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The 2012 Patriots: Let’s finish it where we started it!

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It’s tough to immediately sum up my thoughts following another 16 game campaign, so I find that the best thing to do is to just rattle of the things that have stuck with me about this 2012 version of the Patriots.

Each year the Patriots win, but each year is special.

Here in no particular order are the things that stood out most to me about the 2012 Pats:

  1. Hernando and Gronk like two lost (injured) lovers who just cannot find the field together at the same time.
  2. The emergence of Stevan Ridley.
  3. The one word offense. Brady and the Blitzkreig.
  4. Mayo ascending to another level.
  5. Buttfumble.
  6. Ridiculous loss to the Cardinals. That brain fart is why the AFCCG will be in Denver.
  7. Spikes becoming a frightening force in the middle.
  8. Julian Edelman replacing Welker? Nope.
  9. Danny Woodhead becoming the new Kevin Faulk.
  10. Pulling a bye out in week 17.

There was a lot to like about this Patriots team, and the late season loss to the 49ers could be a combustible ingredient that similarly talented teams the last two years have lacked. 

On offense they have a real outside threat that they have also recently lacked in Brandon Lloyd. The rest of the weapons are mostly banged up, but should be able to pull it together for three more games.

On defense the Pats will hope to get starting corners Alfonzo Dennard and Aqib Talib healthy over the bye week. Rob Ninkovich is a question mark at the moment, but we’re assuming that he’s out at least until the Super Bowl.

Their defense turned in their best effort of the year against the Dolphins. Let’s hope they have more games like that against better offenses in them.

As always it will come down to finishing. If this Pats team goes down it won’t be by much, and they’ll go down fighting. That’s all you can ask for. 

The Patriots dynasty was crowned for the first time in New Orleans and that’s where this year’s playoff road ends as well.

Let’s finish it where we started it!

Patriots lose to 49ers, drop to 3rd AFC seed and lose bye

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Tonight’s game was the story of two halves. The Patriots offense came out as flat as they’ve been all season, which really shouldn’t have been all that surprising coming off an emotional win on MNF over the Texans.

They were lucky to only be down 17-3 at the half but overall this was a highly uncharacteristic half of football for the Pats and not one by which your overall opinion of the team should be really affected.

The fact that they came out in the second half and continued to stink was disheartening but at 31-3, when it looked like it was about to be the worst blowout loss for the Pats since 2009’s at the hands of the Saints the Patriots suddenly ignited.

After the pick six in the third that made it 31-3 the Patriots offense went on a tear and put up four straight touchdown drives with the defense forcing three straight three-and-outs.

For that brief moment in the game the Patriots showed some of their best football of the season. But sadly the epic comeback was all for naught as the 49ers returned the following kickoff all the way into Pats territory, then scored on the next play on a 38-yard touchdown that saw Kyle Arrington whiff on a tackle.

If this game didn’t have playoff implications I could likely spin it positively. The Pats showed incredible fight and heart, and never gave up even after playing some of their worst football of the year. 

There is no question, for a team to end New England’s season in the playoffs it will take them 60 minutes of solid football.

But alas, the Patriots are now in the third AFC seed and no longer one of the two teams that get a bye. The two teams ahead of them, Houston and Denver, have just as easy schedules as the Patriots do, so it seems unlikely either of them will drop a game.

That doesn’t totally rule it out, but it’s very likely the Pats went from having to win two games to get to the Super Bowl to having to win three games, and as many as two of them on the road in Houston and Denver.