Through the Looking Glass

I'm not making any Lost references despite the title of this post. The only connection between Lost and last night's game -- and the whole season, for that matter -- is that things didn't add up, boggled my mind, and ended in a manner unlike the majority of the sample size. Regardless, it's time to take a step back in the aftermath and look at this Patriots season in retrospect.

It had the makings of our glory days. It wasn't like the '07 team. This team spread the ball out on offense. Made plays on defense. Protected the football. Made sound decisions. Played mistake-free football. Where did it all go on Sunday night? How could such a shocker go down in such an epically disastrous fashion? In the end, the upset that shocked America may not have been such a stunning defeat after all.

I had a little bit of a nervous bug in my gut leading into this game, but I kept shoving it aside. 14-2? This team is amazing. We won't have trouble with these same New York Jets that took a 45-3 pounding from us a month ago. No chance! But the fact is, the Pats have now lost three consecutive playoff games and their last two home playoff games. Tom Brady struggled, and everyone is wondering if this is a sign that transition is needed in New England in regards to a few years down the road. Are the Patriots no longer the elite postseason power they once were?

First things first -- I'll deny the idea that this is Tom Brady becoming a choker. Brady's passer rating last night was 89.0. It was a huge drop-off from his 111.0 regular season rating, but it isn't exactly a huge flop in comparison to his postseason career. His career playoff passer rating is a mere 85.7, and his rating in divisional round games is an even lower 82.4. He has thrown 30 playoff touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Yesterday he tossed 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. In all of his playoff starts, he has thrown for an average of 231.9 yards per game. He tossed for 299 last night. His postseason completion percentage is 62.2%, and last night he went for 64.4%. Ultimately -- even if it didn't seem like it at the time -- Brady produced a very similar performance to the rest of his playoff outings. So where are the differences?

The main difference is the reliance New England has developed on the passing game. Throughout the season, they were able to run the ball effectively. Not last night. Brady's 45 pass attempts is more than double his career postseason average for attempts per game (22.3). BenJarvus Green-Ellis was fairly productive from a yards-per-carry standpoint, but the running game as a whole didn't get the job done in the most critical moments. Danny Woodhead had more carries than the Law Firm for just the third time all season. Things were just different. The Patriots took some bad penalties and they made questionable decisions. People questioned the choice to go for it on 4th and 13. People questioned the ridiculous fake punt call that backfired miserably. Why bother? You didn't get to 14-2 by trying fake punts and taking bad penalties. As much as I hate to say it, I think the impenetrable emotional fence that the New England Patriots erect every week was partially broken by the trash talk of the scumbag New York Jets (a matter for another day -- I'm not here to talk about the classless and barbaric group headed to Pittsburgh for an ass-whooping).

It sucked. Close the door on it. That's what I've done, and I'm looking to the future. This team has loads of potential. This is a loss that they can, hopefully, learn from. Don't forget -- most of this team lacks playoff experience. The championship teams we had were clearly led by veterans with the winning experience under their belts. This is a young team with very inexperienced players all the way around. Think about how much better Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty, our running backs, our receivers, and the rest of our very youthful core will be over the next few years. There is plenty of potential, and it will be up to Bill Belichick to bring the best out of those players. So what are the focal points in the upcoming draft?

To get back on the positive thinking, New England has 7 picks in the first 4 rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. With such an abundance of players developing in the system and improving to the top level in the Pats' system, this would be the year -- if ever -- that I might look for Belichick to consider trading up in the draft. We just about always trade down, but why stockpile more picks? We already have plenty of young players who are starting to show their stuff. If I were in charge, I'd consider moving up to take elite players at a few select positions. The top priority in my mind -- even more so after seeing last night's performance -- is getting a pass-rushing defensive end that can be an impact in our 3-4 system. They're tough to come by, but the Patriots need to get pressure on the passer without blitzing 6 or 7 guys. That's the top priority. They could also use help at receiver and cornerback, where they displayed some weakness this season. Still, you've got quite a few picks. What's the right way to allot them? What about a potential quarterback?

Easy now. I'm not saying it's time to replace Tom Brady. However, I am saying that Brady has three more years on that monster deal. He'll be 34 years old by the time next season begins. I think that in the next year or two, the Patriots should give strong consideration to drafting a top-tier quarterback early in the draft. Let him study under Brady for a few years, and hopefully, that player will become an NFL-ready quarterback by the time Brady heads out the door. It worked perfectly for the Green Bay Packers, who had Aaron Rodgers -- a highly touted QB prospect -- study under Brett Favre for a few years before taking the reigns. Look where that got him. Right now, the Patriots have the luxury of having several top draft picks. Considering they don't need to add 7 more players to their current 14-2 squad, my personal strategy would be to trade up in some cases and try to get big-time players to step in down the road.

It's time to put a cap on the past season and look forward to the next. We've got the Celtics, who always make a run at the end of the year. Excitement for the Bruins hasn't been this high in quite a while. Likewise for the Red Sox. We may be going through a rough patch in Boston Sports right now, but realize that things could be much worse. 28 days until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training.