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.
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.