For months now, there has been apprehension on local sports talk radio regarding the Patriots' chances playing at Denver in the AFCCG. Historically, this is well founded, as those Patriots teams which lost there in the playoffs were arguably better but self-destructed in ignominious fashion, eliminating themselves with multiple self-inflicted wounds.
On 1/4/87 The 11-5 Patriots headed into 11-5 Denver as defending AFC champions and with more playoff and Super Bowl experience than anyone left in the tournament after young Doug Flutie was thrown to the wolves against the Redskins in Chicago. The Patriots valiantly and uncharacteristically, for that season, ran for 121 yards and passed the ball well including two long Stanley Morgan touchdown catches and picked off John Elway twice. Alas, they collapsed under the shower of six sacks of Tony Eason, including Rulon Jones' game ending safety. Berry never learned.
In the divisional The 2005 team was injured ravaged on defense and had good players but aging on defense and offense.. was in it until the champ Bailey INT
Actually, the Patriots' defense led the league the second half of the season, and the offense was more than adequate with Corey Dillon only a bit banged up. Again, they had more experience than anyone and arguably more talent. Alas, the Patriots (Belichick and Brady included) approached, prepared for and played this game on 1/14/06 with the kind of pitiful, loser attitude reminiscent of their Clive Rush and Rod Rust predecessors. Rodney Harrison sat home in Atlanta watching as the Patriots displayed a lack of focus, determination and effort (despite Ben Watson) totally undeserving of a prospective champion, let alone a three-peat contender, ultimately collapsing under an avalanche of turnovers.
In The AFCCG the 2013 team had Austin collie at WR and a solid defense but Talib tapped out with injury.. in game.. that changed everything..
On 1/19/14, LeGarrette Blount had five(5) total carries all day, the Patriots with 16 as a team. All their effectiveness in the rest of the phases of the game were wasted. The excuse that they fell behind is not legitimate. They got down by 10, not 21.
In The 2015 AFCCG that team what a weird game.. LB Jaime Collins forgot how to cover a TE and Gostowski misses a PAT.. this one here is the one that really eats me up the most.. we should have won..
Bill Belichick is human, and thus capable of error, and he whipped out a couple whoppers on this day alone. Adam Vinatieri often would miss early in a game, but make it at the end in the clutch. Belichick did not give Stephen Gostkowski that chance, despite Ghost holding the NFL record for most consecutive extra points made (523) and most seasons leading league in points scored: 5 (2008, 2012–2015; tied with Don Hutson and Gino Cappelletti). On 1/24/16, after missing an extra point in the first quarter, Ghost had already made FG's of 46 and 38 yards.
Down 8 points with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter, with a porous offensive line, Belichick eschewed a 33-yard FG attempt by going for it on 4th and 1. Not even Tom Brady could overcome leaving three points off the board.
Then, still down 8 with 2:25 left Brady got down to 4th and
six at the Broncos' 14 yard line. Unbelievably, again, eschewing a 31-yard FG attempt, Belichick went for it and again not even Tom Brady could overcome it.
So the touchdown pass Tom threw to Gronk with 17 seconds left did not win the game.
Clearly, the Patriots' primary objective on Sunday should be to not beat themselves.
