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Patriots' season in review
Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: The Patriots were on the verge of perfection. Starting in Week One, New England’s best team of its modern dynasty was unrelenting in its abuse of the opposition, winning every regular-season game while breaking the league record for points scored in a season. But then the unthinkable happened. In Super Bowl XLII, in what was supposed to be a coronation of possibly the greatest team in NFL history, the Giants pulled off a 17-14 shocker. A sullen Patriots team retreated back to Foxborough in depressed disbelief, relegated to thinking about what could have been.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/09/07
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at NY Jets
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-6
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38-14
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09/16/07
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San Diego
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-3½
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38-14
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09/23/07
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Buffalo
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-16½
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38-7
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10/01/07
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at Cincinnati
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-7½
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34-13
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10/07/07
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Cleveland
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-15½
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34-17
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10/14/07
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at Dallas
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-5
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48-27
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10/21/07
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at Miami
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-15½
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49-28
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10/28/07
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Washington
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-14½
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52-7
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11/04/07
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at Indianapolis
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-5
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24-20
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BYE WEEK
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11/18/07
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at Buffalo
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-15½
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56-10
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11/25/07
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Philadelphia
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-24
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31-28
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12/03/07
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at Baltimore
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-19
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27-24
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12/09/07
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Pittsburgh
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-10½
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34-13
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12/16/07
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NY Jets
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-20½
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20-10
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12/23/07
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Miami
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-22
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28-7
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12/29/07
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at NY Giants
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-13½
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38-35
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BYE WEEK
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01/12/08
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Jacksonville
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-13½
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31-20
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01/20/08
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San Diego
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-14
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21-12
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02/03/08
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vs. NY Giants
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-12
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14-17
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Team MVP: Tom Brady put together one of the finest seasons any quarterback has ever had. Bolstered by the offseason additions of WRs Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donté Stallworth, Brady finally had the weapons to transform the offense from efficient to outstanding. He threw an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes, tossing at least three in each of the first 10 games. Just as impressive as his statistics was the cool precision he displayed in the pocket while rallying the Pats back from late-game deficits vs. the Colts, Eagles, Ravens and Giants (Week 17).
Biggest surprise: The Patriots harbored high hopes for Wes Welker when they traded away second- and seventh-round picks to Miami for the rights to him, but even the most optimistic projections didn’t have him making such a big impact. Welker, the consummate slot receiver, provided Brady with the ultimate underneath option. He tied for the league lead with 112 receptions, eight of which went for touchdowns. Not too shabby for a former undrafted player with a three-year total of 96 catches entering the season.
Biggest disappointment: The Super Bowl loss will forever live in infamy. The Pats were instilled with bravado and installed as double-digit favorites, yet they faltered to a team that, on paper, was its inferior. Blame can be spread around, but particularly on the offensive line, which had stood as one of the league’s best throughout the season but was helpless against the Giants’ formidable pass rush. Brady was sacked five times and knocked to the ground countless other times as the offense failed to mount a sustained attack. The defense was solid but buckled when it mattered most, allowing Eli Manning to direct a game-winning TD drive on the Giants’ last possession.
Offseason outlook: The prevailing mindset in Foxborough right now is dejection, but if we’ve learned one thing about this organization under Bill Belichick, it’s this: It is always forward-thinking. And it will need to be just that to reclaim its position atop the football hierarchy. Due to age, free agency and the ongoing “Spygate” scandal, this a franchise that faces numerous hurdles in restoring its image of infallibility.
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