Patriots miss out on playoffs

should've lost more games, could've gotten a better draft pick

The jinx of the superbowl loser continues.... Over the last 10 years, how times now has the superbowl loser missed the playoffs the following season?

In any event, this was a very entertaining season to be a Pats fan. The team won 11 games without their franchise QB, and with a QB behind center that had never started a game before. Even though missing the playoffs is numbing, the season should be considered a success. As the Pats move into the off season, lets all hope the team can retain our Josh McDaniels and Scott Pioli. Cassels should be proud; he played a heck of a season, gave the Pats a chance to win, and earned himself a boatload of money.

Thank you Mr. Belichick, for giving us such a great year. Farve sucks, and its not yoru fault... When Brady went down, I though if we get to 10 wins would be sucessfull season.. but you got 11. Congrulations..and wish you best of next year... Thank you . Big thanks to Mike Reiss .. you have done a amazing job.. great work...

THATS OK PATRIOTS YOUR STILL THE BEST TEAM EVER!!

And now we get the disgusting spectacle of watching two .500 teams fight it out for an undeserved playoff berth in the AFC West. The Patriots should be going to the playoffs, it's a disgrace that they're not.

The should nver have lost to the Colts, two bad calls by BB cost them.

amazing coaching, and players...a great season

Shoulda gone for two with no time on the clock in the last Jets game...

missing the playoffs is a disappointment, but a BIG THANKS to the Pats players, coaches & organization for an exciting season.

I'm actually not frustrated - but rather PROUD. Matt & Bill - you gave us back hope when it was all over before the season even started....I thoroughly enjoyed this season - and I think the 11-5 is our Super Bowl this year. Hope they find a way to keep you next year Matt. You made us forget about Tom..(well almost!)

Congrats to ALL the NE Pats players - you s/b PROUD!!!!

I'm actually not frustrated - but rather PROUD. Matt & Bill - you gave us back hope when it was all over before the season even started....I thoroughly enjoyed this season - and I think the 11-5 is our Super Bowl this year. Hope they find a way to keep you next year Matt. You made us forget about Tom..(well almost!)

Congrats to ALL the NE Pats players - you s/b PROUD!!!!

I am not sure why Brett Farve is so highly regarded.....he won 1 superbowl because of Desmond Howard and a great defense and poor preparation by the Pats.....Talk about a fraud for the Pro-Bowl.....he had as many if not more interceptions as touchdown passes...seems like he chokes often....makes mistakes that Cassel does not....

Farve sucks. He should have stayed retired. The last Superbowl was the end of the dynasty and it will only get worse from here. The red sox aren't looking so hot either. Thank god for winter sports in Boston.

One player cost this team a playoff spot. David Thomas.

This is a bunch of BS...I think we should have a playoff game with the dolphins to see who should really win!!! This sucks!!!

yippee, yippee hooray!

Hey,

The Pats did great! The could have done better. A few missed plays here and there cost us a trip to the play-offs. Ultimately, good teams make those couple of plays that give you the security of making the play-offs.

Cassel and the boys played really well. Ironically, it was the team that let down Cassel at times, not the other way around.

Nonetheless, I'm proud of the season we had. And, I'm looking foward to a good year next year. I hope Scott Pioli and the rest of the staff will stay in place.

This is another example of how professional sports get things wrong when it comes to the playoffs.

Does anyone remember the last time the Bruins won a playoff series? They beat Carolina who were a three seed but they were the 8TH best team in the conference. How about the 103 win Giants not going to the playoffs in the pre-wild card era? Even though I am a fan of Atlanta and they played well against the Celtics, they did not deserve to be there last year. How about the Whalers not making it with 80+ points in the late 80s and Toronto making it with 56?

I livein Denver and I am praying that SD wins. If an 8-8 team makes it, I'd rather it not be the Broncos because their fans are losers. They are WORSE than Yankee fans.

All sports need to scrap these divisions for determining playoff positions. Top six or eight, depending on the league per conference should go regardless of the division. You have even the Jets at 9-7 sitting out and a possible 8-8 team getting in.

winning season none the less

While it sucks they didn't make it this team proved they can move on with a huge amount of injuries. I look forward to some smart offseason moves and a super bowl run next year! Now it's time for the Globe to give the Bruins the attention they deserve.

Disappointing not to make the playoffs, but certainly can't be disappointed in the PATs. Cassel step in and did a great job and the defense was killed with injuries: to go 11 - 5 is quite an accomplishment. Also, good for the Fins, they played great all season and deserve to be in there. And good for thre JETS, another late season dive :)

my reasons for hating the jets and brett favre just continue to pile up
bright spots: matt cassel, jerod mayo, stephen gostkowski, wes welker
dark spots: the 10,000,000 injuries sustained by almost the entire starting defensive lineup
maybe next year we should pick up some young kids instead of experienced players, seemed to work well this year

Cheatriots karma

does anyone know what cassels franchise tag would be.....

you know what, i am not gonna complain about not making the playoffs. After losing Brady, Maroney, Harrison etc..., most teams would have tanked it. So in what should have been a rebuilding year, we won 11 games, and weren't eliminated until the last week. The fish got lucky, played a last place schedule and had the benefit of playing their December game against Buffalo in a Dome in Toronto.. , but with Brady back next year, i think we'll be ok.

So now, we all pull for the Falcons! (Go Matt Ryan)

great season Pats, looking forward to next season already. as always, Jets suck!

We should of beat the JETS when we had the chance in the regular season. Unfortunately we had the unevialbe task of rooting for those choke artists.

Good to root for the Pats, they gave us reason to hang in there until the very end, as they alsways do. But what do we expect when having to rely on a New York team to help us?

Pats had a great season. No comments about other teams that shouldn't be there (ie Denver or San Diego). They played better than expected without the best player in the NFL. Great job and see you guys next year.

It is what it is. they won 11 games with 8 key players on IR. They had a swiss cheese defense full of holes and had trouble beating quality teams. Sure this could be different if Gaffney caught the ball against colts or they stopped Jets on 3rd and 15, but as much as it stings now it was a hell of a year with a less than super team. Bill Belichick deserves a whole lot of credit for getting 11 wins with this team. Brady or Cassel next year they have a very good offense. They are 2 or 3 players on defense away from a deep playoff run.

NFL is a crock....letting teams in with a 500 record, really makes the playoffs more exciting, right?

4th and two in your opponents field with 12 minutes left and you punt? waaaaat, and to make matters worse, the punt is blocked. Mangenie...you suck!

First it is so disappointing not to make the playoffs yes, but let's look at the big picture here! We do have the best coach in the NFL, did we really think we would make the playoffs with Cassel at the beginning no way! But our season was lost when we lost to the Jets in OT, and also the Dolphins played way over their heads and they will be 8-8 next year but that is next year. So the bottomline is this, spend money on defense folks, we were exposed to so many things and yes Samuel was a major mistake! Injuries you cannot predict and they killed us but at the same time depth is our strength!

Thanks for a fun season Pats. hopefully Mangini will get booted and that will make me a feel little better. But hey, I bet the Sox will sign....Um, hmmm, yeah, okay..is there anyone left to sign? Oh well.......

We had our chances. Leaving it in Farve's hands was a mistake. Thanks for a Great season.

This is the greatest day in NFL history...Cheating Belichick gets justice, Dallas blows it and Favre sits out the last snap of his career...did I mention the Yankees got Teixiera?

I think Coach Belichick did a great job this season, so were all the players. Pats did their part, missing the play-off has nothing to do with the team. Good job Pats, keep it going!

When Brady got injured many of my friends said the season was over. I told them, we got Bill "Mad Scientist" Bilichick as coach. In Bill we trust!! And despite a long list of injuries to defense our beloved Patriots played their heart out. To me I enjoyed this season as same as 2001 season when Gieselle's boy played for the first time for Pats. No regrets! it's a bit unfortunate we had to depend on Brett Favre old arm to get in to playoffs. As I expected he didn't deliver it for us. Overall this has been a wonderful season for Patriots and their true fans.

That Wrangler jeans commercial ought to show Favre heaving INTs to his relatives. Wrangler: Real. Comfortable. Picks.

Otherwise, great season: proud performance by the vets, emergence of several young kids, Jets don't make the playoffs and lose both a QB and (most likely) their head coach, the list goes on.

The PATS did not deserve to make the playoffs. Miami was a much better team.

If Wes Welker can get fined for making Snow Angels, why shouldn't Brett Favre get find for throwing the most blatant interception in the history of the NFL, even if he does lead the league in all-time interceptions?????

does anyone know what cassel's franchise tag would amount to?

It's tough to see the Pat's falling short of the Playoffs, but still we must accept it was such a great season for the team and for the whole Patriots Nation. We all suffered watching every game, and we always stood by supporting our Pat's on the good and bad days. All that I can say is that we went down fighting like champs, we closed the season with a shoutout and a 4-game winning streak. And most importantly, we fought through adversity and we stayed alive until the last second.
We lost our star MVP Quartebeck 15 plays into the season, we had such a year with so many injuries that we can't account for all, and we probably lost our heart and soul leader for good: Rodney Harrisoon. But still, we hung in there, we kept fighting and we proved why we were champions, why we won the AFC East for 5 stratight years, and why we've played in 4 out of the last 7 Super Bowls.

Looking back to all of this, I'll say that I'm proud of being a New England Patriot.
Look forward to 2009 and lets rock the NFL again!!!!

I think they had a great year. With the loss of a quarterback, the leader on the field, we were very lucky to do as well as we did. I think everyone stepped up to the plate and played their hearts out. Matt.. great job. Thank you for all you did...

An amazing season given all the injuries, and not just to Brady. In the Seattle game, they were down to *three* opening day starters on defense because of injuries.

Their problem was losing close games they should have won. If Jabar Gaffney catches the ball against the Colts, Ben Watson doesn't fumble without be hit against the Jets, or Randy Moss catches a sure TD against Pittsburgh -- any of those games could have gone the Patriots way.

But c'est la vie. Baltimore and Miami were playing "win and you're in" games and they took care of business. Best of luck to them in the playoffs.

How can you let Bill Parcells and Chad Pennington go to the playoffs while you stay home? Bad season.

Good year given all the injuries, and at least we got to see Mangini loose which is always fun.

Thanks Mike, nice job covering our team for an other season.

Nice season for the Pats, all things considered. It was entertaining. A play here or there in some key losses (esp. 3rd & 15 vs. Jets) and they'd be 12-4 and we'd be thinking about next week. Franchise Cassel - it's a no-brainer given how he performed and the uncertainty of Brady's recovery process.

It all goes back to the loss to the dolphins at Foxboro. After that loss, this team did not deserve to be in the playoffs no matter what they accomplished! Back then, they had no excuse as they had most of the starters so that game cost them the season!

I am very proud of our Patriots, from the coaches to the whole staff. We were dealt a difficult hand and did the best we could. Hold your head up high Patriots and us fans, we did everything we could. Don't forget, the so called elite teams had just one more win or the same record as than the Patriots.

ELLIS HOBBS!!!!

Gick,
Teams like the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons throw the season so they can get a better draft pick. The Pats organization is build on winning; hence why even in a down year they win 11 games. Remarkable really. NE will pick #19 or #20 in the 09 draft, which should give the team an oppertunity to pick up a stud. Bill Belichick and the rest of the organization did a fantastic job this season, especially considering every expert wrote off the team after what happened in week 1.
Thanks for the strong reporting all season Mike Reiss

Couldn't Favre have thrown a couple more gimme picks early in the game to take the suspense out of things? I feel like my whole afternoon was wasted watching that horror show. Too bad the Pats didn't squeeze out another win along the way - - it would have been fun to watch Mangini's sour-puss face on the sidelines if we hadn't needed the Jets to win today. Go B's - - Go C's.

whats cassels franchise tag #?

whats cassels franchise tag #?

The Pats are better than at least 5-6 teams that will make the playoffs, including the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, AFC West winner, Atlanta Falcons.

9 minutes to go in game, Jets down by 7points and camera pans to Brett Favre, arms crossed. He had given up. Way to go Brett!!! 9 minutes left....

We've got absolutely nothing to hang our heads over. Thanks, Matt Cassel, Junior, Rosie, and everybody who helped make it to the end of the season. Mr. Belichick, you're the best.

just lost the wrong games...as Belichick always says it is the divisional and conference games that matter the most. Great season despite not making the playoffs...they will need to franchise Cassel with Brady's future in doubt for the beginning of 09.

Farve is sooooooooooooooooooooo overrated. Why anyone would say he is a top 5 or even top 10 QB is beyond me. In the clutch the last 5 years he is aweful The picks today is a symbol of who is really is.

they had a great year, all things considered. What are you going to do? 11-5.....nothing to be ashamed of. The loss that killed them was the Jets game. But, hey.....we've been spoiled.

What did you expect...they're the JETS!!!!

its a shame the pats are not in the playoff they would have really made some noise

I hate Brett Fav-re with every ounce of my being. At no point in that game did I think the Jets could win. All Fav-re has been is a decent QB for a long time. Far from one of the greatest as many people think. In fact, he is one of the most overrated of all time. Whenever there is an important game he either chokes or sucks. That being said, thanks Pats for putting on a great show all year. It's been fun.

We'll be there next year. This was a tough year all around and we played well. Great coaches, amazing players. Here is to 2009-2010 season as we say goodbye to 2008!!!!

Oh well, its not going to effect my life. But, it was an interesting season. Maybe the seat tix prices will go down? lol

Tough to see the Patriots out of it, but the Dolphins had a great season. And considering everything, the Patriots had a great season, too.

AS IF I DIDN'T ALREADY HATE THE JETS ENOUGH... What a disappointment. The fact that the Pats' chances for a post season came down to the final week says a lot about their character and will to win. At least the Jets are out too, even though that is a small consolation.

Yeah, I'd much rather watch 8-8 Arizona or 8-8 San Diego than the Pats, whose brilliant coach once again showed why he is light years ahead of every one of his peers, by punting on third down and calling timeouts in the first quarter, with the wind at his back. Think any other pro coach would have gotten 11 wins if his MVP QB went down in Week 1? Not Dungy, not Tomlin, not any of them. Belichick is the greatest coach of all time, and I'm proud to be a Pats fan because of him.

A break in either the Colts or Jets games, and Cassell's Pats would've runaway with the AFC east.
What a predicament for mgmnt over the off-season on what to do about the quarterback situation for next year.
As it is, what if Brady's not 100%???? You'd have to "franchise" Cassell in either case. He's proven his value in this league.
Go Pats in 09!!!!!

Forget the Jets and Farve. The Pats are out because they won 11 games and lost 5. It's a good record, but not good enough for the AFC East.
Keep Cassel, Brady may never come back.
Mayo is awesome! AFC Rookie of the Year.
Jr and T. Bruschi....we need you in 2009 !

Brett, throw and pray, Favre, strikes again.

Hell of a year ,thanks for the memories Great Job Men ! Hey you cant be that bummed out look at the big picture. the greatest sports city around bar nun ! GO BRUINS ,CELTICS !!!!!!!

Yes, there were many moments during the season, but at 11-5 there should have been no reason not to make the playoffs, except for one play.

Kudos to the team, they rose to the occasion and they deserve our gratitude, but one play and one totally asinine and ignorant decision by a coach was the catalyst, actually IMO, the reason this team did not get to the playoffs.

Overtime at Gillette Stadium at home, versus the Jets.

Jets receive and after two plays have a third and 17 on their own 15 yard line.

No excuse, none at all, for defensive coordinator Dean Pees playing a soft defense, especially with a seasoned quarterbak like Brett Favre, and allowing him to stand there, with no pressure, and find an open receiver for the first down.

Yes, we can say there were many, many instances during the season,l but I, for one, hold Dean Pees as the number one bad guy, the guy that, IMO, cost the Patriots the playoffs, and possibly another trip to the Super Bowl because right now they were peaking and playing some of the best football of any team in the NFL.

Dean Pees should be given his walkiing papers. He is a piss poor defensive coordinator.

Come on Pats fans.....WE have to boycott the NFL Playoffs and Superbowl. Ok...go to a friends house or bar to watch the Superbowl if you have to... but do not give them ratings by watching at home. Just don't watch.
Only 2 teams with an 11-5 record have not gotten into the playoffs since the merger . The 09 Pats and the 85 Broncos. The 09 Pats are the first team since they went to the present format of four divisions and two wildcards. The Pats have the same or better record than eight playoff teams: Broncos/Chargers, Dolphins, Vikings, Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, and Ravens. Its about money not the best teams.

11-5? Never thought that would happen after Brady went down in week one. Schedule was a little weak which helped. Easy to point to one game and the loss at home to the Jets made the difference. They had better sign Cassel because Brady's knee is junk. Another surgery??--He might be pretty much done completely. He'll be fine with a $70 million wife.

Great season for our New England Patriots. I love this team. Thank you BB and great job Matt Cassel. The Pats will be a threat again next year. Congrats to the Dolphins on a great turn around season. Good luck in the playoffs.

The NFL Playoffs without the Patriots just isn't right...

... It's better than that.

Good teams find a way to get into the playoffs.

Go Chargers (30-10)

Anyone who nitpicks a play or two here or there is ridiculous - just remember to count how many plays went our way that shouldn't have.

Anyone calling Cheatriots or Karma on an 11-5 team is just plain stupid.

Anyone proud of this team this year, count me among you.

Anyone looking to put Favre out of his or your misery, the line starts behind me.

Brett Farve sucks. Always has, except for his first year in 87 when he beat the pats. He's not a gamer. He always throws interceptions in important games. He always tries to force the ball. He has no brain. No smarts for the game. He's not a "Wrangler" guy. He's a dickhead in real life. Why people have loved this guy is a complete mystery to me. I hope he never gets in the hall of fame. Brett is a loser forever and a disgrace to football. A disgrace to the Jets. A disgrace to the Green Bay Packers and a did I mention a dick head in real life? Stuck up ass.

I guess there is not much to vent about, with all the major injuries they had this season starting with the leagues MVP and the number one quarterback in the league, it's amazing they still came this close to still winning their division. When you consider that 2 of their losses were games in which they could and should have won, they are still a much better team than the Dolphins and a number of other teams going to the playoffs; those are the breaks and the Patriots will come back stronger and a team to reckon with next year!

Thanks Pats for an amazing year. Congrats to Miami and Baltimore. They both played tough down the stretch. Baltimore looks like one tough out to me.

I guess there is not much to vent about, with all the major injuries they had this season starting with the leagues MVP and the number one quarterback in the league, it's amazing they still came this close to still winning their division. When you consider that 2 of their losses were games in which they could and should have won, they are still a much better team than the Dolphins and a number of other teams going to the playoffs; those are the breaks and the Patriots will come back stronger and a team to reckon with next year!

Well I think the season was defined by the coin toss with Jets. If the Pats would have won the toss, they would be in the playoffs. Sometimes it is just luck. They were fun to watch and cheer. Cassel did a great job at QB; coaches were great teachers this year. Mayo was also fun to watch as well as Brandon Merriweather. No lucky breaks two years in a row is tough to take if you are die-hard fan.

Proud of the Pats, we'll be back in the super bowl hunt next seasonl

hey bill take an extra month off you deserve it, with the extra rest your team will be much stronger next year , I remember the last time you didn't make the playoffs we won to superbowls in a row,

11-5! Think about it. It has been 23 seasons since a team with 11 wins has not made the playoffs. This team and the fans should feel good about what they accomplished this year. Think of it this way. You could be a member of or fan of the NY Jets. An organization that actually thought is was wise to put it their eggs in the Bret Farve basket. An where are they now.

Boy i remember when an 11-5 record meant you where a shoe in. Any how I am proud of the pats. belichick did an incredible job this year and there is a lot of good to take from this season like Jerod Mayo for instance. And good luck to Matt Cassel I hope the best for him wherever he goes.

It hurts to miss the playoffs with an 11-5 season. The Patriots rarely have been helped in the past when they needed teams to lose and today was no different. How nice it must have been for Eagle fans to see the Texans and Raiders help them, but when it was our turn..nothing. I'm done ranting about that. I want to say to everyone associated with the Patriots that they did a hellava job this season and exceeded my expectations for sure. The team made me prouder than ever to be a Patriots fan and I know next season will be here before we know it. So I hope everyone will take some badly needed time to rest up before getting ready for 2009. To Matt Cassel...way to go with taking full advantage of an opportunity. I hope you stay with the Pats but if you get yourself a great deal elsewhere, good luck in the future. To Scott Pioli..please stay. This is the right place for you and don't underestimate having a great boss to work with. To Bill Belicheck...you are with no doubt the best head coach in the NFL...thanks for the great coaching job again this year.

The silver lining (hard to find them today) is we see that the Pats were not just Tom Brady. The whole team is great and will continue to be whether Tom or Matt is under center. The only other thing that is good is those that are injured or hurting will have a longer period of time to heal up and be fresher. I look forward to the combine, draft, mini-camps and on into the preseason. Meanwhile, we can all watch the Bruins bring home their first cup in 36 years!!

2009.

While I'm disappointed that we're not going to the playoffs I think our team did a hell of a job going 11-5 with all of the injuries to MANY key players...it just shows us what heart and character our players and our coach have. Cant wait til next season!

Hats off to the patriots. No Brady, no Harrison,and many more injuries and to finish with the record they did no thanks to the NFL schedule them at the colts 2 straight years.NFL does't like dynasties.

the RAVENS lose TWICE to a DIVISIONAL OPPONENT (PIT) yet THEY make the playoffs at 11-5. Thats complete nonsense.

Great job going 11-5 with so many guys out. Hopefull they can heal and return next year healthy and hungry. Is Rodney Harrison gone?

Proud to be a Pats fan!

When Brady got injured many of my friends said the season was over. I told them, we got Bill "Mad Scientist" Bilichick as coach. In Bill we trust!! And despite a long list of injuries to defense our beloved Patriots played their heart out. To me I enjoyed this season as same as 2001 season when Gieselle's boy played for the first time for Pats. No regrets! it's a bit unfortunate we had to depend on Brett Favre old arm to get in to playoffs. As I expected he didn't deliver it for us. Overall this has been a wonderful season for Patriots and their true fans.

Ah, you think the Jets might have not tried so hard at the end. I bet the play calling would have been different if Baltimore wasn't winning. 17 seconds left on the 2 yard line and a short pass up the middle? What the?

Two words, eight letters: JETS SUCK!

I am sorry but it burns... that the team we destroyed 47-7 is going to the playoffs, with a home game none the less, and we at 11-5 stay home.

best coaching bb has ever done...best team effort congrats on a good year boys..disgusted with the way it turned out but use it for energy to bust through next year...rip 08

Now that the Patriot's season is officially over, let the Tom Brady speculation and gossip begin! Will Tom's knee be healthy by next season? Will Tom be distracted by being married to that ball and chain from Brazil? This could get old very quickly. Unfortunately this is going to be a long long off-season. The Jets suck. Mangini sucks. Favre is worse than what you flush down a toilet.

Looks like the Patriots are tanking along with the economy. Time to fire Bill????

They did it to themselves. Bad personnel management regarding the cornerback position hurt them all year. Didn't want to pay cash yet they didn't want to rely on the draft.

Given the injuries, this team did more than could have been expected, and this season was more interesting and entertaining than fans could have ever hoped for under the circumstances. Okay, we didn't make the playoffs, but look at it this way:
1) Beat Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and a then a top NFC team for the Super Bowl? Wasn't gonna happen, my friends.
2) We end the year with our heads held high.
3) No one's dancing on our grave. Let some one-and-done flash in the pan take the title this year. See you in '09, and '10, and '11...

a chance to dance on our grave.

Awesome Season by the Pats. Amazing to think about what they accomplished after that 1st game and injuries during the season. Belicheck is a genius. The rest of the league is breathing easier after today.

If i have one complaint about today, the NFL didn't do us any favors by moving the Jets/Fish to 4...

By that time, the jets knew the Pats had won, and looking at the scoreboard, they could see the Jags weren't going to be any help.

All this season has proven is that Tom Brady is not bigger than the team. In otherwords, he's completely over-rated and the Pat's offensive line (which just about any QB... even one that hasn't started a game since High School... can play behind) is the real reason the Patriots have been good.

Trade Brady!

Pats--great season...11 wins with all the injuries they had is remarkable...I don't want to start the sour grapes campaign but it seemed a little more than coincidental that the Jets started to give up when the Ravens started blowing out the Jags...A blocked punt?...Defense gives up 2 stoppable TD passes?...Favre tries a quick pass and overthrows the receiver by 15 feet right into the db's hands?...Nice work by Man-gina and Tuna to collaborate on a Pats screwing... And the NFL won't have the balls to even look at it....Favre's done, Man-gina's done, and the Jets will suck again next year...Good luck Fins!

This "throw-a-way" year ended up being quite an adventure. Hard to believe 11-5 leaves the Patriots watching the playoffs from their homes. Off season moves will be interesting. Hopefully we can stiffen the middle (D) and corners a bit by next season.

And by the way - can we get over this jinx crap please? Sheese - you'd think 3 Superbowl Championships, 2 World Series and a NBA Championship (can you say Stanley Cup potential) would rid that word from our vocabulary.

Hey, we still have the Celtics and Bruins!

can't help to think that the drop by Gafney during the Indy game is where the season was lost more so than anything. No what do we do on Sundays????

That's what happens when you pin your hopes on the Jests (yes, that's the correct spelling). Although basically we're not in due to a coin flip and a blown coverage on 3rd down, not cause Brett (please retire already) Favre was awful today. Looking forward to Mayo being named Defensive Rookie of the Year!

Hey Don,
You play to win the games. HAHA doesn't matter if having a losing record and you win the division you go to the tournament. I could not be more happy right now, CHEATERS get what they deserve, a time out. Have a great off season you cheaters. I LOVE IT.

Even until the end of the game after Favre had single handedly lost the game, Sims was still singing his praises....What is the media's deal with this guy? Was he not watching the same game? Most overrated athlete in sports.

The Pats gave us another great season of entertaining and exciting football !

It's too bad the season is over but as many have said before you have to take care of your own buisness and not leave it in the hands of others.

As Pats fans certainly know thru the years we have NEVER gotten lucky with our fate in the hands of others .

After Brady went down with that injury anybody in their right mind would have at best hoped and prayed we could have "maybe" an 8-8 season.

Well,as we all know they did that 3 wins better and for that I say "Thank You" and here's hoping for an even better season in 2009 !

I'm out ! Peace and Happy New Year !

I'm not a Pats fan, but I hate it that they are missing the playoffs when a 50% team from the AFC West will go. Pats had a great season despite losing Brady, and deserve to go.

Still a great season...should have beat the Jets earlier but still, exciting, surprising and well done....we are just too used to getting to the playoffs....

Karma baby!!!! KARMA BABY!!! BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE.
I JUST WISH I COULD SEE BOB KRAFTS FACE NOW.

To the ENTIRE Patriots T-E-A-M:

I couldn't be more proud of your season!

I am as proud, NO!, MORE PROUD, of your efforts this year than when the TEAM went to the Super Bowl...including the three you won. You proved to EVERYONE that our team consists of more than just a great player here and a great head coach there...

Better teams won more games. Survival of the fittest. 5 losses are nothing to brag about; however, the team played well over all and can hold their heads high.

Oh well if Jabar catches that ball in Indy, different story.

The Patriots not making the playoffs this year is almost as enjoyable as their loss in the Super Bowl. Other than the Cowboys, no team is more despised outside their home turf than the Patriots. I can once again tell my son that cheaters never prosper.

It sucks! Sucks because our team played their guts out all year facing injuries and still coming up with 11 wins. I knew right when those crappy ass Cowboys blew it against the Ravens last week. They're horrible. The Jets are awful and Favre is so past his prime. I was waiting for one of those pick-offs to happen. I hate Miami but good for Chad Pennington. He was ran out of town for the "Savior" and Chad kicked their ass. Well, how bought those Bruins! At least we're in Boston and have many teams that do well. pats have nothing to be ashamed for.

I am happy that the patriots did as well as they did .I am sorry that we did not get to see Matt Cassell play in post season .

It sucks! Sucks because our team played their guts out all year facing injuries and still coming up with 11 wins. I knew right when those crappy ass Cowboys blew it against the Ravens last week. They're horrible. The Jets are awful and Favre is so past his prime. I was waiting for one of those pick-offs to happen. I hate Miami but good for Chad Pennington. He was ran out of town for the "Savior" and Chad kicked their ass. Well, how bought those Bruins! At least we're in Boston and have many teams that do well. pats have nothing to be ashamed for.

never should've lost to the Colts - bad coaching decisions. Also should've stopped the Jets on 3rd and 15 in their OT loss. Unfortunately, both losses came back to bite them. Still a commendable performance for the year considering all the injuries. Tough luck being 11-5 and not making the playoffs for sure. We'll be back kicking a.. next year when no. 12 returns and they address defensive needs in the off season.

The NFL should be ashamed. Arizona, Den/SD, Minnesota are all horrid playoff teams. NO 8-8 team should make it.

Franchising Cassel is certainly what we all want, but it will cost the team about $ 14 Million, which is almost as huge as Brady's contract for next year. Probably the best idea would be to sit down with Cassel and maybe get him to sign a 3-year 20-25 million dollar contract. If Brady returns 100% we could trade Cassel, if not, heck, we would have assured our QB of the future

I heard that the Pats will be about 26 million under the cap, which will allow us to pick a couple of good Free Agents for defense.

Phillip Chicola

Now I have an even bigger reason to hate the Jets, Jets, Jets They just out right suck. It was a tough season to be a Pats fan, but they'll be better next year. The Jets will still suck,

Like has been proven over the decades, the NY JITZ are the urine patties of professional football. The second I knew we had to rely on them for help I knew the best we could hope for was to finish the season with an 11-5 season and get to work on next year.

I hate to say this.. but you can look at two plays that decided the Pats fate.... Thomas penalty and jabar missed catch. That was the difference.... this is like the year the Pats came on late in the year and got knocked out by Denver because of some lame Ref pass interference calls.... they were peaking and it all ended.

Great Year Pats! I look forward to next season. Oh, we hate the Jets for a reason. Tom we look forward to seeing you back on the field in 2009! BB you're still the man in my book.

Totally bummed that Pats are out, but lets be realistic - playoffs would be short - one win at best. They only beat 3 teams with winning records (and 2 of them were the Jets and Cardinals!!!!!!!).

2008 was a horrible year. Began terribly and ended terribly. Hope 2009 is better, on a lot of fronts.

NFL hosed the Pats again. Once the NFL switched the Jets game out of the 1pm time slot the Pats were done. The Jets (and their fans) knew they had no chance to make the playoffs by halftime due to the blowout in Baltimore. All three of those games should have been played at the same time. Favre is a stiff and a fraud. If he just retired this past offseason, Dolphins would have had 5 wins and Mangini would have led the Jets to the same 9-7 record.

Nice job GAFFEney dropping the TD angainst the Colts. It cost us the season

They did it to them themselves. They earned the season's results...Bottom line. Time to shuffle the deck and play a new hand next season.

The NFL is building a mediocre sport by letting teams with worse records go to the playoffs over real contenders. Does the NFL really think those playoff games with horrible teams will be exciting? *yawn*

Roger Goodell, Eric Mangini and Brett Favre all need to be swept out of the NFL - it couldn't happen soon enough.

Great season, PATRIOTS! Congrats for making it exciting to watch. And to Matt Cassel for giving us hope. I wish you the best ~ Brady can sit out and get married in Costa Rica next season, for all I care. I'd prefer to see Cassel lead a healthy team and return us to the playoffs! Happy New Year!

Miami's got the Dolphins the greatest football team. They take the ball from goal to goal like no one's ever seen. They're in the air they're on the ground they're always in control. For when you say Miami you're talking Super Bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pats would have been 13-3 if not for Watson fumbling vs the Jets and Gaffney catching the ball against Indy. Too bad.

congrats to the Pats for a great season!! no point counting on an overrated QB (Favre) who does NOT deserve to go to the Hall (a player with the RECORD for most INTs thrown and history of POOR decision making) and Benedict Arnold (Mangini) to help us.. We have a great future with ROOKIE of the YEAR on our team. CONGRATS!!

No complaints here! After losing Tom Brady in the first game and then a whole host of other players, the team responded in a big way. Matt Cassel proved to us all that he is more than capable of running the offense!

I feel bad for the players because they worked so hard this year and ended up with an 11-5 record but no playoffs, a tough pill for them to swallow I'm sure. But a great motivator for next year. I hear that Brady's rehab is behind schedule so let's hope that the management makes signing Matt Cassel a priority this off season!
Great job Pats! Thanks for a GREAT season!

give credit to the Miami Dolphins they went from 1-15 to East Champs !!
that will teach you to never ...ever root for the STINKIN Jets to win

Brett Favre PRO Bowler My how the standards have been lowered.

I guess this is the best the Patriots can do when they're not cheating....Have a nice off-season Belichick.

Thank you Wes Welker.

Look at the bright side, at least Mangenius isn't going to the playoffs either, and will probably be unemployed soon.

The Jets will continue to be the joke the have been for the last 40 years...

Oh my God...Brett (Mr. interception) Favre is so bad. Talk about mixed emotions...I was glad to see Pennington go back to NY and show who the real class quarterback is...but what about the Jets organization? How much do the Jets hat the Pats....and once the game meant NOTHING to the Jets, do you think they were about to do the Pats any favors....from coaches, to the quarterback, it was the biggest choke I've ever seen. Let's see...we're driving for the tying touchdown...hmm...what will this do for the Pats....himmm....is there a wide open Dolphin somewhere I can throw this thing to??

Look at the bright side, at least Mangenius isn't going to the playoffs either, and will probably be unemployed soon.

The Jets will continue to be the joke the have been for the last 40 years...

When the league expanded the number of divisions you knew this could happen.
Also, having teams like Detroit and Oakland with such poor records hurts all the other teams in the league.

Is anyone else out there ridiculously frustrated with the lack of disclosure and random tid bit "here and there" reporting regarding the status of Tom Brady's injury? As Belichick would probably say, we had a good year and I'm proud of this group of guys but this season is over and its onto prepare for next season. At this point, I think it's only fair to start getting reliable information or some kind of update (from the team/Tom himself) about his rehab because based on recent reports, things don't sound good.

I agree with DanP: ELLIS HOBBS is good at celebrating and missing interception attempts. I long for the secondary we used to have back in the good years of Ty Law.. But this season was successful at 11-5, no complaints.

I am so elated that the Pats are not in the playoffs. Quick whining about how the AFC West is so bad, heck you've been playing in a division that has stunk for umpteen years. Heck, the Undefeated Miami Dolphins also went undefeated in this lousy division. I doubt you will ever win another Super Bowl with this team, even with Brady.

Wahhhhhhhhh. And I mean that most sincerely. Missing the play-offs with an 11-5 record IS a bitter pill to swallow. Only consolation is that it saves more players going down to injuries. This season was filled with adversity for the Pats and they clearly met the challenge.
Nice win in Buffalo today.
Onto the 2009 season, and here's to the good health of the entire team!

FAVRE IS COMPLETELY OVERRATED. THE GUY MAKES THE PROBOWL ?

HE CANT EVEN RUN AN OFFENSE DOWN THE FIELD. WAS HE TRYING TO DOWN THE FOOTBALL OR WAS HE PURPOSELY THROWING A PICK ?

JUSTICE SHALL PREVAIL IN 2009.

How about this: Brett Farve really sucked today against Miami....plain and simple. Farve pulled the same interception stunt last year with Green Bay as he did with the Jets today.....so much for his ego....

Pats got what they deserved. They beat up on a bunch of bad teams and had only one good win all year (Dolphins).

This needs to be investigated. Favre and Mangini threw that game. It's all over the new York media. The Krafts need to push for a severe punishment for the jets. I just saw on espn that a call was placed to favre at halftime from the jets front office telling him to dump the game.
I look forward to seeing the pays trade tom Brady and resigning cassel for many years

Farve is a joke...If this season does not prove that Belichek is the greatest coach of all time I don't know what does. I truly hope Farve is a man of honor and declines his invite to the pro-bowl...22-22 is not deserving.

J - E - T - S suck suck suck!!!!!!

This was a great season. They did not get rewarded for all they'd been through this year with the injuries etc. 11-5. Good job guys!

Now Brett can go fishing. He totally CHOKED.
The Pats did better than anyone expected - myself included. Belichek rocks. Cassel rocks. Brady is behind in his rehab? Matt Cassel, meet your new friend, FRANCHISE TAG.

GREAT season by the Pats. They should be in the playoffs, instead of the 5 teams that *are*, that have worse records. Everyone in New Engand should boycott watching the playoffs in protest. In fact, everyone in every city whose team had a record better than 8-8 [AFC West] should boycott. Football season is over ........

Answer: Minnesota, Arizona, Philadelphia, and either Denver or San Diego.
Question: Name 4 playoff teams with worse records than the Patriots.

First time in 23 years that an 11-5 team will miss the playoffs. Between that and the Brady injury in Week 1, that's some nasty Super Bowl runner-up karma for you.

Much as it stinks to see them out of the playoffs, 11-5 is outstanding for a team that was injury plagued at they were. they played with the heart of a champion today as they did all season.
Hope the Jests run mangini out of town after this season. As far as the local (semi)pro team is concerned.... even 0-16 wont force Ford sr to change the way the team is run.....

It's painful to not have the Pats in the playoffs, but, considering everything, they had a very good season. It's particularly hard for me because I was born and raised in Everett, but have lived an hour west of Philly for the past 15 years and I hate the Eagles. They mostly stink, as usual, but the teams they needed to win today did, so they squeezed into the playoffs and our Pats didn't.

Thanks for another exciting season Pats. I hope to have a healthy Brady back next year, and wouldn't mind seeing Cassel back too.

losers. i guess wes welker has plenty of time to do snow angels and cassel has plenty of time to shine his second place trophy.

Jets are absolutley terrible and are an embarresment to the league, Both Mangini and Favre should be exiled for life from the NFL for being such losers and obviously throiwng the game

Considering all of the inuries, I am proud that the Pats had such a great year. In my mind, BB had a great year with only a few misteps. In Bill We Trust means more than ever. It will be interesting to see where Cassell lands. Hopefully, it will be in the NFC.
Thanks to the Patriots for an exciting season!!

They were talking on the radio today after the game to some guy who said Brady needs another round of surgery and will likely miss the entire 2009 season. If this is true the Pats are screwed unless they've got the stones to let TB go and soldier on with MC

Ah, Patriots fans doing what they do best. Whine.

f you click the link 'NFL Tiebreakers Procedures' above, it states:

TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.

Two Clubs:
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.

Common games is before conference record. What am I missing?

We can franchise Cassel and then trade him for a 1st rounder + some lower round picks. That wouldn't cost us anything. We could also probably work out some sort of sign and trade. The only problem is their are reports that Brady may be behind schedule...

Great Season all things considered. BB is far and away the best coach in the league. I really enjoyed the season. Boston teams rule!!!!

An outstanding season, all things considered. It didn't come down to these games; it came down to losing a couple in previous weeks. C'est la vie.

If I were in a complaining mood, I would note the irrationality of the conference/division-based playoff system that can, as in this case, keep teams with good records out of contention. The conferences and divisions make no regional sense, so it seems quite arbitrary.

The most depressing part of this was having to watch a Jets game and all the eulogizing of Brett Favre. His 'records" are based on the luck of longevity; as far as I can tell, he's a dumb, selfish hick with a strong arm but sloppy play, guaranteed to toss crucial interceptions every single time it really counts. Kudos to Pennington for coming out on top.

franchise tag i believe 14 million

Agree with the comments of most in that the Patriots gave us a great season despite missing the playoffs. The playoff system does need restructuring when Arizona and other mediocre teams makes the playoffs and that Pats at 11-5 miss out, but that is a story for the off season and the NFL to deal with. Congratulations to the Pats organizations on another entertaining year, it will be interesting to see what moves they make to retool for next year.

Coach Bill, you're a class act and a joy to have in New England. I think this was your best year ever and look forward to many more great years. Too bad the Jets couldn't deliver the goods. See you next year. Super Bowl in '10!

Brett Favre.... you're past your time to retire. Your lame pre-game speech for your teammates was lame, almost as lame as the game you played. Good riddance. I look forward to next year, and hope Cassel lands somewhere in the NFC.

Its their own fault not the NFL's. BB made some bad decisions in the Colts game (which he admitted today) and they let the pathetic Favre beat them badly at home. And of course Ellis Hobbs. (Even with the wind today he couldnt cover anyone).

When Brady went down, who thought they'd be playing games with any meaning at the end? Credit goes to the entire organization.

Hats off and good luck to Miami and Baltimore. May one of them take the prize.

Favre - you choked on your interceptions. Pats made it farther than expected with all of their injuries. OT loss to Jets may have been the difference maker.

Ah quit your whining. Complain about the AFC West, you've been playing in a lame division for umpteen years. Heck, even the Undefeated Miami Dolphins did it in this lousy division!. You finally had to earn your keep and you couldn't do it blaming it on one play here and another there. Hogwash. I doubt you win another Super Bowl with this team even with Brady. So sorry.

11-5, but with eight game against the AFC and NFC Werst, the record is not that impressive. And the Pats record against "quality teams" was pretty bad. At the end of the day, I still think that the Jets and Dolphins made big plays when they needed in order to take two games from the Pats, and that was the difference. Still, a valiant effort to make it so close and always fun and congrats to Matt Cassel for showing some real guttiness throughout the season. Looking forward to '09.

don't be fooled too much by the 11 wins. They were fortunate to be playing the NFC West this year. The same can be said of the Dolphins and Jets but the point is the defense is not good enough to keep this team in the hunt for a title. Cassel is no Brady (he can't throw the deep ball). The Jets game (horrible OT Defense) and the Colts (TD drop, bad penalty) will haunt them this winter. Strong finish to the year and probably better than the Dolphins, but they created their own problems. Big concerns next year with same defense and potentially no QB

IT'S ALL GEORGE BUSH'S FAULT!!!!!

Cheatriots? That's funny. People still try to pile it on the best the NFL has to offer. The team of the decade that created a dynasty during the free agent era. Missed the playoffs twice since 2000, both on tie-breakers. This team is going into the history books with Dallas, Pittsburgh and San Francisco as one of the best dynasties. Better than anything Oakland, Green Bay, Denver, Washington, NYG or any other team to win the Superbowl multiple times. ....AND THE WORST THING THEY DID WAS VIDEO TAPE AN OPPOSING TEAM. LMAO! Not one coach in the NFL even criticized them for doing it......even Meaningless Mangini.

Great Season for Coach of the year...every year, and a team led by a gutsy quarterback who lots of people thought wouldn't make the pre-season cut. Obviously Bill knows better than the pundits. It was a fun season that unfortunately turned on a couple of key plays, but in football, baseball, and life, it is always a couple of breaks that make a BIG season. Thanks for a GREAT ONE PATS!!!!

this is why we have the hoodie instead of mangenius, one flip of a coin away from the playoffs even without brady!

I'm disappointed but realistic that this team was not going to go far in the playoffs relying on seau and colvin as prime starting LB's. The defense was medicocre before the injuries and on life support after (watch the highlights of todays game with missed tackles galore to emphasize my point). Time to reload on defense and hope that Wilhite, Wheatley, Guyton and Mayo have the big improvement year two impact.

oh and for the guy that kept asking about Cassel's franchise tag, I believe it would be around 14 million.

for the other trolls that want to call the Patriots cheaters and what not, let's remember that they haven't had a losing season since 2000.

The stillers, colts and Patriots are the elite franchises in the AFC. The titans and ravens are second tier good but don't have the organizations to be really great. If you root for the rest of the AFC franchises you are more likely to be dissappointed than I am about the Pats having a non playoff season.

I have a short memory; who are the Patriots? Go you Celtics, go you Bruins! And what is it for pitchers and catchers to report, 90ish days?

11-5 No playoffs but a .500 team will host a playoff game next week. Ain't that something???

Favre was better when we was on vicodin! What a discrace and a shame.

Pats had a great season--as good as those Super Bowl years. The only thing that sucks is that OT rule where both teams do not get the ball at least once (see Jets game--also, that third and 14 conversion killed us!). Cost us a run at the Super Bowl title which we could have won this year. Pats are playing as well as anyone right now.

HAHAHAHAHAAHA.....
Football Gods have frowned upon running up the score and cheating. How poetic... Bill doesn't look like so much of a genius when Tom's out does he? You are 11-5 because you played a bunch of below .500 teams all season and had one of the weakest schedules in the NFL. So have fun watching the playoffs on TV!!

The Pats had a great season, to win 11 games without Brady is nothing short of remarkable. Do I think the Pats should be in the playoffs, NO!! As the Patriot players like to say “it is what it is”. They could not beat the Jets; they could not beat the Dolphins, period. Play of the year to keep them from the post season, the 3rd and 15 the Jets had to make and make it they did. The Pats defense could not hold the Colts in the AFC championship game of 2007 and could not stop the Giants in last year’s Super Bowl. If the Pats don’t get some defensive help in the draft and free agency they are still going to be a very good team but one that will lose the big game. I hate not seeing the Pats in the playoffs this year but I won’t miss what the Colts and Payton Manning would have done to our CB’s in the playoffs.
4 things I hate about the Pats

#4 Pats injury report is the same week out and week in, no make that year in and year out. Talk about something being redundant.
#3 Bill’s press conference, he talks for 5 minutes and says nothing. Great coach, arrogant man.
#2 No matter what team the Pats play, Bill always tells us that team is very god, yes even the Oakland Raiders. I would love to have heard what accolades he would have had for the Detroit Lions if we had to play them. Maybe something like this “The Lions other than their opponents outscoring them are very very competitive”.
#1 “It is what it is.

The Elite Miami Dolphins knock out both the Wets and Billicheats in one fell swoop! Go Miami!

11-5 No playoffs but a .500 team will host a playoff game next week. Ain't that something???

Stop drinking the Kool Aid!!! not making the playoffs is a bad season. there is nothing to be proud of because the defense sucked a lot this year we lost key conference games(jets,dolphins,steelers,colts) just one of those the d shows up and we would be in the playoffs. Favre sucks who didnt know the INT was coming we seen it to many time now. Go Flacons Matty Ryan Getting it done

HEY LARRY (8:03PM)................BITE ME FOR THAT 100% INAPPROPRIATE COMMENT

LET'S GO BUFFALO!
BILLS IN 2009!

The AFC West and the NFC West are two of the worst divisions in NFL history. The Patriots went 7-1 against those divisions, and 4-4 against everybody else. They recieved so much help from the officials that they set a record for fewest penalties ever. Bill Belifraud minus Tom Brady = no playoffs. Cry me a river.

hahhaaaaa Patriots havent beat a solid team all year. Only reason they were even there is because they had a sad weak schedule. I wish they made the playoffs though so they could get embarressed and sent home. Fuck the gaytriots

Just a quick second note. I'm a transplant to Milwaukee from Boston as of four years ago. Even when I lived in Boston, I always thought Favre was over rated. He's no doubt has had a few great years, but being the gunslinger QB he has been over the years, he has cost his team so many losses with costly interceptions, dumg mistakes etc, etc, but outside of the Packers there isn't much too root for out here. After living in Boston most of my life I was spoiled to have the Celts, Sox, Pats and Bruins with long traditions. Watching the Brewers & Bucks is okay, but it is not the same, so I'll continue to be a transplanted Bostonian.

Mayo, Meriweather, Guyton. There are a lot of reasons to believe in the future. They should have beat the Jets twice and the trip to San Diego was awful, but you have to give Cassel one bad game. Pats have had 2 "bad" seasons since 2000. 9-7 when they couldn't stop the run and this year. I think we all saw a glimpse of what it is like to be the rest of the league in having to root for the Jets. Lets appreciate everyone of these Kraft/BB years.

I wonder what the draft order is? Tell me the Pats aren't drafting behind playoff teams that have worse records?

I think timing was an issue here...jets had no incentive to win this game because their coaches upstairs were telling them they were done. And because they accuse us of being a racist city, David Thomas's call was a lot worse than Gaffney's drop in the Colts game. Gaffney helped us win this year...Thomas is an interchangeable part.....I don't expect to see him in the league after this year.

The Patriot fans sound like the Gore 2000 supporters who wanted to change the rules on the fly to suit their agenda. Give me a break and stop whining....

Congratulations goes to the entire Patriots organization! While we didn't make the playoffs and it is incredibly disappointing, I think we pulled together a great season and certainly a memorable one! Congrats to Matt Cassel, on an amazing season. I certainly hope we can keep him around as Brady's knee is getting more and more questionable as time goes on. If not, we wish you the best of luck and hope you don't end up a NY Jet!

GREAT YEAR thank-you Looking forward to the draft.

You all complain about the Dolphins weak schedule?!?! Look at the Pats, it was pretty much a cakewalk!! They beat all the weak teams on the their schedule and lost to all the tough ones! The Pats got DESTROYED by the Steelers!!! And beat soundly by the Chargers, the team you are all complaining is going to make the playoffs instead of the Cheatriots. They played the ultra weak NFC West, so all this talk about 11-5 and not making the playoffs being an injustice is garbage. The AFC West played the NFC South(arguably the toughest division in football), so their 8-8 record is better than the Pats weak 11-5, sorry. This is all karma from last year's last year's insulting rub it in style of play...you reap what you sow Bellicheat!

don't be fooled too much by the 11 wins. They were fortunate to be playing the NFC West this year. The same can be said of the Dolphins and Jets but the point is the defense is not good enough to keep this team in the hunt for a title. Cassel is no Brady (he can't throw the deep ball). The Jets game (horrible OT Defense) and the Colts (TD drop, bad penalty) will haunt them this winter. Strong finish to the year and probably better than the Dolphins, but they created their own problems. Big concerns next year with same defense and potentially no QB

I've been a goofy fanatic for Boston teams for as long as I can remember, but for the first time that a season has ended, I'd like to say this:

Thank You, 2008 New England Patriots. The team may have missed the playoffs, but, more than last year, you showed the heart of a champion.

thats what happens when you have to rely on the Jets. I find it a joke that a team can go 9-7 and get a home playoff game but a team can go 11-5 and miss the playoffs altogether. The NFL should get with it and set it up like the NHL and NBA. Top 6 records in each conference, regardless of division. Do away with wild cards and all this crap.

I'm sad, but the reality is each team controls their own destiny and we didn't do well in the division this year. Phins and Jets were total posers though.

Bill, Matt, Wes : You had a fantastic year considering all the injuries to your teammates. The accumulative losses were just hard to overcome. My congrats !!

I am NOT happy they didnt get into the playoffs, I am happy they played inspired ball since Brady went out. Matt Cassel played well enough to be in the playoffs. Their finishing record is great for a team with so many injuries. I'm sure all the haters will come out of the woodwork now that the Pats are sitting this one out. I knew we couldnt count on the Jets to help and hope Mangini gets canned.....

It would have been nice to be in the playoffs, but considering the long list of injuries the Pats sustained over the year, I am very happy they were even able to go 11-5.

I have seen alot of Gaffney in Indy cost us a playoff berth but I still look at that loss to the Jets at home in overtime. If we had won the overtime toss we would have won that game.... and the AFC East. I know it is all useless speculation now but it burns. The playoffs should be the best teams in the league... doesn't the NFL want to offer the very best product to the fans?!!? And that is not the Cardinals or the Broncos/Chargers in the first round.

They need to fix the stupid playoff system. They should make it the 2 division champs in each league with best records get 1 and 2 seed respectively. Than you take the 4 teams with next best records as wild cards. This will prevent teams that go 8-8 from getting in the playoffs and getting automatic bids.

don't be fooled too much by the 11 wins. They were fortunate to be playing the NFC West this year. The same can be said of the Dolphins and Jets but the point is the defense is not good enough to keep this team in the hunt for a title. Cassel is no Brady (he can't throw the deep ball). The Jets game (horrible OT Defense) and the Colts (TD drop, bad penalty) will haunt them this winter. Strong finish to the year and probably better than the Dolphins, but they created their own problems. Big concerns next year with same defense and potentially no QB

NFL needs to look at its rules again . How can a team a can with 11 wins never make to the playoffs.

Patriots suck. Cassel, like brady is the result of a system, outside of this team, both would fail. Fuck you pats fans, I hope you all die. Nice to see REAL teams go to the superbowl for once. Denver smoked them a few years ago, colts embaressed them a few years ago, giants owned them last season, hahahahaha, I hope their plane crashes and they all die....

Who do you think feels worse tonight the Patriots fans or the Jets fans? The Pats are still better than half the playoff teams and we can only begin to get excited about next season, being healthy, and with something to prove. What an all guts season! Congrats!!!

Tough season, but one of which this team should be very proud. They've been fighting an uphill battle all season and they never quit. Hopefully, with a few extra weeks to unwind they'll get a jump start on next season. I have to think the Jets and Dolphins are going to get worse and who knows with the Bills. But, next year, I think the Pat's make it a lot less interesting (a good thing), take matters into their own hands, and wrap up the division with a couple weeks to go. Good job Pats!

Who do you think feels worse tonight the Patriots fans or the Jets fans? The Pats are still better than half the playoff teams and we can only begin to get excited about next season, being healthy, and with something to prove. What an all guts season! Congrats!!!

It is my wish that the Pats run up 70 on the Jets next season. Favre and company put on a pathetic performance. Mangini had that deer in the head lights look most of the afternoon.

11-5 is not bad for a rebuilding year.

Am I the only person that has always thought Favre was Overrated? The only record he really holds that I find worthy was the consecutive number of games started. Look at his career QB Rating & the number of interceptions he has thrown vs the number of touchdowns.
Being a Pats Fan as well as a loyal fan of Belichick, Some satisfaction was had after each Favre Interception today when the cameras panned to Mangini on the sidelines. His expression & lip service was priceless. Favre blew the Jets playoff chances over the last month of the season & this must be eating away at Mangini.

I think the team should be commended for such a great season given the adversity the team faced after Brady went down on top of the disappointment of last season's Super Bowl loss. Franchise Cassel Now!!

Well look at it this way, you could be a:

Jets Fan - rooting against your own team in the last game of the season because your team has zero chance in the second half, and you would rather have your team lose than see the Patriots make the playoffs. (Oh, and good luck with your QB situation next year).

Dallas Fan - Wow. Your team sucks.

Detriot Fan - Okay, I stand corrected. YOUR team sucks.

Honorable mentions: Jags fans(you'll catch up to the Colts eventually, really you will), Bucs fans (nice display against dah Raiders!), Bears fans. . .alright, you get the idea.

Matt Cassell, please don't sign with the jets. You'll be better off in the NFC.

Bill Belichick - Coach of the Year, 2008!

3rd and 15 ...'nuff said

Hey Bob Fanning...................You are a jealous slime ball................

I blame the scheduling: do you think the Jets might have played with a little more enthusiasm had their game been played as or before ours' was? Hearing your home crowd chant "Let's go Dolphins" couldn't have helped morale

Oh my goodness...the horseshoe up the Pat's collective butts has finally fallen out and bounced up Miami's butts. How does the schmell of Phin's butt smell Patsie's fans? Bottom line is that Colonel Bill was'nt prepared at all for the Wildcat...which ultimately lost the season for the Pats...end of story...woohoo!!!! Alright Miami!!!

I think it's great that the Patriots and their cheating owners/coach didn't
get into the playoffs.They had the easiest schedule,the refs in their pockets
and Krafty's power.I guess Bill Parcells is the real king and Bill B. is
just a second rate coach who belongs back in Cleveland.
Bellicheat should watch Mangini and Spirano give a sincere handshake
after the game instead of his classless fake handshake.

I hate to dwell on negatives but here goes.The Commissioner of the NFL is a criminal by legal definition,he defrauded his customers as well committed the crime of Racketeering..He and his duplicitous co-conspirators,need to be brought to justice.Our legal system is being challanged by The Office of Commissioner of the NFL,he thinks he's above prosecution...Arlen Spectre where is your moral stance now?What a Sham!!!

For any of you who like numbers, the overall record of the teams the East Division winning Miami Dolphins beat, is 63 - 97 (.394). This does not double count Buffalo which they beat twice and takes into account the wins over Denver and SD no matter which team wins tonight's game. Now that's a record the Fins can hang their hat one!

Tough to take right now but put it in perspective and this team had one hell of a year. They'd be as tough of an out as anyone in the playoffs and it's a shame we can't find out. However, the one game that will always come back to haunt them is that colts game in which they dominated and executed the gameplan and failed to come up with the victory. A few key plays were not made, and that's the difference from being a 3 seed at 12-4 from missing the playoffs at 11-5. Given all the injuries this was as great a feat as any team has accomplished and we know that with the system and coaching staff they have in place, this team will be competitve to some extent regardless of the obstacles they come across. The Patriots will get their key players back in 2009, hopefully tighten up some on some needs through drafting and free agency, and no one should be surprised to see this team back where they belong atop the AFC next year.

I think it's great that the Patriots and their cheating owners/coach didn't
get into the playoffs.They had the easiest schedule,the refs in their pockets
and Krafty's power.I guess Bill Parcells is the real king and Bill B. is
just a second rate coach who belongs back in Cleveland.
Bellicheat should watch Mangini and Spirano give a sincere handshake
after the game instead of his classless fake handshake.

LOOK AT ALL THE HATERS COMING IN HERE TO GLOAT.

Most are probably fans of teams that wish they could emulate the Patriots organization. Call out all your negatives, sure go ahead. Think it matters? NO. In the over all scheme of things it didnt really matter. They won, they are great, and haters can't do a darn thing about it but try to make it into something more than it is.

George

Still a great season no matter what the final outcome. I'm one of those on-again-off-again Patriot fans, got sick of the whole Brady thing. Hate to say that I actually love this team a whole lot more since Cassel came up. He is far more exciting than Brady and I love the spirit that these guys have played with. Wes Welker, I got a few years on you but boy oh boy, you rock my world you cute little snow angel. What I wouldn't give to be 15 years younger so I'd haul you down on the 10 yard line. You give fantasy football another meaning...

it sucks we lost the division solely because of a coin flip.

Glad Bellicheck is finally getting some bad luck. He is a miserable excuse for a human being and I could not be happier that he went down. I can only hope that Mr. Bill's run of luck continues for the next several years

I am very proud of OUR New England Patriots! To see Brady go down diminshed all hopes of winning a Super Bowl; however, it did make watching the Patriots interesting, AGAIN! How many games last season was the game over by halftime? Even though I am very disappointed that OUR New England Patriots are not going to the dance, I am even more happier to see FAVRE LOSE. Bum!!
This just shows you that Mangini, Crennell (Just fired) and Charlie Weiss won because of the system they were in and were only successful because of Bill "In Who We Trust" Belichick.

104...how much of an idiot are you? Brady overrated? The guy has won 3 SB's...thrown 50 td's in one season, what drugs are you on? Cassell played very well this season...even better than I thought he would but he is not no Tom Brady. With Brady behind center the whole season we would have had at least 2-3 more wins. The first half of the season the coaching staff scaled back alot of the offense for Matt to get his feet wet...and he did very well. How quickly people forget. So many fans are total jack-offs. Get facts straight before talking the crap you talk.

Farve to the Pro Bowl. He and the people that voted for him should be ashamed of themselves!!

Still a great season no matter what the final outcome. I'm one of those on-again-off-again Patriot fans, got sick of the whole Brady thing. Hate to say that I actually love this team a whole lot more since Cassel came up. He is far more exciting than Brady and I love the spirit that these guys have played with. Wes Welker, I got a few years on you but boy oh boy, you rock my world you cute little snow angel. What I wouldn't give to be 15 years younger so I'd haul you down on the 10 yard line. You give fantasy football another meaning...

excellent season, i was even more proud to be a patriots fan this year than the perfect regular season last year. GO PATS~~!!

And Gaffney's drop on the way in to the end zone against the Colts . . . . . . .

I have been a Pats fan since "The Gentleman" Drew Bledsoe was drafted, having lived in Washington State and watching him play. It was horrifying to watch him go out of the game and amazing to watch the young man Brady take over and wow us all! Now I sit watching a TEAM pick themselves up once again and rally behind the young Matt Cassel, who also wowed me. He is truly an athlete, as well as his coaching staff are amazing to give him the tools to be so. In this day-and-age when there are sooo many amazing quarterbacks out there, its great that this TEAM was able to accomplish what it has. I am not at all disappointed, this was a winning season and I appreciate all the hard work of the TEAM. Thanks for that and I can't wait for next year!

As far as the Favre comments go, I only hope that when Brady is Favre's age that he is as good and hated by the other teams fans as much! You gotta hand it to the guy for going out and taking the hits and having fun. He is doing what many only wished they could (still) do. Kudos to him for trying and doing his best. I don't hear anyone whining that Lance Armstrong came out of retirement, except maybe France. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!

Im very proud to be a Pats fan....BB showed how great he is...Im very proud of them..with all the adversity with the defensive injuries...great season...u cant win it every year.....giving tje love to ya boys...u played ur hearts out

Could not happen to a nicer guy (lol). Hope this is that start of Mr. Bill's fall from Football grace.

The football gods got even for the Pats cheatin'

I hope Mangini is already locked out of his office and Brett Fraud is heading back to his ranch in Mississippi so he can wear his Wrangler jeans in chump-anonymity. Not that I'm bitter or anything...

Thanks Bill...just what I thought too...Bob Fanning is a rump swab....we whine when we win, whine when we lose eh? db...We romped thru 30 teams last year, most likely yours, and we whined? db! What team are you promoting pf course without saying? db!!

Thanks Bill...just what I thought too...Bob Fanning is a rump swab....we whine when we win, whine when we lose eh? db...We romped thru 30 teams last year, most likely yours, and we whined? db! What team are you promoting pf course without saying? db!!

Good job to Phins who deserved the playoffs by playing hard all year. Chad is the Marty Schottenheimer of the QB position. Not flashy but always give his team a chance to win. Pats had no showcase win against a good team ( Arizona and Denver are the best outside the division and that is not saying much). Splitting the Jets and Phins was the demise of the season. Now on to the draft and probably getting another first rounder when Cassell cashes in elsewhere. Hopefully, BB, will focus on upgrading an over-rated O-Line and some D-Backs.

So happy the Pats lost. They are such a boring team, no personality, just like the coach. Back to being a Boston losers, which feels right.

Look at the Positives. Now the Patriots don't have to play a division winner schedule next season.

ha ha ha...you pats fans are pathetic. spoken like true losers, "another winning season..," "great season..," "this was your best year ever (belicheck)..," i am glad to see new england fans back where they belong. sitting on the couch watching other teams in the post season!

might as well finished 0-16, in the end it was the same result...no playoffs, no chance to win a championship!

Good effort all around all season. Sorry we came up short but the Pats exceeded all expectations. Once Brady went down I figured us for no better than 8-8. Totally enjoyed watching Cassell grow into an NFL QB. Wish him luck. Nice job Bill Belichek and all the staff for patching together a winning season.

It is hilarious to read a comment from a Ravens fan damning the Pats for cheating.

I guess it's OK to have a middle linebacker who lies to the police during a murder investigation, though.

if the pats won 12 games they would be in,nobody to blame but themselfs

I wonder how Miami would of done in weather conditions that took place in Buffalo today?...Oh I forgot...the NFL Lords had Miami play Buffalo in a dome stadium in Toronto. The NFL is a joke.

As with many of you, I am extremely proud to call myself a Patriots fan. This was an incredible season for Bellichick and company. We have to remember that we lost the best player in the league in the 1st quarter and went with a quarterback that had not started a game since high school. I remember saying that anything above 9 wins would be an incredible year. 11 wins should have made the playoffs, but unfortunately, that did not occur. We just have to build for next year (rebuilding the secondary, franchising Cassel, then hopefully trading him once Brady recovers) and show the rest of the NFL that we are the team of the decade and
ready to wreak havoc.

Patriots really didnt have that great a record. They got to play the NFC West which was the worst division in football. Denv er and San Diego played better teams. Patriots will be back to the Rod Rust/Hugh Millen era in the next few years. ITS ALL OVER!

GO UMASS!

Being a New Englander living in Phoenix, I'm stuck watching the pathetic Cardinals win a pathetic division. The Patriots showed me more, this year, than ever before. Thanks for the great year.
Looks like the BCS computer came up with playoff format!

@joe 168

The Pats and Dolphins had identical schedules except the Dolphins played the Ravens and Texans while the Pats played the Colts and Steelers. Neither the Pats nor Dolphins won any of those games. So "common games" is skipped and we move to the next tiebreaker, conference record.

Personally, I think it's silly to use "conference record" as a tiebreaker. Apparently it is better to lose the Arizona than to San Diego.

NO PROBLEM HERE IN N.C.......I Think the Pats had an Outstanding Year.WE did all wecould to get in the play offs.We went out with honor...unlike the COWGIRLS.,who really Shit Themselves.....We 'll be back next year,sign Cassell,trade Brady;He is one lost cause,hes too deep into Gisel from Brizal to ever me the football player he was.

Walk with your head up Pats. This WAS the most remarkable season in this era. With all the injuries AND two west coast trips with back to back games on both trips, you all did a HELL of a job. It's a shame it had to end like this but I feel better right now then I did ater the Super Bowl loss or the loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game(the worst loss ever). Way to play like men. Unfortunately our season was in the hands of the nothing-to-play-for Jaguars and the heartless J-E-T-S suck suck suck!!! We still have a great team and will have a great season next year. They will play with a chip on their shoulder. P.S I hope Rothlesberger has a concussion all post season and Ryan Clark tears his ACL on a cheap shot...

I LOVE all this "moral victory" stuff...hahahahahahahahaha!!!! "It was a great season, 11-5, we really showed'em something, what we are made of," blah, blah, blah...your still OUT of the playoffs, the best time of the year for NFL fans!!!! Have fun with your "moral victorious season"...your season is OVER and its only December 28th!!!! LOL It sucks and you know it and there is nothing that makes up for it. next weekend you can watch your old super bowl DVDs, while the rest of us whose teams are in the playoffs will watch LIVE games!!! By the way, while your watching those DVDs, remember, they are built on CHEATING!!!! Enjoy.

Even I have to feel sorry for you guys and respect the coaching job and the QB for putting the 11 wins together, I was kind of hoping the Patriots were done when Brady went down. It sure is a nice view from the top looking down..

You guys had great year. I am glad the loss to the Colts stings you now.

And yes, it is really sad how many fans of other teams think it is appropriate, not to mention moral or a sign of maturity, to come to a Boston website and make pronouncements about "karma" or nonsense like that.

Anybody still holding onto that level of hate needs psychiatric counseling.

Overall a good year. Cassell was amazing, the defense not so much. Still need lots of help in the secondary. Are Tedy and Rodney done? Mayo is a star in the making but he cannot do it all by himself.
I hope Pioli and McDanials stay right where they are.
Hey at least they were in it till the end. Remember when we would have killed to have a season like this?

You guys had great year. I am glad the loss to the Colts stings you now.

Heres to the Pats- great year, just came up a little short. We'll get em with a full arsenal next year. We all should be proud of what was accomplished.
As for the Jets & their fans, how does that karma taste? You celebrated when Brady went down & still couldn't get the job done. You'll have to wait another year for another chance to be in the same class as the Pats. Enjoy your long winter...you deserve it!

Don't forget that the PATs did have such an easy schedule. The best team they beat was Miami. Next best the Jets (together with Arizona which was already qualified for the palyoffs).
Let's face the facts: After the Superbowl wins they got tired and old. They don't reach their potential anymore. Look at the playoff losses to Denver and Indi, not to mention last year.
They need to revamp the defense and get fresh blood on offense as well.
Otherwise we have another sad ending to the 2009 season!

The Patriots have nothing to be ashamed of. In the end we probably wouldn't have gone too far in the playoffs with such a banged up team. If Romeo gets fired tomorrow in Cleveland, perhaps Bill will bring him back as D-Coordinator.

The Pats through injuries that would have doomed most teams. Belichick did super job in pulling this team together and Matt Cassel developed into a first rate starting NFL QB. Wes Welker was super and Randy Moss was well, Randy Moss.
Great season which exceeded by expectations when Brady went down against the Chiefs.

It is what it is. At least we don't end the season with another discouraging playoff loss. The reality is the defense has been bad (against the good teams) since the playoff loss to the Colts in the championship game 2 years ago. This team has gone from potentially being the best team ever (before the Super Bowl began) to a non playoff team in 10 months. That's a pretty steep fall. Injuries are no excuse. The secondary was horrible even before the injuries. Hopefully, management will realize that simply tweaking the roster with journeyman players is not enough. A major overhaul on the defense is required. Unless BB/Pioli have the same determination that Parcells/Sparando have next year will be a struggle too. Maybe missing the playoffs will make the Patriots hungry again.

The only thing that could be worse than this would be an all Manning superbowl!!!

Watch out!! The wheels are falling off the bandwagon!

THE JETS AND BRETT DESERVE TO LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY FOR LOSERS!

Sign Cassell to long term contract. Trade Brady for & use cap space for, younger defensive players. Call running plays other than "into the middle of the line for a 1 yd gain." The passing game today (completions, yads per catch) weren't bad. So why run into the middle of the line all day?

LOSERS! No playoffs for you arrogant Pats fans! Guess what...EVERY team has injuries and deals with it. Stop whining about the NFL playoff rules also.....for YEARS the AFC East was the weakest division in football and allowed the Pats to get homefield advantage for all the super bowl runs...didn't hear anyone complaining about the rules then.

After Mangini gets canned, he can always find a job as waterboy for a college team.

Choked in close games they should have won. Too bad they are not what they used to be.

Need to fire some guys and move on.

The Pats must now plan for the worst, which means #12 needs more surgery and will miss the 2009 season. Sign #16 immediately and spend the balance of the off season addressing the defensive weaknesses which would have meant a quick playoff exit this year anyway.

2008 was a great year in the NFL. In February, the Pats Superbowl performance completed the biggest choke in NFL history and in December, the Pats fail to make the playoffs. And the only complaint Pats fans have is how much the Jets suck??

does this once and for all answer the belichick vs. brady controversy?

LMAO, I HAVE TO BE THE HAPPIEST MAN ALIVE IN MASS. POOR NEW ENGLAND. I HATE THE PATS, I GREW UP A STEELER FAN ALL MY LIFE. WE HAD THE DYNASTY AND STILL DO. STOP CRYING AND BE SMART LET CASSEL GO TO A TEAM WHERE HE CAN PROVE HIMSELF ALL OVER. KEEP BABYFACE BRADY LET HIM GO UNDAAAHFEATED AND LOSE THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF A LIFETIME LMFAO

Not surprised that they missed the play offs. I already knew after week one after Brady went down it was bye bye.

Deal with it...the Patsies have had enough go their way...the ride is over....

No frustration with this season. With Brady in the first quarter of the season, getting 11 wins with Cassel is a miracle. So, is it Belichek or Brady? Mostly Belichek after all.
My only frustration is losing the Super Bowl last season. Stunning. I would also like to ask if Brady was injured for that game. Remember the cast on his right less than 2 weeks before the game. No one wants an excuse but Brady was injured for the Super Bowl and was at risk for this injury. Bad fortune. But we will rise again!

Basically, it all came down to that home game against the fish back in September. Hey, they came to our house and just whipped us. The Pats lost a few key games at home also. Well, at least they didn't lose to Mangenious. I figured them to be a 8-8 team without Brady at best. Hopefully this will make them a better team for next season. You can't rely on other teams to help, certainly not ones in your own division. I think BB should concentrate on key additions and signings. Unlike other teams, we always get the most out of the least..

I've been waiting for this day since December 12, 1982. On that day the cheating "patriots" used an unfair advantage to "win" a game against the DOLPHINS. Today the cheating "patriots" season was ended by the DOLPHINS. Maybe the cheating "patriots" can go out and find another convict to help them beat the DOLPHINS.
Hey "patriot" fans: WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!

Dear Pats Fan,

Enjoy the post-Spygate KARMA.

Sincerely,
Colts fan

P.S. LMAO!!!

Once again, New York, depended upon to get it right, screws it up.
Props to Chad Pennington. He gets the last laugh.
BB should be Coach of the Year.

Youkilis should play short....

Yay!!!!!! No Patriots for the remainder of the season - it's a beautiful thing!

I Pats should keep their heads up high. Through all the injuries, including one to one of the most gifted quarterbacks and a huge weapon on the offense, they survived and posted a 11-5 season. That's a whole let better than a bunch of teams making the playoffs. But even more than that, the Pats showed passion and played hard and did their best. This is probably the best circumstances under which a great team can miss playoffs. It's ok, we've won 3 super bowls and been to the playoffs 6 times in a rown in one decade, not such a big deal missing them for one year. Great hopes for next year!

In response to comment #40...Dolphins and Pats both ended with an identical 11-5 record. Yet, you seam to think the Phins are a "much better team". Not sure I understand that one, but, then again you're a fairweather Miami fan...makes total sense!

As a Colts fan, I truly am saddened that the Pats aren't in the playoffs. Regardless of who wins, the build up and excitement of a Colts-Pats playoff game is as exciting as playing in the Super Bowl.

Best of luck to your team next year. I hope we see each other again come playoff time.

Brett Favre is stil the greeatest to ever play the game.

the roger clemens of quarterbacks

Hey JV (comment #263): You wonder how the Mighty 'Phins "would of done" (pitiful grammar) in Buffalo-style weather? Well, just look at last week when the Mighty 'Phins won on the road in the COLDEST GAME IN TEAM HISTORY!!! Quit crying and study your English, you Northern redneck!

Parcells - Tuna cruisin'. Master with the last laugh

Man Genie - The snitch. Rat, on his way out

Farvre - Stinky Cheese - Comes back, and now we're the ones crying

Belichick - The Magician - Looking forward to the next laugh

Cassel - The Bankroll - Off season with a Supermodel or actress?

Real proud of the team this year. More injuries and no TB did not deter them from putting forth their best effort. Pats fans can take solace in knowing that this was a depleted team and they still perfomed. For all the gloating that some small group of classless Fins and other fans are doing, they will learn shortly that the NE dynasty is far from over. The Jets and Fins were in it because the AFC East teams were the beneficiary of the easy end of the NFL schedule rotation this year. The Fins do appear to be on the rise, but lets see what either of those teams do for an encore. Pennington has proven one thing over the years...he can't stay healthy or consistent. Plus, if the Fins get sold and Parcells leaves, it's over. By the way, the cheating thing is old, stale and desperate. Get over it.

Nice job Favre, you bum! Just like last year he closed out the season with a costly INT. This is why the Jets share a city and a stadium with another team and have half as many fans as that team - because year in and year out they are hopelessly mediocre. I hope their fans got some satisfaction that their team accomplished something by LOSING.

They played 2 good teams this year colts and steelers and lost both they deserve to miss the playoffs!!

TO Silversax , Post #296: You and your team have no class since the day in 1972 when No Class Shula ran up the score on the Patriots 52-0, I will never forget that. Yet last year you losers were losing 28-0 at the half and moaned Bilecheck was running up the score, so he goes and puts the third string in and makes the game interesting. I will take Classy Bill over No Class Don any day. Death to the Dolphins and the 2 New Jersey teams.

Pats had a good season in spite of everything that went down, finished up missing what six starters including league MVP and still won 11 games. That whole Super Bowl loser failing to make the playoffs should have a big fat asterisk next to it when it comes to Pats - going 11-5 in 6 team field and not making playoffs has NEVER happened before and won't likely happen again for some time. I think a full offseason will be good for the Pats at this point - retool and plan for the future.

DANG!! Great season Pats. 11-5 puts you in the playoffs 19 years out of 20. Oh well. See you in August.

I really think that the Jets lost on purpose!!!!!!! The interceptions come on! The blocked punt come on! The Jet fans starting to leave early come on! I smell a big RAT!!!!!!!

Well, I'm going to bed and dream about Miami in the playoffs while the "patriots" are crying at home. I'll tell you something, though...Miami has turned the corner heading up and New England has turned the corner heading down. The "patriots" couldn't take the undefeated season title from the Mighty 'Phins this year and it looks like they will be dreaming about it for years to come. GO 'PHINS!!!

"Liberals shouldn't be allowed to play in the NFL"
- silversax

Seems like the Giselle Bunchen/Bridget Moynahan curse is alive and well....

BAA-HOOO. Typical obnoxious New England sports fans...can't lose with style or grace. No wonder you're hated as badly as the NY teams.

I love the comments about how the pats cheated and this is their payback...honestly...get over it. That was a season ago. It has no bearing on this season. The Pats finished with a great record considering they lost quite possibly the best qb in the league, their starting safety, starting lb, starting rb and then lost some key players down the stretch. This is all in the "post cheating" time. If you are a fan of another team, why are you on boston.com and writing about the Pats? Can't you accept the fact that your team either is in or out and move on?

Thanks for all of the memories Brett Favre...now retire you old goat! You can't throw...can't run...certainly can't win! Let's hope the Pats find a way to keep Cassell...

Boo hoo TJ. Go cry to liberal Obama and the Kennedys. REAL MEN don't cry about their losses!

Weakest 11-5 team ever. 7 wins against under .500 teams. 9 wins against non-playoff teams (one of the playoff teams we beat was Arizona in a snow storm and Zona didn't even show up). We really only had one real solid win and that was at Miami. They had their chances against playoff teams like Pittsburgh and Indy and didn't win. Not making the playoffs is a failure of a season and this team didn't deserve to make it. Hopefully they'll fix the secondary and we won't be having this discussion next year.

TJ, what does halftime last year have to do with your losing team this year?

I'm laughing at you!

TJ, it's not Don anymore and it hasn't been for a long time. Classy Bill will have to find a way to beat Winner Tony!

I like how 11-5 during the 2001 season got us the 2nd seed and a first round bye and now we're out of the playoffs..this suuucks

Just want to thank the Pats for an exciting season. To bad the 8-8 records can win divisions and make playoffs. Time to restructure how the playoff teams are decided. Maybe winning the division should only be counted in as a tie breaker and allow the best teams to compete in the playoffs. But, what can you do. We still have the Celtics and Bruins to get us through till next season.

as much as i would like to say that it just wasnt our year, its not true. as much as i want to say that losing brady, maroney, harrison, bruschi, thomas and seymour was just too much, and leave it at that, its not true. this team did have enough, yet by a flawed playoff system will be kept out of the postseason whilst the likes of 9-7 arizona and 8-8 san diego play on. the truth is, under matt cassel, this was still a competetive team. after the injury to tom brady, i believed that this team was still a playoff team, but probably not good enough to go 11-5 or higher. talk about irony. i dont think theres anybody in new england who would doubt the pats chances in a neutral site playoff with the dolphins, which is what the nfl needs to start instituting in situations like these. because the bitter truth is that we were not kept out by injuries, a super bowl jinx, or just a down year. we deserved to get in, and were kept out by a faulted playoff system. the nfl needs to take a look at this during the offseason.

Had they simply beat the Steelers at home, they would now be sitting pretty with a first round bye, a guaranteed home playoff game and the #2 seed. Randy Moss dropping two unforgiveable passes (one for a TD, the other to place them inside the Steelers 20, early on) in the biggest game of the year shows he is not a champion style player. The weather in that game, as last year, threw his game off, when in a game of that magnitude, nothing can throw any team members mentality off. You can't go into battle with mentally weak players at any position, never mind a captain? For all his wondrous talent, Moss' lack of toughness in the most important moments of the season, will always burn bright with me as the reason this season fell just short, when it could have been so much more. Never was a team so victimized by injuries, more deserving. Nice going Randy - go hit the links in the warm weather, with all your records, drueling possee, expensive attire and self absorbed attitude accompanying. Just know though, one thing that will never accompany you is toughness, game character and a champion label.

16-0 would have gotten you in--- but it would have wound up 18-1

The Steelers Stink as Bad as Miami. They are going noplace. Thanx for another great season Go PATS

In some ways, down the stretch this year was less stressful than last year. This year, we're finding ways to win. Last year, we were looking not to loose until the...

Anyway, great job by coaching staff and players ready to step in. Agree with others that any other team would have folded on play 16 in game one.

Sign Cassel to a long term contract, which may be less than franchising as insurance.

With all the adjustments that the Pats had to make, this was quite a season for me to watch the team evolve, and they have my respect. I was surprised by a few bonehead coaching calls during games, though. Cassel's an excellent athlete and ballplayer, and I'm not convinced, given the serious complications associated with Tom Brady's knee reconstruction, that Tom's going to be as effective as he was before he was injured. I hope I'm wrong, but knees are a major problem if they're not 100%.

NY NY - so nice they name it twice
sorry bean towners
Giants Knock you out last year
Jets Knock you out this year
Maybe next year Buffalo Knocks you out - another NY/NJ team
enjoy the long winter -
love from Eli and the champs!

HAHAHA This is karma for last year. Not only does Tom Brady go down in week one, but you cheaters go 11-5 and don't get into the playoffs and it's all becasue of the previously 1-15 Dolphins. I'm not sure what is harder to deal with. 1-15 or 11-5 and sitting at home in January. It's only fitting that Miami ends you season. The universe eventually balances out everything.

That 11 wins doesn't get you into the playoffs is a disgrace. A great season all things considered. Here's to Miami going out in game 1.

The Miami Dolphins did what the Pats, J-E-T-S suck suck suck!, and the Bills didn't... beat the teams they were supposed to, and win when they had to. Congrats to Chad Pennington who has to be on cloud 9 right now. Shame on the J-E-T-S- suck suck suck! for treating him so poorly. Paybacks are a bitch.

I'm now rooting for the Dolphins to continue surprising people in the playoffs. And as much as BB deserves big time consideration for coach of the year, it's hard to deny it to Miami's Sparano. From 1-15 to 10-5. That's just remarkable.

Re: FUDGIE (#291)

Steelers are overrated. Why don't you get it over with and go move to Pittsburgh where you can waive your "terrible towel", root for the Pirates and Penguins and wish you had a basketball team. Massachusetts has no room for you!

The dream is over, Brady could also miss next season and Cassel will be gone, then what? Everyone is so happy with 11-5 and missing the playoffs, forget that, we blew it and it's not going to get better anytime soon. I'm sad today.

Congratulations to the Dolphins for turning their team around from 1 and 15 last year to winning the division this year. My buddy and I will crack a few beers toast them while they get their brains kicked in by the Ravens next week. Thanks for nothing J-E-T-S. Good to see you do your usual end of season nose dive.

Thanks Pats for a gutty performance this year. Thanks Teddy, and Rodney for your years of great play for the Pats. I suspect you both will retire next year. Don't be surprised if Tom Brady retires next year. He has nothing to prove to anyone and can retire on top unlike Brent

great year...who would have thought that the PATS would have gone 11-5. If you said yes, you would be lying. No doubt, this is Belichick's best coaching year since their first Super Bowl year in 2001 - 2002. Cassel MVP of team - however, it's still Brady's team next year. Chins should be held up high. We're proud of you.

great year...who would have thought that the PATS would have gone 11-5. If you said yes, you would be lying. No doubt, this is Belichick's best coaching year since their first Super Bowl year in 2001 - 2002. Cassel MVP of team - however, it's still Brady's team next year. Chins should be held up high. We're proud of you.

NICE WORK CHEATERS!!

if you missed it in many posts above, the word you need to learn is KARMA.

seems you would've looked it up after last year's super bowl....but then, we are talking about boston here.

PATS stink like a dutchman's throw-up. get a new coach and learn to play the game fairly. meanwhile, the world rejoices in this poetic justice!!!!!!!!!!

Am I missing something or were Pittsburg, Indy, and San Diego the only teams on the Cheatriots' schedule that had winning records last year (all losses this year btw)? Only 3 out of 16 games were against winning teams and most of the bad teams they played were ravaged with injuries themselves. There's not much to be proud of in this Cheatriots season. They beat up on injured, bad football teams and people are proud of them? My grandmother could have coached this team to 9 wins against the Division II-like schedule they played.

relieved that we won't have to be listening to any more stupid news about the local football team for the next month and beyond. look forward to green grass and baseball.

relieved that we won't have to be listening to any more stupid news about the local football team for the next month and beyond. look forward to green grass and baseball.

11-5 and still miss.............ouch!!!! I bet $ 100 big ones that Miami loses their 1st playoff game. You watch, you'll see. I really thought that no team wanted to face New England in the 1st round. O well.... rest up ....get healthy ........ and when Cassels ran for the 1st down and took the hit..................on 4th down.........hmm maybe we have something here.....

Congratulations, Miami. You're going to lose in the first round to a Baltimore team that is going to hand you your lunch (and even if you somehow survive that game, you have Pittsburgh to deal with), you will have a lower draft pick then the Pats, and then you will have a schedule for a first place team! Enjoy going to Pittsburgh while we deal with a second place schedule!

Yeah, how about that undeserving San Diego team that smoked the Pats earlier this year? Do you whiney Pats fans think that anyone is looking forward to playing SD right now? The NFL playoff format has been the same for years, so why complain about it now? I'm sure if the Pats ever squeaked into the playoffs at 9-7 or 8-8 you'd be saying that they didn't deserve to get in, right?

The Pat's are a great team. Great teams peak this time of year, which they did with what they had.Cassell has proven he's a winner and a complete ball player. He looked like Grogan out there today running for the first down. So, a lot has been revealed on both sides of the ball this year. We've got some good young players on defense along with the tried and true. Belichec has no equal. Pioli, get us a safety and corner and we'll be back to the big one.

Terrific job by the Pats this year. It's clear the NFL went to the four-division setup way too early. That's why we have an 11-5 team out of the playoffs with lesser teams lining up for a quick slaughter.

Goodell should take off his hall monitor sash for a microsecond and concentrate on parity (Detroit?) and getting the best teams in the playoffs.

Only a moron like Jeff thinks karma has anything to do with football. Which makes me wonder. . .what heinous football crime did Kevin Everett committ to be almost paralyzed last year? Or isn't that karma?

Yer an idiot.

well deserved. that's the fate of all cheaters. losers forever.

I agree with the second poster (i.e. Paul P.), missing the playoffs was...weird. The Pats went from a cocky team that threw away a Super Bowl in the last half of the last game to a team that couldn't make the playoffs. How sad. Now, a lot of the signings that were designed to keep the group together are maturing. Hopefully, the new players will get on board quickly, while Brady is still playing.

For me, this season simply added to the distaste that was left by blowing it last year. Now, they might be looking at a partial rebuild. So, who knows if/when a lot of these guys are going to see another SB?

It was inevitable a few know-nothings would try to place the blame on Hobbs. You spoiled brats need to find another team to support but you're nothing but idiots.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda... I still like this team and if management stays together then it'll definitely be a favorite next year, hopefully without the whiny bandwagon fans. This team has heart and if Belichick can improve the 3rd down defense then it'll be up there with the best.

Does any of this really matter you people who are trying to "rub it in"??? Your teams will all lose anyway in the playoffs.. hooray! woo hoo, lets all try to stick it to NE fans. What the hell is your deal????? Just let it go you crazy people...

Well....................... I gotta say , these Pats got heart ! They missed the playoffs but they won the last 4 and looked great . No doubt " NOBODY but NOBODY " wanted to play them in the first round ! The lack of heart by The JETS - total losers , the Jags , heartless cowards , and last week the " COMPLETE FARCE " known as the DALLAS COWBOYS ... cost us a playoof spot ! But our guys showed heart , with half their stars hurt no less ! What a performance , you guys make us all proud ! From Boston to Eastport - we all LOVE YOU PATRIOTS !!!!
- as far as the COWARD PATROL , get in line COWBOYS , JETS , BRONCOS , and oh yes ... BUCS ! You are all just imposters and all should be released ! JT

4 teams with worst records than the Pats are in the palyoffs. Should be like the NHL top teams get in regardless of where they finish. Also why AFC vs NFC. Rank the top twelve teams 1-12 then if two NFC or AFC teams end up in the Super bowl so be it. This way you get the best teams palying for the title. Always.

The Patriots offense did their job this year without Brady. Patriots front office are the ones who lost this season by thinking they could win with a JV pass defense. Brady wouldn't have made any difference this year. Even if they made the playoffs this year, the defense was not good enough to go very deep.
Jets are irrelevant as usual. It's nice to remember Brett's last game as he once again throws an interception during a team's most critical moment of the game.

Can't complain about the system, it is what it is....the only things i would change about the playoff system would be best records get home games in wild card, no matter division champs or not and tie breaker for teams not in same division should go head to head then record against common opponents, not conference record. doesn't make sense to use conference record when you dont play all the teams. for the record wouldn't have mattered for the pats. Ravens and pats both 2-3 against common teams, just think that makes more sense.

Mangini got back at Belichick the only way he could..By being the total loser he is.......Good luck with that scouting job next year at Podunk U. Mangenius

Ugh!!! We lose how many top players, including Brady, and we finish 11-5, only to miss the playoffs because of a tie breaker, and San Diego gets in on an 8-8 record. This league is turning out to be a joke.

Anyhow, how can you argue that Belichick is a phony now? He just coached one heck of a season, and gave some other team a really good starting QB for 2009.

Just sickens me how we won't see this team perform in January....

[11-5 No playoffs but a .500 team will host a playoff game next week. Ain't that something???]

Yes, but that .500 team at 8-8 known as the Chargers also beat you 30-10. Enough said.

Thank The Patriots for a great Year hope Matt Cassel stays who knows how Tom Brady well recover - Just another great part this year - The Patriots are Super in
Charactor no team had a year with so many injuries and keep winning convincingly .

Great Job by the Pats this year. What a bunch of gamers. Thanks for everything, guys!

That said, it is worth emphasizing that THE JETS ARE FREAKING USELESS!!!!

Even though Gaffney missed and easy catch, I still blame David Thomas for that loss against the Colts!!! That dumb penalty he took after the whistle changed everything that game!! Should have had a field goal and should have been a win!! I had a feeling it would come back to bite us in the a**.

GREAT JOB PATS
Still the best team ever
Istill cant get over how the nfl leaque continues to screw us over. why didn't they just have the jags and ravens play at 4:00? keep the jets and fish at 1:00
that way the jets would've had to play all out .Farve is a chump.Could you believe that int he threw on that screen. like his man wasn't even close to being open.
If you dont think the jets laid down go back to the artical where the refs were celibrating with the owners of the jets at the end of the jets pats overtime game in new england. Its B.S.

The leaque needs to be investigated.
I don't no if I'm the only one who notices how one sided the commentators are that call the games.I'm over it
I wish we could storm the booth throw those ding dongs out and get some real coverage for a change.
We weren't even suppose to finish better that 9-7 according to the so called pro's. 11-5... ANALYSE that... twits
see you next year pats fans

Well hopefully we'll only have to endure one more press conference with Farve slobbering all over himself.

I can't believe your people actually thought the Jets was going to win.

It's terrible that a team that has become a true 'Patriots' team has to miss the playoffs, they are just hitting their stride and Belichik lives for the gameplanning of the post-season. Mangini is a true failure, a fame-seeker who's career high is undoubtedly his cameo on the Sopranos. Does 8-8 vs 11-5 outway a 30-10 beatdown on the road? Probably not, but I consider this a solid season.

PATRIOTS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
QUIT BLAMING THE JETS OR FRAVE. NEW ENGLAND IS OUT!!!!! SLIPPING EVERY YEAR. LOST THE SUPER BOWL LAST YEAR. NO PLAYOFF THIS YEAR!!!!

QUIT WHINNING!!!!

I grew up in Braintree MA and have lived in Phoenix AZ for the past 30 years but still remain a Patriots fan. It's a joke that our local semipro team, the Cardinals, got in because their whole division stunk. And a team that went 11-5 including a laugher over the Cards recently sees its season come to an end. Cassel did a great job filling in for Brady and the team as a whole had a terrific season.

Didn't take care of business when we had the chance, so it came down to depending on the overrated interception machine, AKA Brett Favrervearveav. Four specific plays that I knew when they happened they would kill us... Gaffney's drop against Indi... David Thomas' personal foul against Indi... Blown punt coverage against the Jets... Not able to hold on 3'rd and 15 against the Jets... Not to mention shanked by the NFL's poor overtime set up.
Injuries aside, the defense is just awful. Hobbs couldn't cover a bed with 3 sheets. Deltha O, couldn't cover the same bed with 3 sheets and Hobbs' help... There's absolutely NO up front blitz pressure... Brady might have made a difference in getting us into the playoffs with a couple extra wins we didn't have, but the D would've been exposed quickly in January.
Hats off to Cassell, though. Fine job all year. Good luck and go anywhere except Detroit or NYJ. I'd really hate to have to root against you every week for being a choking Jet.

Inside the NFL Bozo's will be ecstatic they don't have to talk about the Patriots this year! After dominating the league for the past 7 years, fans from this years playoff teams will breath a sigh of relief knowing they won't have to face the New England Patriots. Admit it, all you Patriot haters will sleep a little better now that NE is out of it. Meanwhile we still have the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox. So all you nitwit Patriot haters will have to wait until next year for your teams to get their asses kicked by New England!

BILLY SULLIVAN.........
THAT MUST BE THE FATE OF YOUR WHOLE FAMILY THEN
How do these idiots even find this web site.....oh I know ,since theres nothing going on in their teams site they come here to see what the fans of the best team ever are saying

Maybe Goodell should should focus more on putting the best teams in the league in the playoffs and less time playing the part of high school vice-principle and fineing players for making snow angels. Tagliabue had his falts but this guy is a CLOWN

In this league of football, which team can win 11 with backup QB in command for 16 games, with the half of defence starter not present? I am just proud of this team. This 11 is more than 18 last year.

By the way, y'all didn't win 3 superbowls, only 2, one the refs gave you (2001 tuck rule) so you weren't a dynasty to begin with

Cassels franchise tag is 14million

For the Pats fans who are complaining about the fact that two 8-8 teams made it to the playoffs and the Pats did not.

"Tuck Rule. Tuck Rule. Tuck Rule"

You loved the rules WHEN they favored in '01- '02
Now you are on the other side...Deal with it.

Hey 'NotBoston", when is the last time your team won a Super Bowl? Get a life!!

Playoffs? Playoffs?!?!? I think I'm being reasonable by blaming favre for the Pats missing out. That childish prick had to pout and absolutely had to get things his way last year so that he can throw interceptions for another season. Thanks but no thanks favre, and STAY retired this time! I'm sure by now all nfl teams know how useless a senile QB is.

There is no reason to complain about the way the NFL is set up to allow mediocrity into the playoffs. If you don't have conferences and divisions, the format will never make sense. I understand the argument, but let it go. Keep in mind that the AFC east had so much win in it because of those west coast teams.

I know that the catch in Indy hurt, but the real reason to look at for this year's outcome is the one that was based on a coin flip. Losing in OT to the Jets is why we are here home now, and losing the coin flip is why. Divisions and conference schedule is the way it will always be, but the OT rules need to be looked at.

When Brady went out, I thought it was 8-8. The Pats made it very interesting, but in the end, you cannot get beat up by Pitts, SD and Miami and make it in.
Losing to the Jets in OT was the killer. They had Favre in a 3rd and 15 in OT and Ellis Hobbs (who Plaxico undressed to win the Super Bowl!!) let Favre complete a 16 yarder. Jest drive the field and kick three to win it. Pats never touched the ball in OT. Hey, great effort by all. Incredible step up by all. Matt will be a great QB going forward. The only one who needs a bus ticket out of NE is Hobss. Beat it kid.

In many ways, this season was more rewarding and certainly more interesting than last. However, it is really strange not to look forward to The Pats in the play-offs. Kudo's to The Fins.
Good point about the last time not making the play-offs and winning the following two super bowl's....

poor tackling team

No one with even a heart one-tenth the size of The Grinch wants to see the great Tom Brady suffer with the type of injury he has been dealt. But every football fan who has even a small taste for fair play and justice celebrates the crop Belicheat is reaping with missing the playoffs this year following his 18 and NO! season. Dump that amoral coach and his attitude in your franchise, and you could be the new America's team.

how do you explain to your kids that your team that has won 11 games doesnt make the playoffs but another team in your conference that has won 8 games makes it? go figure

don't get too excited about pats 11-5 record. remember, they played the 4th easiest schedule in the NFL this year (Sagarin ratings as of end of week 17) - as did the whole AFC east played the patsy schedule of the league this year. Not their fault - just the way the schedule fell this year. But, beating up a bunch of losers is all they did this year.

Plus, Patriots cheat and BB, while a great coach, is a lousy role model. they deserved to miss the playoffs.

The Jets incentive to wint he game after it was moved to 4 pm was because they are professional football players and should be playing for pride and the potential to knock Miami out of the playoffs.Past had the 2nd easiest schedule in the NFL but after losing Brady and 13 other starters, you have tio give them credit for going 11-5 regardless of their schedule. Jets remain overated by the NY and national media. How about Man (not so) Genius?? Close to .500 for his head coaching career and the Jets blew their wad on FA's and did not make the playoffs!! I thought them signing Gafvre was a mistake and turned out it was!!

spygate and specter kharma - betacheck deserved this! sign of the times. mediocre when called out!

Are you Raider fans still whining about the tuck rule? Get Over it! Look up the BS roughing the passer call from 1976. It took us 25 years to avenge the championship that was stolen from the Pats. What the patriots have accomplished in the past eight years surpasses the so-called greatness of the Raiders. In fact since 1985 the pats have been in six super bowls and the raiders ONE (and you don't want to talk about that, do you?

Let's Go Matty Ice! Falcons aren't a bad bandwagon to jump on!

Stop all this complaining. Patriot suck! They will never go back to the super bowl

2008 will be remembered for the terrible economy. In these dreadfull econimic times, we can look back and relish some of the good times:
-Cheatriots losing the Super Bowl after a 16-0 season
-Brady getting injured and done for the season
-Cheatriots not making the playoffs.

I am looking forward to a better 2009, when Brady will be slower and get beaten up lika pinata by opposing D linemen.

"By the way, y'all didn't win 3 superbowls, only 2, one the refs gave you (2001 tuck rule) so you weren't a dynasty to begin with"

Didn't know the tuck rule resulted in the winning touchdown.

If the Pats are smart they will trade Brady for high draft picks or younger players to restock the defense. Keep Cassel since he could be the future of the franchise. This is exactly how Brady was born -- out of a Bledsoe injury and see how well that worked out?? Trade Brady, Keep Cassel.

if you are gonna force first place teams play all other first place teams in the conference, then it's not fair to use conference record as a tie breaker. the team with the weaker conference schedule will almost always get the nod over the team that earned the same record with a harder conf schedule.

it's the exact same thing that cost the pats in 2002, but at least back then you could say the jets were playing better at that point in the season, this year, not the case, pats were better than miami at season end.

pats were snakebitten, they really could've made some noise... i agree with the guy that said dave thomas cost them the season. i dont know what the heck he did, couldn't really see on the replay, but it cost them that colts game, and the season.

Oh the irony. Seeing you Pats fans hoping and cheering and begging for the Jets to win puts a big fat smile on my face. It shows that just like your organization, you guys are just a bunch of pathetic scums. Cheering for the team that put an asterisk next to your near "perfect" season. HA. The best part is you still didn't get what you want. First time in 23 years that 11-5 record didn't get into playoffs. If that's not KARMA, I don't know what is, scotdome. You guys got what you deserve and I truly hope that this is just the beginning of the end for you and your stinking club. Cassel will go to another team (you all know it) and Brady will be plagued by injuries rest of his career (you all secretly fear it). Happy New Years MOFOS! Enjoy watching the playoffs!

Great season - the rules are the rules, but this team was fun to watch. It goes to show that it's how you put the team together and coach the game. Having great players matter, but the system matters more. Belichick proved he was a true master of the game dealing with the loss of Brady and all the others due to injury. The way the Pats took on December, other teams should feel lucky that they were spared what could have been an incredible New England surge.

I see a lot of comments from Pats haters. Have all the fun you want. Belichick and Pioli have the entire offseason to reconstruct the team. Brady will be back. The team will be able to rest and fully heal. Watch out for the 2009 Patriots!
then watch us in

All I want to say is the PATS performed amazing for all the injuries and circumstances that they went through this season and they are still the best team. One thing that pisses me off is that a 8-8 team can make the playoffs but a 11-5 team can't. That is just ridiculous. I can't really explain how I feel about that. And the JETS, come on, you have all of New England fans on your side for the first and only time in your lifetime and you still blew it.

To all the PATS players thanks for a great season and I can't wait for next year.

Ha Ha. Love it. Didn't the chargers spank you earlier in the season? Pats are done.

I can promise that NO other team in the NFL can go 11-5 with their freakin back up qb...the majority can't even do it with their starer....its a shame the NFL has such a crap playoff system...pats got very hot at the right time and had a real shot to go deep in the playoffs....BEST TEAMS SHOULD MAkE THE PLAYOFFS, NFL!!!

Let this be a curse:

Brett Favre's career INT record will stand longer than I will live on this Earth!

ha ha 11-5 and you missed the playoffs. And no perfect season last year. Ha ha. Owe we had a great year in spite. FU Boston. Lakers beat you and Dolphins f'd you. FU Schilling.

The Pats had a great season. but for everyone who says they never got any help or calls, lets not forget that they would never have gone on the incredible run they have without the ridiculous 'tuck rule' against the Raiders. If they lose that game, as they should have, we would never be talking about the pats as the great team they have become. Congrats on a great season and coaching job. GO FINS. P.S. I still haven't forgot about the convict on the snow plow!!!!

Nice to see the classless cheaters will be at home watching my Colts in the playoffs. Asterisk Super Bowls, crushing defeat in last Super Bowl...don't you guys get it? I am much more proud of the Colts who consistently make a run at the playoffs without resorting to dirty tactics rather than the Pats multiple asterisk Super Bowls. You probably won't even sniff the playoffs for many years to come.

Winning the Super Bowl this year will be like winning a major without Tiger in the field. Sure, you get the trophie, but who really cares?

Alright Miami!!!

New England is still the best in my book and they WILL be back next year!

I hope that dave thomas is man enough to admit to himself it was him alone that cost them the playoffs a penalty like that was inexcusable at the time even more so now, sleep well dave and thanks.

OK first off the PITTSBURGH STEELERS of the 70's were,have been and always will be the best team of all time. The New EnglandPatriots were caught cheating and due to that they should forfiet any championships obtained during any season that they cheated in. They suck,.It is plain and simple they are not the greatest of teams and most certainly their coach is nothing special. He couldn't hold Chuck Noll's jock strap. Tom Brady is done and so is the team. Another flash in the pan., He will never be as good as Bradshaw. I know you New England whimps won't like it but the Patriots just simply suck. Never impressed me in any manner. btw: The STeelers will be in and WIN THE SUPER BOWL AGAIN! THIS YEAR! BITE ME!

all i can say is mangini is a loserm and brett should have retired a year ago, the whole system needs a an over haul, a team that goes 8-8 makes the playoffs and a team that goes 11-5 doesnt, a very pitiful system

hehe all the trolls who are delighting in the patriots not making the playoffs shows how much of youre stupid lives thinking about them that you have to come and register to make a i told you so comment, lol get a life!!! if this was 9 years ago most of the boston fans would be devastated, but winning so many championships in the last 8 years kinda numbs you to this pain, and thats where the real venom comes from knowing that boston fans have watched more championship parades than any of the cities these trolls originate from so suck it ill see you at the bruins stanley cup parade., karma is something a steelers fan feels today hahha, i have 2 words for the steelers troy aikman

Mo Vaughn had it right--"stupid Boston sports fans".

Let's be a little more calculating about this. I hope that Mangini and Favre stay as Jets coach & QB.
They are so lame....

Miami practically gave them the game in the first half.....

Losers like this will always belly up against a team with integrity that plays to the end.

Gostkowski's extra point kick - so suppose the kick goes through the uprights and then blows back - is it good? It crossed the plane of the goalposts - or does it have to land on the other side?

The Jets had 3rd and 15 against the Pats in OT and the Patriots let them get the 1st down, continue the drive and win the game.. That was the critical drive of this season....

If you're a Pats fan and a bit liberal in your leanings, you kinda hope Brett Favre keeps playing just like you hope that Sarah Palin keeps running.....

That said, you just gotta wonder what's going thru Woody Johnson's mind this morning after spending a 100+ million on all that "talent" while having a "genius" for a coach.....

:-)

What do you call 53 guys watching football in January in MASS.? THE PATSIES! Remember, you heard it hear first, the PATSIES WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! I SAID THAT IN MY PREVIOUS POSTS! GREAT TEAMS HAVE PLAYERS STEP UP WHEN ANOTHER IS INJURED, THE PATSIES JUST HAVE PEOPLE TO FILL IN!

and the beauty of ben being injured was that is was ole # 55 who got him, go suck on the super bowl trophy the referees gave you a few years back. talk about a team winning a tainted superbowl. jesus!

TROLLS GO HOME! The losers here are creep trolls who have nothing better to do than cruise Pats fan sites and trash the team.
The Patriots franchise IS a class act.
Tough year- with tough injuries to key players.
The no excuses team just kept finding their way and finding ways to win.
Special thanks to BB, Wes Walker, and Matt Cassel.
Lots of kuddos to the whole team. Get healthy and strong for 2009.

Its dissapointing, missing out on the playoffs...but with Brady and everyone else on the roster suffering an injury, it was impressive to go 11-5. The positive thing about this year is they found some young talent: Gary Guyton, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Vince Redd. Belichick should get coach of the year. Next Year: PATS SUPER BOWL 44 CHAMPS!!!! ...I hope the Giants suffer a Giant loss in the playoffs...that will make my year...JETS & GIANTS SUCK!!!! Go PATS IN 09!!!

The Cowboys, the Patriots and the Jets are the three most arrogant franchises in the NFL. How great, that they all got their big mouths shut this year.

Its dissapointing, missing out on the playoffs...but with Brady and everyone else on the roster suffering an injury, it was impressive to go 11-5. The positive thing about this year is they found some young talent: Gary Guyton, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Vince Redd. Belichick should get coach of the year. Next Year: PATS SUPER BOWL 44 CHAMPS!!!! ...I hope the Giants suffer a Giant loss in the playoffs...that will make my year...JETS & GIANTS SUCK!!!! Go PATS IN 09!!!

Patsies class act? Does that include 2 of the dirtiest players in the NFL? Does that include the largest fine ever given in the history of the NFL for cheating? That's ok, I am STILL cheering for my team. You don't hear me complain about a "cheap" shot. I know what is a legitimate hit, unlike you Patsies fans who complain about ryan clark knocking wimp welker out. Even the NFL backed me up on that. As far as sucking on my trophy, do the patsies have a peep hole for a camera in their 3 trophies? We are playing for our 6th, what are the Patsies playing for now, who gets to tee off first? And, as far as the fine on wimp welker for his snow idiot, it was illegal, just like video taping. I guess 3 is not only the number of Super Bowls the Patsies have cheated on and won, and also lost, it is also the collective IQ of the entire team, since they still DON'T KNOW what is illegal to do in the NFL! As far as your 2009, seems to be less people on that band wagon with the latest news on Marcia Brady.

Can't really complain about an 8-8 team getting in and the Pats sitting out, when that team kicked the crap out of the Pats earlier this season. Win that game, and the Pats (and Broncos) would be in.

Hats off to you Pats. Congrats on a successful season. While I was watching my beloved Dolphins having great success, the Pats were always there...winning and keeping pace. You just wouldn't go away. I cherished every injury you had, every loss...but you kept winning. It was never the Jets I feared, even after the your OT loss. I'm not sure how you do the QB thing either. Bledsoe to Brady, then Brady to Cassel? Better sign him up quick.

Next year we will be 8-8 and you will be 11-5...again. So I will enjoy this next week while it lasts. Prey for our souls because my fish are walking into a buzz saw.

the playoff format sucks, but the pats are a victim of another stupid rule as well: the overtime loss to the jets decided by a coin flip. The Patriots season basically comes down to an unlucky coin flip and a moronic playoff format. Nice job, NFL.

The Pats are what they are. 11-5 against a weak schedule with a team decimated by injuries. It's fair to say that no other coach would have come close to getting this team to 11-5. None. Not Dungy, Tomlin, Fisher. None of them. You don't suffer the injuries this team incurred during the season and finish with a winning record. BB and his staff did a great job. Yeah, they blew some coaching decisions and I'm not enamored with Dean Pees as a defensive coordinator. But overall, they were great.
Baltimore is the team to watch this year in the AFC. Miami is one and done.

I'd like to thank the entire Patriots organization for another great season of football. It is disappointing that they did not make the playoffs, but considering all of the injuries they had this year I think it is amazing that they won eleven games. THANK YOU PATS!!!!!!!

In the end, the Pats defeated just two playoff teams all season: The Jets and the Cardinals. And that Arizona game barely counts.

And remember those Jets, the same team everyone says sucks right now? Their last win was against the Patriots...at Gillette Stadium. So the Pats have nobody to blame but themselves.

11-5 is great, but Cassell and BB never defeated a good team all season.

With the Pat's pass defense (untested over the last two weeks, given the conditions) in shambles, this was not a SuperBowl year. That, not Brady going down, is the reason for an 11-5 season. I hate to admit it, but a year out of the playoffs, giving the team some rest and a chip on their shoulder for next year, may be the best thing for the Pats. I hope that Wilhite and Wheatley are the real deal next year, as life without Asante was pretty painful to watch agaist the premier passers. They likely need another linebacker even after adding Guyton and Redd and Mayo this year. Tedy's tearful retirement is not far away, and Junior is not casting off the surfboard next year.

You HAVE to be proud about how the season played out - excellent job by Matt Cassell - he did everything you could ask for - it was not his fault that Gaffney dropped a touchdown against the Colts, or that the defense gives up 16 yards on 3rd and 15 against the Jets (see you later Ellis Hobbs) - this team was THAT close to being 13-3!!!
How about the fact that the Bills could have beaten the Jets with two kneel downs, and the coach overrides the offensive coordinator to call a pass play - THAT cost us the playoffs!!! The Bills should fire Jauron (or maybe not) - Next year - fix the defensive backfield or else!

HEY HEY HEY..... GOOD BYE

Yesterday I was hoping that the Jets would fire Ratgini at halftime. But the more I thought about, I hope they keep that gum-chewing, Humpty Dumpty-looking coach for years to come because the Jets will always suck with him as the coach.

Neil from NH--Hard to argue that one play may have been the difference, but I think you hit it on the head.

CT Steeelers fan--How'd your guys do when Big Ben went down? Thought so. Pats got the bad Karma last year by getting beat in the Super Bowl (note I didn't say lose.) They earned their 11-5 record, which any other year gets them a playoff berth and in 2001 earned them a #2 seed and a bye week.

Overall Pass Defense has to get better for the Pats to go anywhere--whether via the pass ruch or the secondary.

Go COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Losers Pat each other on the back and say "great season" and winners keep playing.

11-5 misses the payoffs and doesn't even get a good draft pick. Sounds like failure to me.

We lose a playoff spot due to the NFL's coinflip overtime format. What is wrong with a tie anyway?

Any team that has to rely on the Jets to go to the playoffs deserve to sit at home. Must be a tough 2008, blowing the superbowl (after 16-0) and getting squeezed out of the playoffs after winning 11 games. Don't even get me started on 'old cracker knees Brady.

Got some decisions for '09 that's for sure.

i'm a big pats fan for years they played well all season they just couldn't beat a team with a winning record they had the softest schedual they ever had if brady was there they may have lost just one game even if they got into the playoffs which they should have i doubt given there record of losing to winning teans they would have gone no furtheer than the first game

Gotta hand it to the Pats morons.. Self adulation galore!

All on a roll, with no where to go...but home!
It was a great year of overcoming adversity and beating the odds makers on more than one ocassion.
Matt Cassel was a phenom!
I am disappointed most by the fact that we had a good chance to build upon the success of the second half of the season.
Thank you Patriots!!

You know those tee-ball games for 6 year-olds, where they don't keep score and everyone's a winner? Welcome to the Wide World of Pats Fans. Pat on the back, congrats, we're awesome, blah, blah blah.
PATS FANS HAVE NO SPINE AND ARE A BUNCH OF BANDWAGON JUMPERS. Where were you all in support of "your team" when they were 2-14?

We bash the BCS and here we are sending a 8-8 team to the playoffs while an 11-5 goes home? The bottom line is the BEST teams should make the playoffs period. Get rid of the div title crap. Take the best 6 or 7 teams from each conf. , rank them by wins and let them have at it. At least the BCS only allows the best teams to have the chance to win it all.

Oh yea for all you Pitt fans - Big Ben is the most overrated QB of our era. He is a bigger, higher paid Trent Dilfer. This team wins in spite of him NOT because of him. I'd rather have Chad Pennington!!!

Trolls like CT Steelersfan deserves ZERO attention on these boards...

NOW,,moving on...

Pats played very well this season and Cassell was just awesome. He deserved a shot at playoffs..He could have easily won the Jets and Colts game if some of his teammates didn't let him down.
Gaffney,Merriweather, and Watson blew the Jets game...
Gaffney, David Thomas(Dumb penalty) and Coach Belichick blew the Colts game.
If the Pats win one of those games...the Pats are in the playoffs and Trolls that have nothing better to do with their pathetic, stay at home..live in their mom's basement lives...wouldn't be posting here...
The funny thing about it is we'll be hearing alot of excuses when the Arrogant, punk Steelers lose again as a top seed in the playoffs..These Trolls always fail to mention how a heavily underdog Pats team crushed the Steelers in 2001 and 2004 on their way to 2 Super Bowl victories..The Steelers are a great regular season team, but they fail to deliver in the clutch time and time again...Some would say that they are the biggest chokers in recent NFL playoff history..

The City of Champions has the Bruins and Celtics playoff runs to look forward to.
What has Pittsburgh got? Pirates? LOL.......Pitt...City of Losers...

Hey, leftout, seeing that the Steelers scored 24 of their 31 points AFTER Roethlisberger was taken off the field, I would say they did better than Cassel's did when he took over for Marcia

HEY PAT FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stop crying.many good calls have gone your way in helping you win super bowls. its funny how no pats fan admits when a call or 2 goes their way. raiders got hosed with tuck rule .travel outside new england and everyone agrees that the pats have gotten much help through the years. as far as a great season,11-5. you got fat beating bad or average teams. the jets did you a favor.if you made the playoff, do you really think you stand a chance against the ravens in the first round? i didnt think so either. would be an embarassing loss.you dont deserve to be in the palyoffs! you couldnt beat a winning team when it counted!!!!!!!!! you're done

Lets hope this the beginning of a downward spiral for the Patriots
Go Giants !!!!!!!!!!!

From worst to first Dolphins send the mighty Patriots home for the holidays. Couldn't get it done in the superbowl last year and now can't get it done in the regular season. The patriots are arrogant whiners and they got what they deserve not to mention cheaters. Go Dolphins worst to first beat out the non-mighty patriots i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"And now we get the disgusting spectacle of watching two .500 teams fight it out for an undeserved playoff berth in the AFC West. The Patriots should be going to the playoffs, it's a disgrace that they're not."

In other words, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

More proof that Favre is as overrated a QB there is. He still makes stupid mistakes and never wins when it matters. He won 1 big game in his career and that was because of Desmond Howard.

Pats fans need to stop whining about not making the playoffs. They went 2-4 against playoff teams this season, including getting blown out 30-10 to the "pathetic 8-8 Chargers". If you can't beat the teams that make the playoffs, how do you deserve to be in? The 11 wins are inflated by having one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.

a couple of bad calls (Indy) and bonehead plays (Thomas) kept them out. F all you colts fans on here. you are the biggest whiners in the world. much worse than yankees fans. enjoy your one-and-done playoffs, losers.

Now it's officially hockey season! Go B's!!
oh sorry Indianapolis, no other teams to root for?

Pats victims of another bad rule again? Come on! Can you say tuck rule? How about when the Pats got in as a wild card by a tie-breaker rule? Hypocrite crybaby Pats fans, wha-wha.

I really like the way the Pats are going to FEED off this and next year 16 and 2 or 15 /3 BB and Co. will remind them hourly daily about 11 and 5 not good enuff. they should have been in it this year soooooooo. thanks Cassell thanks BB and Co. thanks all within the Pats Org
it so could have been worse and no-one would have said much about having a backup in there. Agian thanks for the good year we had. Onward prancer onward Rudy

They went out with their heads up high! I doubt they would have gone far in the playoffs. Too many injuries this year. Team is getting old time to rebuild.

I'm comforted only by the fact that the Jets were beaten by their former QB who they dumped in favor of a washed up over the hill has been. And Mangenius getting the boot as well? For a Pats fan in NY, Priceless.

Can't ask for more from the Pats - I'm old enough to remember when the Pats were a joke and I was a Steelers fan.

Hey, Troll, we are such a choke team, that's why their are 5, count them, 5 Lombardi Trophies, and going for a record breaking 6th, in Pittsburgh, and only 3, complete with pin hole video camera, in Foxboro. PATSIES WILL NEVER WIN A SUPER BOWL WITHOUT CHEATING OR VINATERI!

WWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAA! Pat's lost too many games in their own division!

I also love the fans that state "WE won" - you didn't S**& but watch the game on TV -get a life!

What a great season, reminds me of the Pats first Super Bowl season win (well, except a different ending) when Brady came in early in the season for Bledsoe, and every Pats said "that's it, the seasons over!" (don't lie, YOU said it too!).

They fought hard, played hard, and got much further than I thought they would (honestly, after the week 1 game did you really think they'd be vying for a playoff spot this year?)

Now, with the Celts losing 2 of their last 3 games, I guess our big hopes are on the BRUINS?????????

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

serves u cheaters right !

you could have been the FIRST 19-0 champ !

instead ur the FIRST 11 win team to MISS the playoffs !

LOL
at least ur the first in something !

PATS hater

FINS !
ONLY UNDEFEATED TEAM EVER !
MAN IT MUST STING !

Miami is da BOMB. Y'all come back now ya hear.

Brett Favre is the most OVERRATED QB in the history of the NFL. Chad Penningtion won more games then him, ha,ha,ha.... At least know he can retire in disgrace and go work for ESPN.

Too bad. It would have been fun seeing if we could have made some noise in the playoffs. It was a very entertaining season and even though they didn't make the playoffs the team looks to be in good shape for next year. As Boston sports fans we are very spoiled with the sucess our teams have had.

As for the playoffs this year, I look for Baltimore to make a strong run. The Titans peaked too early in the season and the Steelers won't do anything with Rothlesgirler in a body cast.

Giants 10-6 super bowl champs
Pat 11-5 dont make playoffs
Number of teams with same or worse records than pats in playoffs 7 of 12 teams

Miami - losses to houston, ne, ny, arizona,baltimore
NE - losses to pitt , indy, sd, miami, ny

Miami losses to opponents with worse record
Miami points for lower than pats
Miami points agains higher than pats

NFL tie breakers suck!

skid learn the rules pats lost the same number of games as miami in their division. Its conference losses that decided this. Miami Arizona pats beat all the NFC teams they played.

No playoffs, I can handle it! We know we the Pats are better than at least half the teams in the playoffs. But Man-gina getting fired!!! That's a late X-Mas present for us all in New England. Go Pats!

Great year Patriots!! But, not making the playoffs at 11-5 is a testament to how competetive the league (and AFC East for that matter) has become. We as fans can't look to the Jets or the Jags for excuses. We have to look at the 5 losses. Obviously, if any one of those games had gone the other way, our team would be playing next week. Unfortunately, no dice.

Cassel, Thanks for showing so much heart and giving us one heck of a season! I'm sure you'll be making a lot somewhere else next year...just PLEASE DON'T GO TO THE DAMN JETS! First of all, they are a terrible organization, and nobody can thrive there. Secondly, I'd hate to have to boo you. You've been a class act, and a great player.

The Pats not making the playoffs is almost as good as your wasted season last year. Man you guys must be mad. LOL..........and now news your GQ QB may not be back next year. Life is good in Indianapolis, yes life is GOOOOOOD!

Finally the AFC East (or for the past six years better known as the AFC Least) had a couple of teams who were competitive. It is kind of like the American League West in baseball where the Angels always win their division 'cause no one else even has a 500 record by season's end. Now there are finally other good teams in the Patsies division so they can't win it. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I sure hope Cassell either likes the bench or a different uniform next season. Have a great time watching the playoffs on TV, Patsies!

CT Steelers: I'm not talking THIS season. I'm talking about the 2006 season. The Steeler's Batchup quarterback didn't do so well, and neither did Big Ben.

I give the Pat's credit for what their offense accomplished with an untested backup, and their "D" decimated by injuries. But, not enough to beat Indy and Pittsburgh, and there went the season.

For Gary, i think its where it lands or finishes on a kick. so Gostkowski's extra point had it flown over the post and winded all the way back to the front of the posts, it would have been called no good. I remember one time a kicker boomed a ball that hit the lower post just past the uprights and jetted back instead of trickling over, they called it no good. I have to think that it is different from the touchdown rule of crossing the plane. Need a rule guide to know for sure

The Patsies should consider moving their stadium to Vermont, that way their fans won't have to go far to get some cheese to go with all the WHINE!

Mangini Good luck with that job at Podunk U.

don't get to excited of the 11 wins only 2 against playoff teams

Congrats to the Pats for a fine season, in spite of all the injuries to key players. It will only make you stronger for the future.

Yesterday's 4:00 games only proved further that you shouldn't let it get to the point where you have to rely on help from other teams to get you into the playoffs.

Keep Cassel until Brady can prove himself as fit as his old self.

Elis Hobbs should remain only as a return man.

Brett Favre needs to retire and stay retired before he embarrasses himself (and whatever team is foolish enough to pay him) any further.

Pats will retool in the off season and be back stronger than ever in 09.......haters beware.

While the season did not start how I wanted and it did not end how I wanted, the fact that we were able to win 11 games is a testament to the will of the players, the skills of the coaches and the support of the fans. Yes, mistakes were made that could have made for a different outcome. But we need to remember too that many mistakes were avoided and huge challenges overcome and that is why we won 11 games. Good luck, Matt! You put all of the non-believers in their place.

Thank you Pats for a truly enjoyable season! The way this team rallied after Brady went down in the season opener and battled through numerous injuries was inspirational. The coaching staff was exceptional all season long and the Matt Cassell story was epic.

Letting Asante Samuel go was a terrible mistake and might have made the difference. Yes, Dave Thomas and Gaffney cost us two games but those things happen so let it go. The team did a remarkable job with all the players on IR. Cassel was a huge surprise and BB did a good job. Now the fun begins. We need to keep Cassel because he is younger and more mobile than Brady. The Pats should trade Brady for some good draft picks and select at least one linebacker and a potential shutdown cornerback. You don't need an MVP at QB to win the Super Bowl but you do need an excellent and aggressive defense.

VENT???? You got to be kidding!!!!!! 11-5 while never fielding the starting 22 at the same time all season is a tremendous accomplishment. Any self respecting PATS fan would be lying if they fail to admit that all we could think about was a wasted season before halftime of the first game this season. Then add 10 players placed on IR as well. My helmet is off to each and every player and the coaching staff for a never say "give up" attitude playing to the final whistle--unlike teams that reside in NY and northern Texas.

Here's another thing to gnaw on: Miami beats the Bills at home, or was it home? The game was not played outdoors in Buffalo, but in a dome in Toronto. Advantage of weather was gone. Fair?

From an organizational standpoint and strategically, Belichick deserves coach of the year for fighting thru all the IR's: but tactically, his decision to forego a makeable FG attempt in the Jets game when we trailed 24-6 before the half cost us the AFC East. Seldom does one play cost a team the season, but that one still hurts. My suggestion for re-seeding the playoffs: No team that wins a dicision at 8-8 or worse should get a slot and leave an 11-5 or 10-6 team sitting home. How about a Division chanmp must be at least 9-7 to be seeded?

11-5 in the AFC east is nothing to be proud of. Decent job with with an easy schedule

For everyone saying the NFL should use the same system as the NBA or NHL, you seem to not know how those leagues work. You seem to think that they just pick the 8 teams in each conference with the best records and seed them 1-8. Actually, just like in the NFL, every division winner is guaranteed a spot (and ends up getting seeded higher than all non-division winners) even if their record were not one of the best 8.

It really is just about the same - the main difference is that the leagues only have 3 divisions in each conference (so only 3 guaranteed spots), and they take 8 teams from each conference (instead of 6 in NFL), so ultimately you have 5 "wild card" spots in those leagues instead of just 2 in the NFL. Makes it a little less likely that a really good team will be left out but doesn't guarantee it won't happen (Golden State Warriors were 48-34 last year and still misssed the playoffs).

Ultimately, Pats record was probably a bit inflated from the easy schedule - would people still be complaining about the playoff format if they ended 10-6 or 9-7, which probably would have been the case if they had not played the NFC West as their inter-conference match-up and the AFC West as their intra-conference division?

Great season, bitter about not making the playoffs, of course. Take a look at the standings by conference, not 1 or 2 teams have lesser records, but 4. Thanks PATS, had a chance to go to the Arizona blowout and that was fun, even in the cold wet weather.

Steeler fans should get a grip, they finally won against the PATS when it mattered, but the playoffs are coming, lets see how the defense holds up, don't blink.

whats up with all you pat haters who have to rub it in our faces? it seems like theres this new religion of hating on the patriots because your teams were never able to beat us and you never got over it. its kind of pathetic. i find it hard to believe that its the fans of the opposing teams who wont let this one go.

Hahaaahahahaaahahahaahahahaaahahahahahaaahahahahaaahahahahahahahahahaaahaaahahaaaaaaa!

Maybe we can get Romeo Crennel back as defensive coordinator...

Great season and this year proves it's the system that works here. The Patriots obviously still have the best team in the league - even when they are devastated with injuries.

Oh, did I mention that New York fans suck.

Hi, I'm a die hard Pats fans and I'm in denial like all the other Pats fans. Nevermind the curse of the spygate in 2007 that has plagued us since superbowl 42 and will continue to do so. I think we did a great job this season with all of our injuries. oh wait. maybe that's just part of the continuing curse?

Oh and did I mention that Pats fans suck more than New York fans?

San Diego Super Chaargers~ San Diego Super Chaaargers~~~

Pete the Heat (#480),

Will you be complaining about the Pats playing the Bucs in London next year, in what is listed as a home game for the Bucs? Fact of the matter is the weather in Buffalo could have been bad or good when the Dolphins would have played there - it wasn't great in New York yesterday and the Dolphins still won.

People will always find perceived inequities in schedules - it makes things fun - but ultimately is just an excuse for not getting the job done. I'm sure if Baltimore didn't get in they would be saying how it was unfair because they had to play the NFC East while the Patriots got to play the NFC West - which would be a more plausible argument than the one you made. Pats had a nice season against an easy schedule - not bad considering the injuries they faced.

karma is a b. cheating and putting all of your energy in going undefeated last year instead of focusing on the Super Bowl got ya. going to take a long time to get over that Super Bowl hangover. Welcome to Perfectville. Go Dolphins.

I am amazed how much the Pats are hated by other fans, and the effort wasted by these fans to write on Boston.com

Its really sad and pathetic......

umm ct steeelers fan the steers scored those points againts the browns, you think Baltimores defense is going to play like that? and if you want to throw the cheater card around I believe the 70s steelers won those rings through better chemicals, so get youre facts correct before you preach from youre glass tower, but people from youre city arent known for being smart ( assuming youre not one of the thousands of fans who have no connection to the city and are just frontrunners), i can safely assume you are probably some fat dude in his 40s who walks around with youre fat wife in wal mart on gameday morning both of you head to toe in black and gold wishing it was 1979 all over again lol. btw how big of wuss was ben lying on that field for a half hour yesterday after willie knocked him into 2009? real tough guy he is lol.

umm ct steeelers fan the steers scored those points againts the browns, you think Baltimores defense is going to play like that? and if you want to throw the cheater card around I believe the 70s steelers won those rings through better chemicals, so get youre facts correct before you preach from youre glass tower, but people from youre city arent known for being smart ( assuming youre not one of the thousands of fans who have no connection to the city and are just frontrunners), i can safely assume you are probably some fat dude in his 40s who walks around with youre fat wife in wal mart on gameday morning both of you head to toe in black and gold wishing it was 1979 all over again lol. btw how big of wuss was ben lying on that field for a half hour yesterday after willie knocked him into 2009? real tough guy he is lol.

PATRIOTS SUCK!! LOL :P

I think it's pretty hilarious that all the trolls and pinheads are in here bleating about karma and how the patriots are cheaters and the fans are whiners etc etc, when all the pats fans are saying "congratulations on a great season" to a team that suffered a ridiculous number of injuries and setbacks and still finished 11-5. Somehow it must make them feel better. But you boneheads who say pats fans are bad sports should look in the mirror. Gloating is pretty unseemly. Personally I have never posted on an opponents board except to comment on a specific element or to wish good luck or congratulations. Trolls are part of the internet experience i guess, but this really takes the cake. What a bunch of losers.

Hey, dumbass Chris, don't you think the Ravens are a wild card because the Steelers have already beaten them this season, TWICE? And, were those chemicals ILLEGAL in the 70's? NO! Was videotaping illegal in the 2000s? YES! So, who are the cheaters? The Patsies.

Yeah, they're saying congrats cause it's THEIR TEAM.
cry moar pasties fans

Anyone complaining about the Chargers making it into the playoffs at 8-8 should remember that if the Patriots could have beaten them a couple months back the Bolts wouldn't have gotten in. (Instead, the Bolts crushed the Patriots and that's part of the reason why both teams are where they are.)

The Patriots had an amazing season considering that Brady went down in week one. The big question now is whether or not Brady will be available for the 2009 season...

Well this sucks. Pats go 11-5 and gotta watch two lesser teams grudge match it out in the AfC west for the final spot. Thats a shame.
Thats gotta hurt bandwagon Pat fans.

A team takes a cheap shot at your golden boy QB, taking him down for the season and could possiby ruin his career?
well that sucks.
First 11-5 team to miss playoffs since 85?
D'oh!!! guess we cant cheat our way out of this one!!

There was no way Mangini was going to help Belichick and the Patriots make the playoffs. As soon as the Jets noticed that Baltimore was going to win, they stopped trying. Granted the Patriots should have won just one more game to avoid such a situation, but the Jets should have beaten the Dolphins at home yesterday. Better yet, the Patriots should have avoided OT vs the Jets earlier in the season by going for 2 with no time on the clock after Randy Moss' awesome TD catch.

The Patriots are the best AFC East team, and they are better than the majority of teams that made the playoffs. The nasty .500 Chargers made the playoffs with an 8-8 record. There are a dozen teams that did not make the playoffs that have better records than the Chargers. The NFL needs to change things so the playoff system rewards teams for getting winning records.

THIS JUST IN.....
THE PATS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS----
THEY BOUGHT TICKETS !!!!!

HEY CT STEELERS FAN I NOTICED YOU DID NOT REFUTE WHAT I SAID ABOUT YOU AND YOURE FAMILY !!! SO WHAT WAL MART DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOURE TIME IN FAT ASS??? AND DID YOU BUY YOURE GIRL A XXXL STEELERS SWEATSHIRT TO COVER THE ROLLS OF HER GUT? THE RAVENS WILL BEAT THE STEELERS. AND BEN IS STILL A WUSS I HOPE WILLIE MESSED HIM UP BAD.

Hey, Chris, why do you have to dig on your mother and your sister for? By the way, your sister wears an XXXXXXXXXL! So, how is your boyfriend/brother doing?

A point worth repeating....

The Patriots lost to the Chargers about 6 weeks ago. Badly.

If the Patriots could have won that game they'd be in the playoffs now, and the Chargers wouldn't. It's hard to complain about the Chargers getting in to the playoffs (over the Patriots) when they beat the Patriots THIS year.

bellicheck cant make playoffs without brady...especially in a tough division....

To all the fair weather should of Patsies fans out there, your fathers should of pulled out

Should have cheated more like the previouc seasons. I guess this is what happens when you piss off Karma.

speaking as a new york football giants fan since 1984......

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
haha
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I am proud at what the team accomplished this year. How many teams would have done the same losing their franchise QB? After losing Brady, how many of us thought he would do so well. I figured like the rest of the team, We Are The 3X Superbowl Champion Patriots so we will plug in the next QB and move on . The train had left the station and since you carry 3 QB's,NEXT!!!!!! Now lets see what will happen of this great organization. I think with Bill and his staff, the FHOF Owner Kraft , to the guys on the practice squad, they will survive , adapt and overcome and remain a great team for years to come.

30-10
simply beat a better San diego team and this is not an issue.