Your list: Top Patriots Losses in BB/Brady Era

InstaFace

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Someone put this as a throwaway line in the top-25-wins thread, and it's worth discussing. What were the most inspirational / moral-victory losses? The ones that were a pyrrhic victory for the team that beat the Pats, or where we most put the fear of god into a superior opponent?

Some candidates:

- 2000 week 17 vs Dolphins (almost beat them / knocked them out of the playoffs on that crazy hail-mary replay)
- 2001 week 11 vs Rams (i've never heard winners talk so glowingly about the team they just beat)
- 2002 week 11 at Raiders (Snow Bowl rematch, lost by a touchdown)
- 2005 week 5 at Broncos (22-point comeback falls just short)
- 2006 week 9 at Colts (would-be game-tying drive against undefeated Indy ends in INT)
- 2008 week 9 at Colts (Cassell comes within an asshair of beating Peyton despite an INT and Moss fumble)
- 2011 week 9 vs Giants (in a SB preview / rematch, give up GW TD with 15 seconds left)
- 2012 week 3 at Ravens (AFCCG preview; back-and-forth game, we lose by 1)
- 2012 week 15 vs 49ers (insane comeback from 31-3 down to tie at 31 midway thru 4th; Kaepernick puts stake in our heart)
- 2013 week 7 at Jets (Rexy's last win over Brady; bullshit roughing penalty in OT gifts them the win)
- 2014 week 4 vs Chiefs (lit a fire under us; we were then On To Cincinnati, and far beyond)
- 2015 week 12 at Broncos (last play of regulation is a game-tying FG; then we forget to tackle CJ Anderson)
- 2015 week 16 at Jets (tie the game with 2 mins left; take the wind in OT, it doesn't work out)
- 2015 AFCCG @ Broncos (a lot of smelly pants for Denver fans after that game)
- 2016 week 10 vs Seahawks (1 yard from the tie, after we played terribly, against, arguably the second-best team that year)

There are always the odd "wait, WTF happened that game" losses, like 2010 vs Cleveland where we lost by 20. But some of these, you watched and you thought the Patriots stood a chance even when they didn't have it that day, and very nearly pulled it out.

My top 3 would be:

1. 2012 week 15 vs 49ers - I have never been so entertained and inspired by a loss
2. 2001 week 11 vs Rams - We had no business even being in that game. It was like Morpheus saying about Neo, "He's beginning to believe!"
3. 2006 week 9 at Colts - dammit, we almost had them.
 

tims4wins

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2014 at GB was as good a loss as they have had. Rodgers had been untouchable at home and GB was maybe the SB favorite at that point (and pissed away the NFCCG obviously). I feel that road trip where they lost to GB then won a ballsy game in San Diego was key to the title run

And as mentioned in the other thread, the 2004 loss in Pittsburgh, while not a good loss in and of itself, probably helped provide the motivation to kill them in round 2
 

tims4wins

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Also I'd argue some of these losses were horrible eg 2015 at Denver. Blew a 14 pt 4th q lead and lost Gronk
 

dbn

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- 2001 week 11 vs Rams (i've never heard winners talk so glowingly about the team they just beat)
My first thought was this (though I think it was week 10). I didn't actually see much of the game. I was living in Pittsburgh at the time and a friend with season tickets took me to the Steelers game. We grabbed one last beer after PGH game ended, I saw the close of the NE-STL game on TV, and thought "wow, we're hanging with the Rams -- maybe we are for real." The rest is, as they say...
 

NortheasternPJ

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My first thought was this (though I think it was week 10). I didn't actually see much of the game. I was living in Pittsburgh at the time and a friend with season tickets took me to the Steelers game. We grabbed one last beer after PGH game ended, I saw the close of the NE-STL game on TV, and thought "wow, we're hanging with the Rams -- maybe we are for real." The rest is, as they say...
I was at that game and also the SF game. I'd say those are the only two games I've ever gone to and said "that was a good loss". The Rams game was legit and they played well against an unstoppable team. That game made the Pats a real competitor.

The SF game was just insane. They played their asses off, had no business being in it and almost pulled it out. The most amazing thing is that Kaep can't even get on a roster these days. He looked like the future of the NFL and I'm not trying to divert this thread, but he looked legit during that game.
 

mwonow

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So this is kind of the anti-Celebrating what is thread? I'm with DrewDawg, hoping this dies (hoping as well that we get some time before we need to talk about 'losses')
 

Stitch01

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Its an interesting concept but man some of those listed losses were like the opposite of this, they were fng infuriatingly bad losses. I'm more angry thinking about the 2012 Ravens loss than the 2011 Super Bowl. The two Denver losses in 2015 probably cost a sixth ring.

2001 Rams number one, morale stuff and also helped form the Super Bowl game plan. Packers from 2014 is a good choice. Niners '13 too.
 

Hoodie Sleeves

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The game they lost to Miami in week 16/17 where Matt Cassel drove all the way down the field at the end to put them in a position to win, and then threw the ball away, guaranteeing they'd play the Jaguars in the playoffs.
 

Super Nomario

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2014 at GB was as good a loss as they have had. Rodgers had been untouchable at home and GB was maybe the SB favorite at that point (and pissed away the NFCCG obviously). I feel that road trip where they lost to GB then won a ballsy game in San Diego was key to the title run.
I don't know ... the D was horrible in that Packers game, forcing only one punt and zero turnovers. That loss also dropped them into a tie record with Denver for the one seed, increasing the stakes on future games. Fortunately they won the next three and Denver lost one so Week 17 didn't matter, but this one could have been pretty bad.
 

Van Everyman

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Most covered here. One missing: Jets game in 2008 with Cassell rolling out to throw a TD to Moss as time expired was pretty thrilling.
 

BigSoxFan

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Most covered here. One missing: Jets game in 2008 with Cassell rolling out to throw a TD to Moss as time expired was pretty thrilling.
Yeah, that was a crazy play. Moss basically boxed out Ty Law of all people and Cassell threw a perfect strike.
 

Seels

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That 2012 9ers game is what made me think there is no deficit too big for Brady. That game was tragic, and the team couldn't get out of their own way. Almost single handedly Brady brought them back from 31-3. 8 fumbles in a game and the Pats recovered one of them. I wonder how big a role this game played in their 2014 comebacks against the Ravens and Seahawks and all of the 2013 comebacks.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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I'm not acknowledging this thread.
About to "nuke" this thread in 3...2...



...just kidding. It's a great list, @InstaFace.

My top loss is the 2006 loss to the Colts, besides the obvious 2 SB losses. There were so many ways the Patriots could have sealed that game up. I still skip the video/channel whenever the game's highlights are shown.
 

sheamonu

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Surprised there is no love for week 1 2003 and the 31-0 pasting by the Bills - the "they hate their coach" game. No they didn't. I think that game lit a fire and was bookended by a victory by the same score in the rematch. It was the response to that loss that created a dynasty.
 

tims4wins

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Surprised there is no love for week 1 2003 and the 31-0 pasting by the Bills - the "they hate their coach" game. No they didn't. I think that game lit a fire and was bookended by a victory by the same score in the rematch. It was the response to that loss that created a dynasty.
I mentioned it in the other thread where this topic originated from