They’ve got to start getting brutally honest with themselves, pinpointing their own flaws and questioning their effort. After Sunday’s 22-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots have put themselves in an unnecessary position with a 7-5 record. Rather than being a week away from potentially wrapping up the AFC East, the Patriots are trying not to flatline before the playoffs.
"It’s really frustrating," Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker told reporters Sunday in his postgame news conference. "We’ve always been a team that’s been able to overcome situations and play through things, and we haven’t been able to do that. All of us need to look in the mirror, including myself, and when it comes to crucial situations, we’ve got to capitalize."
The Patriots blew a 14-point lead to the Dolphins — the third time they’ve lost a double-digit advantage this season — and allowed Miami (6-6) and the New York Jets (6-6) to close the gap in the division. If the Patriots blow that lead, the aftershock could potentially change the shape of the organization’s future direction. The overhaul they faced last offseason could be a precursor to the transactions in 2010.
With a victory in Miami, the Patriots could have wrapped up the division title next Sunday with a win against the Carolina Panthers and a Jets loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That might not have been the most likely of all possibilities, but Reebok would have at least needed to start printing the T-shirts.
"We’ve got to find a way to play better football for 60 minutes in all phases," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said after the game. "Everyone has got to focus on what they need to do better. That’s the most important thing, be mentally tough to overcome adversity. When things don’t go your way, you’ve got to fight back. That’s a challenge for all of us. At times, I think we do. At other times, I don’t think we fight very hard."
While addressing the media minutes after the game, Brady looked pale and a bit confused, as though he had just seen a ghost. Heading into Sunday, though, it seemed more probable that the fans at Land Shark Stadium would find paranormal activity than witness the Dolphins trumping the Patriots.
Brady and his teammates were shocked over their missed opportunities, both during the game and with the AFC postseason picture. The Patriots already needed a little help to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs, and now they’ll need a Congressional bailout. The division-leading Indianapolis Colts (12-0), San Diego Chargers (9-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (9-3) have a sizeable advantage over New England, and the Denver Broncos (8-4), Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5), Baltimore Ravens (6-5) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) are all in the picture.
Assuming the Patriots can manage to find a way to win a road game, their schedule is still favorable down the stretch. They host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday before traveling to Buffalo, hosting Jacksonville and visiting Houston to close the regular season. Prior to Sunday’s mishap in Miami, the Patriots appeared to be on their way to sweeping through December, but that task looks taller these days. While New England has been dominant at home, it’s been equally dismal outside of Foxborough.
"It’s definitely up there," Welker said about the level of disappointment. "None of [the losses] are good, but to have the opportunities that we had and not finish is pretty disappointing. We’ve got a long ways to go on all three sides of the ball, and all of us need to look in the mirror, and figure things out on our own, and make sure we’re coming to play on a weekly basis and not just every once in awhile. It’s not just a weekly thing, and [we have to] make sure we’re doing our jobs the way it needs to be done."
Because a first-round bye is almost entirely out of the question, the Patriots are eying at least one road playoff game if they have Super Bowl visions. By that point, they won’t have a marquee road victory to rally around, which will make their march through January that much more difficult.
"Coach always says you get what you deserve," said Brady, who threw a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions Sunday. "In too many ways, you don’t deserve to win when you make as many mistakes as we do."
There are no excuses floating through Foxborough, just admissions of guilt. The Patriots are pointing the finger at themselves, and now it’s up to them to act on it.
