Real concerns about emotional hangover next season

[Siddiqi]

If the Pats get crushed by this then they don't deserve to be champs. Winning in any sport is about picking yourself up, if you never fail, what do you learn from? I really think that the core group is never satisfied with the success that they have achieved, and they always want more, so a loss isn't about to deter the Patriots, and who knows what next year may bring, we may be surprised by how good next years team is.

 

[Willie Andrews23]

I actually think "Clawing their way into the playoffs" or just barely winning the division might be just what this team needs.
The Patriots only real threat all season was to not be perfect, not to be out of the playoffs. That is a big difference. Scratching to get in makes a team play hungry and edgy. Can we really say the Pats played like that in any of their playoff games?
Let's face it, the Giants were the hot team. They were hungry. That is why they won. They were the underdogs the whole way through and they banded together. As sickening as that is to hear, it's true.
Maybe some of that type of adversity would be just what the doctor ordered next year.