Well, that's it. The Patriots did what they needed to do Sunday, but it just didn't happen. That's why every team should handle their business on their own and don't leave the job for a third party to complete.
The last time the Pats missed the playoffs, QB Brett Favre and the New York Jets were involved. The difference in 2002 was the Jets won the season finale over a Green Bay Packers team that had their playoff spot locked up. So G.B. mailed it in, allowing New York to get the playoff spot New England had their eyes on.
It was said long ago to keep friends close and your enemies even closer. That's the wrong approach in sports. Don't give divisional foes the opportunity to hang around or they'll come back and bite you. That's what happened to the Patriots. They were duped by Miami's Wildcat and they couldn't put the Jets away on a Thursday night game. Those losses came back to haunt New England.
But now is not the time to dwell on the past. Like I said before, for this team to win eleven games through all the injuries is remarkable and they deserve praise for strong season. That was 2008. Time to look forward to 2009 as they go for the championship they just missed out on.
And there's a lot to deal with before the start of next year. They have to evaluate the team position by position. This team lacks quality and dependable pass rushers. Then there's the issue of whether to stick with RB Laurence Maroney or find a durable replacement. How many of these players will come from the draft? I'm a fan of LB/DE George Selvie and RB Ian Johnson, but evaluations and rankings will determine if they fit New England's schemes.
I'm days away from printing statistics as the first step for my draft preparations. The Patriots will select no worse than 20th overall. But they will have to make tough decisions on players like QB Matt Cassel, S Rodney Harrison, and LBs Junior Seau, Rosevelt Colvin, Tedy Bruschi well before the draft.
It's a long off-season. It's even longer when you're not in the playoffs. Use the extra time wisely so after the 2009 season, the Pats are not on the outside looking in for a second year in a row.
