What was once a locker room filled with Patriots jerseys, helmets and pads looked more like the side of your street on trash day.
The players packed up yesterday, stuffing whatever they could fit from inside their lockers into trash bags for the trip home.
A home that’s not Foxborough anymore.
The team’s playoff run was abruptly ended Sunday against the Jets, leaving the team, coaches and fans stunned.
“There were certainly a lot of good things that happened for us this season, but that definitely gets overshadowed by the final results,” coach Bill Belichick said.
The Pats are sending eight players to the Pro Bowl, and Tom Brady is the frontrunner for the MVP. But it wasn’t enough.
“Walking off that field, I think you realize [what happened],” cornerback Devin McCourty said. “Then coming in today; it kind of puts a cap on it.”
Nobody expected the regular season that unfolded, but by the playoffs, everybody was sold — or fooled.
“Obviously it’s a big disappointment, because we know what we’re capable of as a team,” linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said.
Good, but not good enough
There are a lot of positives to take from the Patriots’ 14-2 regular season.
The young ‘D’ got better, BenJarvus Green-Ellis stood out and Tom Brady was Tom Brady.
But ultimately, it wasn’t enough to put much of a smile on Bill Belichick’s face yesterday.
“Each game is a huge challenge, its own game, but [we had] a better record than any other team,” the coach said. “It was good, but it’s not the final measuring stick.
“We’ve all got a lot of disappointment today in the final results.”
