By Sam Rosenblatt
Another year, another playoff loss for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and company. Peyton Manning and the Broncos overwhelmed the Patriots last Sunday, winning 26-16.
This game was never really close. Manning carved through the Patriots’ defense to build a 20-3 lead before two fourth quarter touchdowns made the score look respectable. Peyton Manning (32-43, 400 yards, 2 TD) outplayed Tom Brady (24-38, 277 yards, TD) during the fifteenth showdown between the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
Two key plays occurred in the first half, sealing the Patriots’ fate. First, Tom Brady missed Julian Edelman on a wide open deep throw which would have resulted in a touchdown. Later, former Patriot Wes Welker collided with cornerback Aqib Talib, sending him to a locker room with a hip injury. Losing Talib for the game opened the floodgates for the Broncos’ offense, which never trailed in the game.
This was the Patriots’ second AFC Championship game defeat in many years, having lost the Super Bowl champion to the Ravens last year. Although Brady was 10-0 in postseason games early in his career, he is now 8-8 in the playoffs since 2005.
Though the Patriots disappointed New England fans on Sunday, this season was by no means a failure. The team went 12-4 in the regular season, including six wild comeback victories. Additionally, all four losses were by seven points or less, meaning that the Patriots had a chance in virtually every game they played.
Many players stepped into contributing roles as the undermanned Pats fought for a Super Bowl berth. Julian Edelman became a household name at receiver, and rookie receivers Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins showed promise over the course of the year. The running back position was a four-pronged attack, with LeGarrette Blount, Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden all receiving significant playing time.
On defense, the Patriots lost All-Pro tackle Vince Wilfork to injury, along with Jerod Mayo and Tommy Kelly. Nevertheless, the defense had a solid year behind the play of Chandler Jones, Aqib Talib and countless other contributors.
In the end, the 2013 Patriots did not have what it takes to win a Super Bowl. Injuries to key players proved costly, and the entire team was out of sync in the AFC Championship game.
As for next season, who knows how far the Patriots will go? Prolific tight end Rob Gronkowski should be healthy, along with Wilfork, Mayo and Talib on defense. If they upgrade the offensive line and receiving corps, the 2014 Patriots could have an unstoppable offense. Tom Brady, even at age 36, is still Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick is still Bill Belichick. The team is hungry for a fourth Super Bowl championship and so are the fans. So leave the bitterness of this season’s ending behind, because anything is possible for the 2014 edition of the New England Patriots.
