On a positive note....

[brdmaverick]

It's only natural for a Super Bowl representative one year to feel destined to repeat a Super Bowl appearance the very next year. That is just not the reality of it though. Since the year 2000 there have been 12 Super Bowl losers, and only 5 of those teams qualified for the playoffs the very next year. The Patriots advanced the furtherst with an AFC Championship game appearance.

The bottom line is that Super Bowl glory is NOT a given and we should still be proud of this team.


Here's the results....

2000 Giants next yr: missed playoffs
2001 Rams next yr: missed playoffs
2002 Raiders next yr: missed playoffs
2003 Panthers next yr: missed playoffs
2004 Eagles next yr: missed playoffs
2005 Seahawks next yr: lost Divisional Round
2006 Bears next yr: missed playoffs
2007 Patriots next yr: missed playoffs
2008 Cardinals next yr: lost Divisional Round
2009 Colts next yr: lost Wild Card Round
2010 Steelers next yr: lost Wild Card Round
2011 Patriots next yr: lost AFC Championship Game

 

[upstater1]

The last time the Patriots lost a championship game they went to the Super Bowl the next year...

...and lost it in the final seconds.

 

[ivanvamp]

There's lots of positive notes if you're a Patriots fan. Among them:

1. We have the best owner in the NFL.
2. We have the best coach in the NFL.
3. We have the best QB in the NFL.
4. Barring catastrophic injury, we are almost certain to win the AFC East next year.
5. We are very likely to have one of the best teams in the league next year and will be on the short list of Super Bowl contenders.
6. Our defense is stocked with talented young players, so the future is bright.

I mean, that's a lot of positives...and that's a very incomplete list.

 

[Steve102]

There's lots of positive notes if you're a Patriots fan. Among them:

1. We have the best owner in the NFL.
2. We have the best coach in the NFL.
3. We have the best QB in the NFL.
4. Barring catastrophic injury, we are almost certain to win the AFC East next year.
5. We are very likely to have one of the best teams in the league next year and will be on the short list of Super Bowl contenders.
6. Our defense is stocked with talented young players, so the future is bright.

I mean, that's a lot of positives...and that's a very incomplete list.

I would wager there's likely 25-28 fan bases that would switch places with us. Wouldn't we all rather be where we are now than go back to 1987-1995?

 

[DarrylStingley]

I would wager there's likely 25-28 fan bases that would switch places with us. Wouldn't we all rather be where we are now than go back to 1987-1995?

Why stop at 1987? Sure, the Pats were contenders and in the SB in 1986, but that didn't end so well. We can go back to the 60s to make the point.

This is the Golden Era, even though we have tasted the ultimate nector since Jacksonville.

I was lucky enough to be there. Looking back, I think I thought then that the Pats had some more SB wins in them. I still do, though.

 

[ivanvamp]

I would wager there's likely 25-28 fan bases that would switch places with us. Wouldn't we all rather be where we are now than go back to 1987-1995?

I know Baltimore's fan base wouldn't switch with us *at this moment*, but if they stopped and took a little longer view, maybe they would. I mean, their defense is pretty old, Lewis, Reed, Suggs, etc., won't play much longer (obviously Lewis is done after one more game).

San Fran's fans wouldn't trade places with us. Seattle's probably wouldn't. MAYBE Indianapolis'. I think that's probably about it. Maybe, MAYBE, the Giants'.

Otherwise, yeah.