It took me some time to get over that loss. You know, that one in Denver, against that defense that ran their mouths all week. Yeah, that same defense who had Brady on the ground all day long. That team that seems to have Brady AND Belichick’s number. Ok, maybe I’m still not over it. That game was ours. We should have won. But, we didn’t. I could go through all the reasons we didn’t win, but we all know them already. To me, the one that hurts the most is that offensive line that did not protect Brady. Our franchise quarterback that absorbed more hits in that game than he probably did all season.
Oh well. Such is life. We have to move on. We will not be in Super Bowl 50. Brady’s revenge tour was cut short. Now, we all have to live with that. So enough with the negativity!
This is a team of fighters, of hard workers, of dedicated teammates, of champions. They dealt with the adversity of deflategate for the entire offseason. There was that looming uncertainty about whether or not they would have their leader during the first 4 games of the season. They worked through it and prepared for it. Fortunately, this team did not have to go on without him. Wow – did the Patriots give us so many things to cheer for. The world champions sure did come to play. It was hard to see how any team could beat them early in the season. The offense was clicking on all cylinders and the defense was ranked one of the best in the league. The Patriots went 10-0 before succumbing to the injury bug. Even after the losses, the Patriots kept confidence and kept fighting.
So, the Pats finish the season at 12-4, enter the playoffs at the 2 seed with a first round bye. Not too shabby for a team that had more injuries than I can count. They won the AFC East 13 times in the last 15 seasons. They’ve made it into the playoffs so many years in a row. They’ve even made it all the way to the AFC championship for the last 5 years. They’ve been in the Super Bowl six times, winning four rings. Those are amazing statistics. Those are awesome accomplishments. All of that, we get to celebrate as fans. We get to enjoy those highs because we are proud. We are loyal to a team full of true champions. We get to celebrate a franchise that is an example of real commitment and perseverance. We are spoiled and so lucky.
Now, we have to take the bad with the good. Sometimes even the best team loses. This year was just not our year. I’m not worried. We will be back. We still have Brady, who looked as good, if not better this year than ever. We still have Belichick, who is quite possibly the greatest coach of all time. We still have Gronk, Edelman, Blount, White, Lewis, Gostkowski, Ninkovich, Hightower, Butler, Collins and every other talented man on that roster. We still have a team that will fight through. We still have a team that knows what the payoff of hard work feels like. We still have the best team in the NFL.
I believe I read somewhere that each time the Patriots lose to a Manning, they appear in a Super Bowl the following season. I wonder if TB12 read that, too, as he thanked the fans, saying, “the road to the next one, is paved by seasons like this!” He has already started two-a-days! I am a proud Patriots fan – win or lose. I’m still here – waiting for that next ring and all the ones after that! #driveforfive #patsnation
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