Pats to collapse? Not a chance

[Hawg73]

With still no definitive end to New England's massive SB hangover in sight it seems that both the media and even many of our own kind seem to be floating the theory that the loss of the "perfect season" will effectively kill any chance the Pats have to play well next year and signals a retreat back to the pack for the home town team. Mediocrity, the theory goes, is just around the corner and the haters will be dancing an endless, joyous jig on our grave.

It's one of the current "brilliant ideas of the week" floating around and seems to ferret it's way into the damaged psyches of Pats fans everywhere with just enough plausibility to get undeserved attention. I'm hearing it a lot lately. It makes me sick and it makes me laugh. Has anyone been paying attention?

Well, I'm here to say the haters better buckle their chinstraps and the borderline bangwagon types can get the hell out of the way. There is NO FRIGGING WAY that this team isn't ready to continue to kick some serious ass in '08.

Haters beware. Get your best cliches ready. Start to work on your conspiracy theory dujour for the new season. Invent some new snappy expressions to diss the '08 Patriots the same way you did the '07 version. I myself will dedicate myself to embracing the hate like never before.

The Giants may very well find out the same thing most teams do after winning a Bowl-- that it is very hard to get back the next year. Very hard to even remain a top contender. With one glaring exception.

We aren't going anywhere but back to the Super Bowl and win the damn thing.

I don't even know where it is being played next year, but that is where the Patriots will be. Believe that.

[Ras]

Word!

[Wandering Athol]

Taking a sobering look at the last 10 teams that lost the Super Bowl (regular season record the year they lost; following season's record):

Bears 13-3, 7-9
Seahawks 13-3, 9-7
Eagles 13-3, 6-10
Panthers 11-5, 7-9
Raiders 11-5, 4-12
Rams 14-2, 7-9
Giants 12-4, 7-9
Titans, 13-3, 13-3
Falcons 14-2, 5-11
Packers 13-3, 11-5

On average, teams lost 5 more games the next season. I guess, from this simplistic way of looking at things, you could expect the Pats record to be around 11-5 next season, which will most likely win the division and put them in contention for a 1st-round BYE. I tend to think they'll do a little bit better than this, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities given the West Coast trips, the 1st place schedule, the shortened offseason, less room under the cap than 2007, and the fact that the division cannot be any weaker than it was last season.

[grogsox]

I am worried about it Hawg. I want to get all riled up and excited, but the letdown is big and it will have an effect. Hopefully a good one. Last years loss to the Colts in the AFCCG was a rallying point. This year, it is much harder in my mind to rally. I am very pleased that I don't see guys pointing fingers and they have all proclaimed their share of the blame for the loss.

I think I've said this before, but we will need to shake things up just enough to get some new blood in the mix. I'd like to see us make some moves the give both Teddy and Junior more backup type roles by adding at least one younger veteran LB to the mix. I'd like to see them re-sign Asante and Moss. I'd like to see them move Light over to RT and get a true LT. If they can do these 3 or 4 things, I will be much more optomistic about shaking off the SB hangover.

[Hawg73]

I am worried about it Hawg. I want to get all riled up and excited, but the letdown is big and it will have an effect. Hopefully a good one. Last years loss to the Colts in the AFCCG was a rallying point. This year, it is much harder in my mind to rally. I am very pleased that I don't see guys pointing fingers and they have all proclaimed their share of the blame for the loss.

I think I've said this before, but we will need to shake things up just enough to get some new blood in the mix. I'd like to see us make some moves the give both Teddy and Junior more backup type roles by adding at least one younger veteran LB to the mix. I'd like to see them re-sign Asante and Moss. I'd like to see them move Light over to RT and get a true LT. If they can do these 3 or 4 things, I will be much more optomistic about shaking off the SB hangover.

I certainly am not trying to pick on you, because you are more like the average Pats fan than I am right now I reckon.

People aren't looking at the fact that we don't roll over like those other teams. Our worst season out of the last 5 was '05 when we went to the playoffs but got bounced out by Denver.

I don't buy that we are an "aging" team other than at a couple of positions. We aren't in cap hell and have no more than the usual amount of offseason signings to take care of. I don't believe I am a starry-eyed dreamer to state we are in outstanding shape overall entering the offseason and while we have a lot of work to do, we have the kind of FO that can get it done.

I'm not even THINKING about another 16-0. Never happen. If we finished 11-5 I wouldn't have a problem with that. 11-5 would put us in great shape for the post season, which as many of us forgot this year is what really matters.

Call me nuts, but "history" is an abstract concept. Nice, but secondary. Silver is real.

This team will be better off playing for silver than for an arbitrary status.

While I liked the fact we were undefeated going into the bowl it always worried me because it was really superflous. We ultimately lost sight of a championship that we should arguably have kept our sole focus on.

That will never happen again.

I feel good. I really do.

P.S. -- I've been hoping they would move Light to RT for the last 3/4 seasons. I gave up on that and what happened in the Bowl doesn't discount the fact the line is young, signed and still getting better. They had a tremendous season overall and we can't just throw it out the window because of one game.

They don't suck. They just had a sucky day. It happens.