Pretty big, not devastating.
Win would have put the Pats at 7-2, tied with the Bengals for the #2 seed.
Pats will win the division in a sleep walk, so the loss in no way shape or form hurt their playoff chances, I'm guessing the Pats will wind up with the #3 seed, and will probably have no bye, like I said, pretty big, but not devastating.
Win would have put the Pats at 7-2, tied with the Bengals for the #2 seed.
Pats will win the division in a sleep walk, so the loss in no way shape or form hurt their playoff chances, I'm guessing the Pats will wind up with the #3 seed, and will probably have no bye, like I said, pretty big, but not devastating.
disappointing, not devastating. Obviously, they have no chance at home field advantage now. But they're the heavy chalk to win the division, and still have a very good shot at a 1st round bye.
With Brady playing well and the new defensive unit rounding into shape, they'll be one of the favorites in post season. IMHO
With Brady playing well and the new defensive unit rounding into shape, they'll be one of the favorites in post season. IMHO
what does that have to do with the Pats?
and, do you think the Pats don't have key injuries?
hno:
http://nwe.scout.com/a.z?s=121&p=10&c=920563&refid=4781
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Loss To Colts Changes Playoff Landscape [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Story URL: http://nwe.scout.com/2/920563.html[/FONT]
<HR width="100%" SIZE=1></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]The Sports Xchange
PatriotsInsider.com[/FONT]</TD><TD align=right>[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Nov 17, 2009[/FONT]</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=2>
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The 35-34 loss to the Colts changes everything in the playoff picture, or does it? One thing is certain, Patriots fans can probably forget about another AFC Championship game in Foxboro.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Most of the talk this week will revolve around Bill Belichick's gutsy decision to attempt a fourth-down conversion deep inside his own territory late in Sunday's loss to Indianapolis. The more pertinent topic might be what this means in the AFC playoff race.
The Patriots led by 17 points in the fourth quarter before coughing up the lead in a stunning 35-34 loss, which leaves them three games behind the Colts in the race for the No. 1 seed with only six games to go. Had they won, the Patriots would've been a game back and they would've owned the tie-breaker.
Obviously, Sunday's loss changes everything, and the Patriots are faced with the possibility of having to travel in the postseason if they're fortunate enough to get that far in the playoffs.
Luckily for them, the AFC East appears mediocre, which means they'll probably win the division barring any unforeseen meltdown. At 6-3, they still lead the Dolphins and Jets by two games in the race for first place.
The bigger picture is more cloudy.
Given a snapshot of today's playoff picture, the Patriots could have a hard time grabbing the No. 2 seed in the AFC considering Indianapolis is 9-0, Cincinnati is 7-2 and Denver is 6-3 with the tie-breaker advantage since it beat New England head-to-head this year.
What that means is the Patriots will likely open the playoffs on wild-card weekend with a home game before they are forced to travel for potential divisional and conference championship matchups. This presents a major problem considering they're only 1-3 on the road this year with that one road win coming at Wembley Stadium in London against the then-winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Can the Patriots win back-to-back road games in the playoffs to get back to the Super Bowl? Right now, it seems doubtful based on their most recent history away from Gillette Stadium. That's what made Sunday's game so important. Until the Patriots prove they can beat a decent team on the road, the doubters will suggest otherwise.
Belichick's curious coaching decision will earn most of the attention this week, but the Patriots' impending playoff future is the far more important topic.
Trying To Tin The Game
The game turned Sunday when the Patriots went for the conversion on fourth-and-2 from their own 28-yard line with 2:08 remaining. The Colts held their ground and scored on the ensuing drive for a dramatic win. Bill Belichick defended his decision afterward.
"We tried to win the game on that play," Belichick said.
The Patriots would've had the first down on that ill-fated play, but Kevin Faulk -- the intended receiver -- bobbled the ball as he crossed the first-down marker and didn't gain possession until he was behind the line.
The ensuing spot gave the Colts possession, leading to their eventual game-winning touchdown. The play sparked debate and Faulk disagreed with the ruling.
"(The referee) had a better angle than me," Faulk said of the official. "I thought I caught it. I didn't feel a bobble."
[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Loss To Colts Changes Playoff Landscape [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Story URL: http://nwe.scout.com/2/920563.html[/FONT]
<HR width="100%" SIZE=1></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]The Sports Xchange
PatriotsInsider.com[/FONT]</TD><TD align=right>[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Nov 17, 2009[/FONT]</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=2>
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The 35-34 loss to the Colts changes everything in the playoff picture, or does it? One thing is certain, Patriots fans can probably forget about another AFC Championship game in Foxboro.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Most of the talk this week will revolve around Bill Belichick's gutsy decision to attempt a fourth-down conversion deep inside his own territory late in Sunday's loss to Indianapolis. The more pertinent topic might be what this means in the AFC playoff race.
The Patriots led by 17 points in the fourth quarter before coughing up the lead in a stunning 35-34 loss, which leaves them three games behind the Colts in the race for the No. 1 seed with only six games to go. Had they won, the Patriots would've been a game back and they would've owned the tie-breaker.
Obviously, Sunday's loss changes everything, and the Patriots are faced with the possibility of having to travel in the postseason if they're fortunate enough to get that far in the playoffs.
Luckily for them, the AFC East appears mediocre, which means they'll probably win the division barring any unforeseen meltdown. At 6-3, they still lead the Dolphins and Jets by two games in the race for first place.
The bigger picture is more cloudy.
Given a snapshot of today's playoff picture, the Patriots could have a hard time grabbing the No. 2 seed in the AFC considering Indianapolis is 9-0, Cincinnati is 7-2 and Denver is 6-3 with the tie-breaker advantage since it beat New England head-to-head this year.
What that means is the Patriots will likely open the playoffs on wild-card weekend with a home game before they are forced to travel for potential divisional and conference championship matchups. This presents a major problem considering they're only 1-3 on the road this year with that one road win coming at Wembley Stadium in London against the then-winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Can the Patriots win back-to-back road games in the playoffs to get back to the Super Bowl? Right now, it seems doubtful based on their most recent history away from Gillette Stadium. That's what made Sunday's game so important. Until the Patriots prove they can beat a decent team on the road, the doubters will suggest otherwise.
Belichick's curious coaching decision will earn most of the attention this week, but the Patriots' impending playoff future is the far more important topic.
Trying To Tin The Game
The game turned Sunday when the Patriots went for the conversion on fourth-and-2 from their own 28-yard line with 2:08 remaining. The Colts held their ground and scored on the ensuing drive for a dramatic win. Bill Belichick defended his decision afterward.
"We tried to win the game on that play," Belichick said.
The Patriots would've had the first down on that ill-fated play, but Kevin Faulk -- the intended receiver -- bobbled the ball as he crossed the first-down marker and didn't gain possession until he was behind the line.
The ensuing spot gave the Colts possession, leading to their eventual game-winning touchdown. The play sparked debate and Faulk disagreed with the ruling.
"(The referee) had a better angle than me," Faulk said of the official. "I thought I caught it. I didn't feel a bobble."
[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
