The end of the New England Patriots season

The end of the New England Patriots season was handed to them yesterday in the AFC Championship Game.  Since I was not sure how the outcome of this game would play out, I soon saw the Patriots weren’t playing well.

Usually, when the New England Patriots win the coin toss they opt to kick the ball away.  This time they opted to receive the ball to begin the first quarter.   That began my doubts.  In the first quarter, Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point after a touchdown.  This was the first time since his rookie season that Gostkowski missed.  He was a perfect 52 of 52 in one pointers all season.  This was another sign.

As I was watching the game with my Husband I kept telling him I didn’t have a good feeling.  As bad as the Patriots looked at the end of the first quarter the game was 7-6.

New England Patriots

This game was super hyped up in the media as the 17th meeting between Brady and Manning and the 5th time they will meet in the playoffs.  Manning now leads Brady having won 3 out of 5 of the playoff games.   Brady has not had success and his record fell to 2-7 in his career in Denver.  Brady is one of the NFL’s all time greats at quarterback.  On Sunday, Manning was the better quarterback.  Manning completed 17 of his 32 passing attempts for 176 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.  Brady, by comparison, was 27 of 56 for 310 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos had an excellent game plan against the New England Patriots.  Their plan started on defense. Denver’s pass rush dominated New England’s offensive line, taking away the chance for Brady to step into his throws.  Brady was uncomfortable throughout the game.  As we saw by his two interceptions.  I thought both teams didn’t look sharp in terms of offense.  It was the defense that was strong however, in the end, it was the Bronco’s number 1 defense in the regular season that got the job done.  The end of the game came down to a missed two-point conversion with 12 seconds left.   The Bronco’s knocked down the Patriot’s attempt to tie the game.  The final score was 20 – 18 and the Bronco’s are heading to Super Bowl 50.

Disappointment

The New England Patriots were considered to be the favorite at the start of the postseason.  So now they emerge from the AFC and head home for a disappointing end to a season that saw the team start 10-0.

Did you see the game?  What changes do the Patriots have to make to contend again next year or emerge as Champions?   My superstition on the New England Patriots logo that my nail technician did on my nails wasn’t my good luck charm.  Of course, I will look forward to next season.  I look forward to you sharing your thoughts with me on the game or the future of the team.