History Could Be in Patriots Favor After Super Bowl Loss

A lot can be made of a Super Bowl hangover when it comes to the NFL, or if a team will ever make it back before their championship window closes. There's also plenty of history to look at when it comes to the New England Patriots and their ability to rebound from Super Bowl losses.

Now the record holder for most defeats in the title game (six), the Patriots have become just as accustomed to losing the big game as they are winning it. And yet, history has shown that they've been a relatively competitive team in the seasons that following the heartbreaking loss.

These years, some of them with different ownership and new coaches, all have one common thread: The Patriots don't weep and wilt in the years after a Super Bowl loss. Here's a look at the past five times that it happened in franchise history.

1986: 11-5, AFC East Champions

Coming off the franchise's first AFC title, the Patriots rattled off another 11-win season, led by Hall of Famer Raymond Berry as the head coach. A rough 3-3 start put the team behind to kick off the season, before a seven-game winning streak through October and November catapulted them to the division title (their last until 1996). They would eventually lose to the Denver Broncos in the playoffs on the road, 22-17.

1997: 10-6, AFC East Champions

After Bill Parcells left the team for the New York Jets following Super Bowl XXXI, the Patriots brought in Pete Carroll from San Francisco's staff to lead this team to another playoff berth. They started the year with a 5-1 record, but hit an October skid to fall to 6-5. A close overtime December loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road would preview how this team's fate would be, as they eventually lost to those same Steelers in a game where the Patriots kicked two field goals in the AFC divisional round.

2008: 11-5, Second Place in AFC East

Dec. 14, 2008; Oakland, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel (16) throws a pass against the Oakland Raiders in the second quarter at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CA. The Patriots defeated the Raiders 49-26. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

After losing their undefeated season, the Patriots came into the 2008 season with sky-high hopes. Then Tom Brady tore his ACL in Week 1 and it came crashing down. Until it didn't. Backup quarterback Matt Cassel proved he was more than capable of leading the team, and they played well enough in the season to earn a winning record. However, this is the one time on this list that the Patriots didn't make the playoffs -- they missed out on the final wild card spot by a tiebreaker.

2012: 12-4, AFC East Champions

The 2012 season was a weird one for New England. That team set an NFL record for first downs in a season (444) and was the last Patriots group to sweep their division in a single season. They rattled off nine wins in their final 10 games to cruise to a first-round bye. The prolific offense that soared through the regular season came to a halt in the postseason, as they put up just 13 points in an AFC championship loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Baltimore Ravens at home.

2018: 11-5, Super Bowl Champions

Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman lifts the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Like 2012, this team started the year 1-2 and the sky was falling. But the Patriots were able to rebound and make the playoffs yet again. This team wasn't the dominant Patriots that people had seen all decade, but it was more than capable to go on a deep playoff run. And that's what New England did, going on the road to knock off MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, before holding the Rams' offense to just a field goal in their sixth Super Bowl victory.

2026: What's Next?

The Patriots have all the right pieces to make another deep run. Their best players (Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez) are both on rookie contracts -- for now -- and they have the buy-in to not take a step back. But time will tell how the 2026 edition of New England football will look.

But, like history tells us, it might not be all doom and gloom for long.

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