Sure, the decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 doesn’t look very good right now, and the next Patriots game seems like it is two years away, but New England has had worse losses with the hooded one leading the way.
If you don’t have a strong stomach for lopsided losses and demoralizing upsets, this list might not be for you.
10. Week 10, Oct. 2, 2005: Chargers 41, Patriots 17
In one of the worst defensive performances under Bill Belichick, the Patriots had their 21-game home winning streak snapped by the Chargers. Drew Brees threw for 248 yards, LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 134 yards and Antonio Gates recorded 108 receiving yards in the Chargers' 41-point offensive outburst. Injuries played a major role in the Patriots' blowout loss, but a loss is a loss, and this one was an embarrassing one.
9. Week 17, Dec. 29, 2002: Patriots 27, Dolphins 24 (OT)
OK, so the Patriots didn't lose this game, but it was still a devastating defeat. Sitting at 8-7 heading into the season finale against the Dolphins, the Patriots needed a win to return to the postseason and defend their first Super Bowl title. The problem is, they also needed the Jets to lose to the Packers in order to make the playoffs. The Patriots did their part by beating the Dolphins 27-24 in overtime, but the Packers, who were already in the playoffs, mailed it in and let the Jets walk all over them with a 42-17 win.
8. Week 10, Nov. 12, 2006: Jets 17, Patriots 14
The Patriots had played 57 games without consecutive losses. The last person or team they wanted to lose the streak against was Eric Mangini and the New York Jets. But in Week 10, the Jets got the best of the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in terrible weather conditions. Despite beating the Jets in first downs and total yards, the Patriots came away empty-handed, turning the AFC East into a race down the stretch.
7. Week 11, Nov. 13, 2008: Jets 34, Patriots 31 (OT)
There are games with emotional swings, and then there is the Patriots' Week 11 loss to the Jets last fall. The Patriots fell behind 24-6 to the Jets in the second quarter — tying the most first half points allowed by the Patriots in the Belichick era. But after 18 unanswered points, the Patriots tied the game with 10:16 left to play. The Jets retook the lead with a touchdown with 3:10 remaining before Matt Cassel pulled off his best Tom Brady impression, leading the Patriots down the field for a game-tying touchdown pass to Randy Moss with one second left on the clock. But in overtime, the Jets ended up winning on a 34-yard field goal, as Mangini won his final game in Gillette as Jets head coach. The loss also ended up keeping the Patriots out of the postseason.
6. Week 8, Oct. 31, 2004: Steelers 34, Patriots 20
The Patriots took a 21-game winning streak (including playoffs) and 18-game regular-season winning streak to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. They left with their first loss since Sept. 28, 2003. The man who beat them? A tall wide receiver by the name of Plaxico Burress (two touchdowns). Ben Roethlisberger remained undefeated as a young starter in the league at 5-0, even though the Patriots were supposed to be the team to give him a rude welcome to the NFL.
5. Nov. 5, 2006, Week 9: Colts 27, Patriots 20
Tom Brady's line for this one: 20-for-35, 201 yards, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions. And to think the Patriots only lost by seven points. Imagine if Brady hadn't turned over the ball four times? Like this past Sunday's loss, the loss to the Colts in 2006 kept Indy unbeaten on the year, and the Colts went on to win the Super Bowl that season. How did they get to Super Bowl XLI? Sorry to say, but you have to keep reading.
4. Week 10, Nov. 15, 2009: Colts 35, Patriots 34
Fourth-and-2. The worst nonplayoff loss of Bill Belichick's career with the Patriots happened just two days ago. With the game still fresh in everyone's mind, there is no reason to break down the loss that cost the Patriots a shot at a first-round bye and home-field in the playoffs, and kept the Colts' most recent shot at perfection alive. If the Patriots are going to get back to the top of the football world, they are going to have to do it as road warriors. Unfortunately for them, they are currently 1-3 on the road this season and 5-0 at Gillette.
3. 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff, Jan. 14, 2006: Broncos 27, Patriots 13
Sporting a 10-0 postseason record with Tom Brady at quarterback, the Patriots looked to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. The Broncos had other plans. Denver handed New England its first playoff loss in over six years, finally taking away the Patriots' invincibility in the postseason to make way for a new champion for the first time since 2002. There might have been a suspect call along the way from the officials, but in the end, a Champ Bailey pick did in the Patriots.
2. 2006 AFC Championship, Jan. 21, 2007: Colts 38, Patriots 34
I'm not sure what the odds of winning are when leading a game 21-6 at halftime, but they have to be pretty good. The Colts were once again rolling over and acting as a red carpet for the Patriots to the Super Bowl, but a funny thing happened on the way to the Patriots' fourth AFC championship in six years. Peyton Manning finally put an end to his long list of losing to Tom Brady and the Patriots, completing the biggest comeback in conference title game history after trailing by 18 points in the second quarter.
1. Super Bowl XLII, Feb. 3, 2008: Giants 17, Patriots 14
"We're only going to score 17 points? OK. Is Plax playing defense?"
No, but Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Jay Alford were.
The Patriots were a defensive stop away from being considered the greatest team in the history of football. Instead, the 2007 Patriots went down as being on the wrong end of the greatest upset in the history of football. No perfect season for the Patriots. Just the most disappointing of finishes to what was shaping up to be the most magical season ever.
