The Patriots, with an 11-5 record, officially miss the playoffs

[mahonedog88]

I mean honestly...how can you trust Brett Farve to win a game for you with the season he's had, Mr. Interception I think his name should be.

It's just frustrating to see the Patriots miss the playoffs while they're playing the best football of the season right now.  It sucks to know we miss the playoffs when we could really do some damage.  I'm not saying we were going to the Super Bowl, but it would've been very interesting...but now we'll never know.

Also frustrating to see the Dolphins win the division when we beat them 48-28 not too long ago.

But I guess the Patriots have no one to blame but themselves.  We easily could've been 13-3 this year...Specifically the Colts game they let slip away and if the coin toss goes our way against the Jets, who knows what could've happened.

Well...lets go Ravens?

[Roy Hobbs]

Well, this continues the "Curse of the Superbowl Loser", or whatever you want to call it.  Only once since 2000 has the losing Superbowl team even made the playoffs the next year (Seattle in 2006).  Crazy but true.

[Redz]

The Dolphins won me over today.  I've never felt the urge to root for them, but I think I might for the playoffs.  I like the way they play, and they're a great story.

It would have been fun to see what this group of Pats would have done, but oh well. 

Favre's intercpetions were just sooooooooooooo bad 

[Neurotic Guy]

Favre was an accident waiting to happen all day.  Too bad for the Pats who really played well the last few games and would have been fun to watch in the playoffs.

I can't root for the Dolphins (or the Steelers, Colts or Giants), so I'll hope for Tennessee to get their mojo back and hopefully see a Minnesota or Carolina v. Titans Superbowl.

On a bright note, the Pats will draft at #20 ahead of Miami, Atlanta, Arizona, SD or Denver -- all teams not as good as the Pats.  Additionally, Matt Cassell again did himself proud today, leaving little doubt he'll be franchised -- then traded or kept, depending on Brady's knee.  So, best case scenario is we get a healthy Brady, Bruschi and Thomas back (I don't think Maroney will be back with the Pats next year) and we get the #20 and another 1st (plus another pick or 2) for Cassell.   

Could shape up well for 2009.

Go Celtics!

[SShorefan 3.0]

hopefully Mangini will be fired.

[mahonedog88]

The Dolphins won me over today.  I've never felt the urge to root for them, but I think I might for the playoffs.  I like the way they play, and they're a great story.

It would have been fun to see what this group of Pats would have done, but oh well. 

Favre's intercpetions were just sooooooooooooo bad 

I can't find myself to root for the Dolphins either...same division, can't do it haha.  Although I've always liked and respected Chad Pennington.  I think by process of elimination, I'm rooting for the Ravens.  I think the Titans are frauds as #1 seeds, I hate the love the media has for the Steelers because I think Big Ben is very overrated, as is Hines Ward, can't do the Dolphins cause they're in our division, and not the Colts cause well...they're the Colts.

Plus like I said before, I've always liked Ray Lewis, Willis McGahee is a beast, and I'm a big Derrick Mason fan.

On the NFC side, I'm goin for either Minnesota because I love Adrian Peterson or Atlanta obviously because of the Matt Ryan connection.

So this all equals me rooting for Baltimore vs. Minnesota or Atlanta superbowl.

[makaveli]

I really don't get whats so entertaining about American football, and I really try. Most of the world doesn't.
I have NASN and it shows collage games all the time, and since I have a broken leg I watch a lot of TV. I watch 6-7 games a week and I still can't understand the rules.
And I won't even start about Baseball, I think best sports are simple ones and with simple rules, like football, tennis, even basketball.
Just saw the DAL-PHI game and I liked it a lot, who knows maybe I'll start to understand this game better with time

[nickagneta]

The Titans are frauds, Big Ben goes down with a concussion, the west division winner is a bad team(Den/SD), the Ravens and Miami are good stories lacking anything resembling a SuperBowl pedigree.

Say hello to your AFC Champions the Indianapolis Colts, players of the easiest schedule this side of the Patriots in the AFC.

I really hope not to see a Manning vs Manning SuperBowl as it might cause me to have to think seriously about giving up on watching football for the rest of my life. I'm just not sure I could survive as a football fan while being inundated with Manning hype.

[Rondo_is_better]

Ridiculous. We're definitely better than several of the teams getting in, as illustrated by our record and recent play.

I hate the Jets.

nick is right. The Colts will at least get to the superbowl, and probably win it on Peyton's back.

[EJPLAYA]

Sorry guys. I have to gloat a little. As die hard a Celtic fan as I am, I am a Dolphins fan. (Dad was in the Army so I grew up everywhere and didn't really have a HOME team). It warms my heart a bit to knock the Patriots and Jets out all in one day. Go FINS!

[Redz]

Sorry guys. I have to gloat a little. As die hard a Celtic fan as I am, I am a Dolphins fan. (Dad was in the Army so I grew up everywhere and didn't really have a HOME team). It warms my heart a bit to knock the Patriots and Jets out all in one day. Go FINS!

Like I said below...This is a likable Phins team (a rarity)...Good luck, that must have felt great.

They mentioned an ironic story about the Pats needing some help from the Packers to get in 2002.  Favre lost to Pennington that day too.

[EJPLAYA]

Sorry guys. I have to gloat a little. As die hard a Celtic fan as I am, I am a Dolphins fan. (Dad was in the Army so I grew up everywhere and didn't really have a HOME team). It warms my heart a bit to knock the Patriots and Jets out all in one day. Go FINS!

Like I said below...This is a likable Phins team (a rarity)...Good luck, that must have felt great.

They mentioned an ironic story about the Pats needing some help from the Packers to get in 2002.  Favre lost to Pennington that day too.

Hard not to root for that kind of a turnaround, especially when it wasn't just going out and buying it. (I gave you a TP for your kind Fins words Redz) It has been a very long time since we have sniffed the playoffs, and much longer since we were truly competitive in them. Sadly I am afraid we are going to get crushed by the Ravens...

[Brickowski]

You could see it coming. 

I hope Brett Favre plays another 10 years, so long as it is with the Jets.

[Cman]

Sad day for me that the Pats miss the playoffs.  I think the Steelers and Colts will do well.  But let me just say that in all seriousness I might skip watching the super bowl if it is a manning-manning affair.  I don't particularly dislike either player or team, but I just would not be able to stomach all the media gushing.

[RebusRankin]

There is something wrong with a system where an 8-8 team makes the play-offs and an 11-5 team stays home.