Down the stretch, the Patriots struggled, starting with the Eagles game, they clearly were not as dominant as they were in the middle of the season.
This is a league where eventually teams figure you out, it took a good portion of the season, but by the end, teams had the Pats figured out.
I don’t disagree at all - from the Eagles game onward the Patriots had a lot of close calls, other teams figured them out, and it finally caught up with them. They were not dominant after around game 11, but they are still 18-1 for the season. I know almost everyone on all sides thinks that “only the SuperBowl really counts” but I simply disagree. A great season is still a great season, and yes it would be much sweeter (for Pats fans) to have capped it with the SB win, but the Giants’ D had other ideas and stepped up to play a tremendous game.
I just never understand why some people can never give credit where credit is due (not speaking of you, but some of the trash-talkers on this thread). As a Pats fan I have great admiration for what the Giants did tonight, and great disappointment for how our 18-1 season has ended, but I’m not going to join the bandwagon with people (both fans and haters) who now say the Pats had a worthless season b/c they did not cap it off with the SB win. I guess I just don’t put everything on the SB the way most people do — I enjoy many different games, though a SB win certainly would have been the best of all.
Congrats to the Giants on a game well played!!