Who would of thought in 2004 how bad the next four years would be

[Free_Pacman]

2005- Pats lose in a divisional playoff game. Our hated rivals, the Steelers win the Super Bowl.

2006- The disastrous AFCCG and our biggest rivals, the Colts, winning the Super Bowl.

2007- That doesn't need to be explained.

2008- Pats missing the playoffs. Most likely one of our rivals is going to win the Super Bowl. It will probably be the Chargers seeing how the Steelers have already have won one in the past four years.

 

[barrett092]

It is true...

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Yeah, it really sucks that the Pats had 49 wins in those four regular seasons.

 

[Connecticut]

Dramatic endings to each one, but I think you're looking at it negatively. The Patriots are respected throughout for their stability and discipline, not to mention quality and excellence. We'll lift that trophy again soon enough.

 

[maverick4]

The problem is defensive and offensive coaching. I miss Weiss and Romeo. McDaniels is a good one, but more of a Marino than a Montana. Pees is just garbage, and Mangini was horrible before him.

 

[ausbacker]

2005- Pats lose in a divisional playoff game. Our hated rivals, the Steelers win the Super Bowl.

2006- The disastrous AFCCG and our biggest rivals, the Colts, winning the Super Bowl.

2007- That doesn't need to be explained.

2008- Pats missing the playoffs. Most likely one of our rivals is going to win the Super Bowl. It will probably be the Chargers seeing how the Steelers have already have won one in the past four years.

2009 - The Patriots return to their rightful place in history, a top of the mountain.

Believe it. It'll make the last 4 years even sweeter. I'm excited for next season already.

 

[NEPatriot]

we need to make some serious changes in D.

 

[Rob0729]

Funny, there are fans of at least 25-28 other teams that would have loved to had the four "bad" years the Pats have had since their last Super Bowl. Other than the three and soon to be four (assuming the Colts, Steelers, or Giants don't win again) who have won Super Bowls in that time period, who has had a better four year stretch than the Patriots over that time.

I guess if we spoiled when we consider three of four years making the playoffs, two of four years making the AFC Championships, one year making the Super Bowl, a perfect regular season, breaking about a dozen records, and overcoming the loss of Brady to win 11 games a bad stretch.

Seriously other than the three teams that actually won Super Bowls, who had more success in that stretch. And the Giants and Steelers missed the playoffs at least one year during that stretch.

 

[Free_Pacman]

Point taken, CT. But what have those 49 regular season wins amounted to? Two of the worse losses any team has ever experienced, a loss to the Broncos, and missing the playoffs.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Like I said in other threads:

-When you win 3 SB's in 4 years, alot of things big or small have to go your way for that to happen, no matter how great you are. Can't win them all and the last 4 years have just been the law of averages catching up to us IMO. I think now it's about time things start bouncing our way again and definately feels like we're due for another title soon as long as we stay this competitive.

-When you can look at the results of our past 4 seasons as 'bad', that just shows how great a shape our franchise is in right now. And there's no reason to believe we're not going to get any better in upcoming years given our cap situation and the play of some of our younger players this year.

 

[Connecticut]

Funny, there are fans of at least 25 other teams that would have loved to had the four "bad" years the Pats have had since their last Super Bowl. Other than the three and soon to be four (assuming the Colts, Steelers, or Giants don't win again) who have won Super Bowls in that time period, who has had a better four year stretch than the Patriots over that time.

I guess if we spoiled when we consider three of four years making the playoffs, two of four years making the AFC Championships, one year making the Super Bowl, a perfect regular season, breaking about a dozen records, and overcoming the loss of Brady to win 11 games a bad stretch.

Seriously other than the three teams that actually won Super Bowls, who had more success in that stretch. And the Giants and Steelers missed the playoffs at least one year during that stretch.

Well said my friend. The Patriots are the definition of stability and excellence, year in, year out. Good God, I love being a Patriot fan.

 

[aluminum seats]

The joy of sports is having a team you can follow throughout the year, that's in contention. This team has shown great character, has kept us incredibly entertained, and has overall been a team to be proud of. To say "how bad" it's been is absolutely moronic. Fitting considering the name of the OP.

 

[Fixit]

Maybe we've lost sight of what a bad Patriots season used to be.

I mean, come on.

 

[Rob0729]

Maybe we've lost sight of what a bad Patriots season used to be.

I mean, come on.

Yeah, after sitting through that 1-15 season, I will never complain about a season that the Pats actually go deep into the playoffs. As much as we want to think the Pats should win a Super Bowl every year, it just doesn't happen.

If you look at the 49ers during their run, there were 9 years in between their first and last Super Bowl where they didn't win a Super Bowl. Their playoff record was 4-7 during those years and they missed the playoffs all together twice. They lost in the first playoff game four times during that run. So let's have a little perspective on this.

 

[DalTXColtsFan]

Dramatic endings to each one, but I think you're looking at it negatively. The Patriots are respected throughout for their stability and discipline, not to mention quality and excellence. We'll lift that trophy again soon enough.

2005: season with playoff win
2006: loss to eventual SB champ
2007: 18-1 season, close loss to SB champ in SB
2008: 11-5 season despite losing NFL MVP QB in 1st week

Yeah, you guys stink

 

[Free_Pacman]

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I could care less about the path it takes to get there. All I care about is how it ends, and the endings of the past four years, whether the end of the Patriots' season or the NFL season in general, have been nothing short of disastrous to me.

 

[Free_Pacman]

2005: season with playoff win
2006: loss to eventual SB champ
2007: 18-1 season, close loss to SB champ in SB
2008: 11-5 season despite losing NFL MVP QB in 1st week

Yeah, you guys stink

Knowing that we lost to the eventual SB champ does not do anything for me. In fact, it makes it much worse knowing that we could have and probably should have beaten them.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I could care less about the path it takes to get there. All I care about is how it ends, and the endings of the past four years, whether the end of the Patriots' season or the NFL season in general, have been nothing short of disastrous to me.

Spoilt by success. Aside from the Colts, no team since 2004 has been as constantly competitive as us.

You could say the last 4 seasons have ended in brutal fashion and have really stung, but these are not 'bad' years by any means.

 

[KTown]

Yeah, after sitting through that 1-15 season, I will never complain about a season that the Pats actually go deep into the playoffs. As much as we want to think the Pats should win a Super Bowl every year, it just doesn't happen.

If you look at the 49ers during their run, there were 9 years in between their first and last Super Bowl where they didn't win a Super Bowl. Their playoff record was 4-7 during those years and they missed the playoffs all together twice. They lost in the first playoff game four times during that run. So let's have a little perspective on this.

This post says it all. It seems like some of your fans really don't realize how spoiled we as fans can be. In the 90's I feel like I was spoiled being a dolphin fan having a competitive team every year even though we didn't win the superbowl.

Then you go through years at 4-12, 1-15, horrible coaches, horrible management, players quitting for pot and you say to yourself what I would give just to be in the playoffs consistantly like in the 90's and early part of 2000. We were in the playoffs in 90, 92,94,95,97,98,99,00,01.

Every NFL team has been trying to copy the patriots success this past decade.

I am savouring this first playoff appearance since 01 for as long as I can.

 

[Lansdowne]

I'm disappointed, but I think it's due to being spoiled by the Super Bowl trophies.

Super Bowl XXXI was like, "Oh, wow, the Patriots have a chance to win the SB!" and then got beat by a superior team. Tuna bailed (like he has done with every team he's been with) and the Pats went from "class of the AFC" to "one of those AFC playoff contenders".

Then we get Bill Belichick, suffer a humiliating 5-11 season, and then start 2001 with back-to-back losses to the Bengals and Jets, while losing the franchise player Drew Bledsoe, and wonder how it could possibly get worse. And then, well..

By the third Lombardi, it was no longer a wide-eyed surprise for us, but an expectation. The standard was raised significantly high. In other words, we were spoiled.

Since the 2001 Brady renaissance, if you include the playoffs, the Patriots are 111-34. Three Super Bowl titles, four AFC championships, six division championships, numerous shattered records.

Any time the Patriots fell short, it hurt more because our hopes were raised high, very high, only to come crashing down at the last moment. 2002 was a disappointing season made more disappointing by the Packers' apathy in Week 17 against the Jets, the only thing separating the Pats from a division crown (similar scenario to this year). 2006 and 2007 were cruel endings. Only 2005 was considered a no-doubter, a loss to the Broncos where hope was crushed early and thoroughly (more maddening by the Lelie and Bailey plays).

The Patriots can't win it every year, but they'll be in position to try every year, health permitting, and that's something we can all appreciate.