all the good teams, win home-field advantage, get a bye week, only to lose to some clowns we are better than on most days?
Something is wrong with BB

 

[Bella*chick]

Well, be disappointed all you want. It is what it is. We played badly. We looked rusty. It happens.

All the "analysis" here after a disappointment like this means nothing. We played badly, we lost. This was a very young team and a huge learning experience. That's all there is to it.

 

[DaBruinz]

Why am I not surprised that those in the "Chicken Little" crowd are now showing their hypocracy by complaining that the Pats didn't blow the Jets out again.. These were the same ones who weren't happy with how the Pats were winning games and were complaining about them as well.

 

[sevengables_2207]

There is nothing good about losing in the playoffs, especially to your hated division rival.

However, I have managed to take a step back and look at it from the perspective that for the past two months, in the back of my mind, I thought the Patriots were overachieving, as there was still a gap in the level of talent (that will doubtless be narrowed via the draft this year) in Foxborough when compared to the other playoff teams. They were playing the best going into the playoffs, but outstanding coaching and quarterbacking covered for flaws that talented, veteran, and battle-tested teams could take advantage of if the breaks bounced their way.

And this was manifest yesterday.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

2010: 14-2, #1 seed, self explanatory.

Not quite.

Remember that this team would still have had two games to go, and knew going out the next one was going to be against Pittsburgh.

Plus the best remaining team on the opposite side was one that they had just narrowly beaten earlier in the season, without their starting QB.

Not saying that the Patriots couldn't have won those games, merely that it wasn't nearly the "given" at THIS point as it was in 2007, or even in 2006 (win that game, and play an awful Bears team).

 

[ensoul]

This team overachieved the year Brady got hurt. This year we had a good team, arguably the best overall team since the 2004/2005 season. They had this best record in the NFL and beat up and some of the best teams.

This was anything but a rebuilding year. What we witnessed was a team that was outplayed and out coached for the 3rd straight playoff game. It just makes it more frustrating that this team had the best record in the NFL. I am starting to wonder if BB and Brady have what it takes anymore to win playoff games.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Not quite.

Remember that this team would still have had two games to go, and knew going out the next one was going to be against Pittsburgh.

We beat ALL FOUR TEAMS who will be playing in the conference championship games next weekend.

How many times in NFL history has that even been done?

And in fact, we BLEW OUT three of them, two on the road.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I'm not over the loss yet either. Still, you have to take in account just how young the team is. I'm pretty sure over half of the roster is in their 1st or 2nd year. Asking them to have the season they did in this league is a tall order, asking them to win a super bowl is an even taller one. The playoffs are a whole new season. Not saying that makes it okay, but you had to come into this season expecting some growing pains, this is part of that.

The real disappointing part is how Brady looked, as one of the few experienced leaders he should have showed up. I thought Wilfork really came to play.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

We beat ALL FOUR TEAMS who will be playing in the conference championship games next weekend.

How many times in NFL history has that even been done?

And in fact, we BLEW OUT three of them, two on the road.

But, as I pointed out:

(A) The Packers team the Patriots beat is probably not the one that would have reached the Super Bowl. Who knows how that game would have turned out.

(B) This wasn't the same Patriots team that won those games. As but two examples: Ron Brace, who played in all three of those blowouts, went on IR before the Miami game; Moore and Ninkovich were both hurt in this game. Who knows if they'd be available for next week if the Patriots had won.

I'll give you that they probably should have been the AFC rep in the Super Bowl, but I can't make the claim that they definitely "should have won the Super Bowl."

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

Who cares about rebuilding? Sure, we could add some players... But we just went 14-2! I don't care about next season, this one should have been ours. How much better does anyone really think we will be next year? I do think we will be good but it doesn't matter if you lose like this with a 14-2 season.