There are five seconds on the clock. The New England Patriots are down by four points and they are close to midfield. With no time outs, Tom Brady will have to launch the football towards the end zone and hope for a miracle. With two wide receivers and two tight-ends lined left and right to Tom Brady, he hiked the ball as the Giants pass rush closes in. Shifting his body left and right, attempting to borrow a defensive foul, Mr. Brady threw the ball down towards the end zone. As the seconds on the game clock tick to zero, the football descended towards the ground only to be touched by the hands of a Giants defensive back. At that point, the only thing that can win the game for the New England Patriots is tight end Gronkowski who is only few feet away from catching the ball. But alas, his high ankle sprain was too much for the Pro Bowl TE as he was moments late and the ball touched the ground. From then, it was confetti in the air as the NY Giants celebrate on the field as the NE Patriots sulk in their sorrow. Being a Patriots fan, as I witnessed these moments unfold, part of me felt torn. Once again, I had to witness the Patriots being so close to perfection, only to be halted by Eli Manning and company. As I shifted restlessly that night in sorrow, I came to the conclusion that watching the Patriots loss isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The New England Patriots weren’t even supposed to make it to the Superbowl much less, win it. The Patriots had the league’s worst ranked defense, and the offense lacked a deep threat wide out. Yet with all the problems in this team, the Patriots went 13-3 and came a catch away from sealing the win. The loss on Superbowl 46 actually enhanced the legacy of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for greater times to come.
In week 1 of the 08-09 NFL season, any speculation of the Patriots having a revenge season after their Superbowl loss was put in an abrupt halt after Tom Brady suffered a knee injury in the first half. Even with the loss of Tom Brady, the New England Patriots still went 11-5 in the regular season but missed the playoffs for the first time in years. Unlike the Indianapolis Colts, the New England Patriots can hold together as a team even with the loss of their star Quarterback. As the 09-10 NFL season rolled in, we witnessed the return of Tom Brady. Sadly,the regular season held many miscues, such as losing to the Denver Broncos, and going for it in 4th and 2 in their own 28 yard line against the Colts. The Patriots still clinched playoff berth from AFC east but were embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens as they lost in the wildcard round of NFL playoffs.
In the 10-11 NFL season, the Pats were picked favorites play in the Superbowl. They went 14-2 in the regular season and clenched the Top seed in the AFC. Tom Brady thew for 36 TDs and only 4 interceptions. He was picked unanimously to be the NFL MVP of the season, but with all the awards awarded, Patriots suffered a gut wrenching loss to their AFC east rivals, the NY Jets in the divisional round of the playoffs. This season, many questioned if Patriots can even win any playoff games. The Pats lost to the Buffalo Bills for the first time in years, and suffered back to back losses in Weeks 8 and 9. Fortunately, they were still able to clinch the top seed in the AFC, propelling themselves to the Superbowl only to lose to the Giants.
The reason behind the explanation of the past three seasons after the loss to the Giants in Superbowl 42, is that the New England Patriots team as a whole has only been improving. They have nowhere else to go, but upwards towards perfection. With the loss of their star QB, they still went 11-5 in the regular season. Upon Tom Brady returning, the Pats made it to the playoffs, but lost the game due to miscues and the loss of key players such as Wes Welker. With the league’s last ranked defense, the Patriots went 14-2 last season and played in the Superbowl this season. The Patriots are an evolving team. They are only getting better, and will continue to get better as time comes. The improvements this team has made speaks volumes.
With the current loss in this year’s Superbowl, many have questioned the greatness of Tom Brady. The fact of the matter is, that the legacy of Tom Brady should not even be listed as questionable. Mr. Brady is one of the all time Quarterbacks in NFL history. Through thick and thin, Brady has carried the Pats to multiple playoff and Superbowl appearances. Especially in this season, where the Patriots lacked great talent in defense and had no deep threat wide out in offense, the team rested on Tom Brady’s shoulders. Tom Brady is a great player who is still in his prime. With a few changes made by the coaching staff, Mr. Brady can once again carry this team to perfection.
The New England Patriots has all the pieces of the puzzles set, they just need to make a few twitches. They current own 4 picks in the first round and the second round of the NFL draft. They currently have two great TEs who are not even in their prime yet. The Patriots should seek to add a shutdown corner in their Defensive secondary or add more pass rushers. Also, the addition of a deep threat wide receiver such as Reggie Wayne, Vincent Jackson or Brandon Loyd would make an already explosive Patriots offense, downright lethal. Tom Brady had the best receiving corp in the 07 season, which helped his team go 16-0 in the regular season. Mr. Brady has the ability to help his team, the coaching staff just needs to provide him with the ammo, so a deep threat receiver is greatly needed. With all the pieces set, the New England Patriots has the potential to be the most dominant team in the AFC. They just need to make the right moves. With a player like Tom Brady, they will probably make one or two more Superbowl appearances before his departure.