By Andrew Hoenig | Assistant Editor
blogs.denverpost.com
New England, U.S. – The Patriots 2015 season came to a close after the team fell to the eventual Super Bowl 50 champion Broncos in the AFC Championship game in Denver this year.
The game came down to some questionable decisions, poor offensive line play, and ultimately a failed two-point conversion that sent the Patriots home for good in a stunning 20-18 loss to the Peyton Manning-led Broncos with an attack dog defense.
The game ultimately highlighted the Patriots 2015 campaign in the worst way. Head coach Bill Belichick elected to not kick a field goal late in the game that may have actually allowed them to win the game. This was one of the things that surprisingly plagued the Patriots in the second half of the season. Belichick is widely regarded around the NFL and by fans as one of, if not the best coach to ever coach the game; but this year he seemed to get in his own way a little bit. After key injuries to many of the Patriots players, especially on the offensive side of the ball, Belichick made some questionable decisions against the division rival Jets and Dolphins in the final two games that may have cost the Patriots a chance to play at home in the AFC Championship once again for the 6th time under the head coach.
The air of New England this year seemed a little too cocky. After the team won its fourth Lombardi trophy (all in the Belichick and Brady Era) last season in Super Bowl XLIX, it seemed as if some people in New England got a little over-confident. Fans especially seemed more cocky than normal, as if last year’s title has granted them a free pass to bragging rights for life. Now I’m a Patriots fan don’t get me wrong here. I go to training camp and never miss a game. But fans seem to forget that it had been 10 years since the team’s last title and all of a sudden it justifies some questionable calls by Belichick. One could argue so, but I think Belichick also got a whiff of this air in New England this year. He said that it shouldn’t matter where his team plays, just that it comes down to preparation, execution, and good coaching to win. But if you look at the stats, homefield advantage does play a huge role in how the outcome of a game can be affected. While it is true that a championship team should be able to win anywhere, whether at home or on the road, there are usually losses during a season that prove otherwise and this season was no exception.
Outside of this there was also some poor offensive line play exhibited down the stretch of the season which led to the offensive line coordinator Dave DeGuglielmo who finished his second season with the team to be fired. Even in the Patriots Super Bowl winning year last year, the offensive line had some questionable play mostly at the beginning of the season before they stiffened up. They kept star quarterback Tom Brady upright and led the way to the team’s eventual fourth Super Bowl title in the last 16 years. But a season removed and after a strong showing to start this time the offensive line faded towards the end of the season due to injuries and bad coaching. This is one area to monitor in the offseason although player-wise the team has some talent and players returning to full health so the main concern could be the coaching position.
Overall the Patriots had another successful year. They started out 10-0 before the injury bug hit and the offensive line problems began and they finished the season at 12-4. After getting accused of cheating by deflating footballs and suspended by Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, quarterback Tom Brady had his suspension vacated after a federal judge in New York ruled that there was a lack of evidence and fair warning of punishment in the case. Brady came out and silenced every trash talker by having an even better season statistically than his last in which he won his fourth title with the team. Deflate that.
The Patriots season was another success even though they just missed out on a chance for back-to-back titles. This was the 16th season with owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and QB Tom Brady together with the team and it was the 13th time they’ve made the playoffs, the 15th straight time they’ve had a winning record (9 wins or more), and the 10th time they’ve been to an AFC Conference Championship all in the 16 years. The Patriots have also been to six Super Bowls, winning four of them in this time span as well.
Patriots fans shouldn’t worry just yet about their team. Countless more stats from the last 16 years could prove that. Maybe this last loss was a lesson in humility for all in New England. The #DriveForFive starts sooner than you think (7 months!). Reflections on the past may just be all the Patriots need to overcome what may have been their biggest obstacle in 2015…themselves.
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