NFL Playoff Picture: The New England Patriots' Vengeful Path to the Super Bowl

Once upon a time, the New England Patriots were the last team anyone wanted to face in January. From 2001-2006, Tom Brady and company racked up five division titles, four AFC title game appearances, three Super Bowl wins, two 14-win seasons and only one season in which they missed the playoffs.

Admit it, you know you were humming "The 12 Days of Christmas" on the last sentence.

Fast forward to 2007-2010, when the Patriots have been nowhere near as frightening. After the 16-0 2007 season, which ended with a loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, the Patriots missed the playoffs in 2008—Tom Brady tore his ACL in Week 1—and then lost their first playoff games in 2009 and 2010.

Coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots have really struggled in the playoffs these last few years and seem to have very few answers as to why. This year doesn't appear very promising, either, with a defense ranked 31st in the NFL.

What fans fail to realize is that for the Patriots, this postseason is shaping up to be a perfect storm of revenge not seen since The Bride:

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"When fortune smiles on something as violent and ugly as revenge, it seems proof like no other, that not only does God exist, you're doing His will." - Kill Bill Vol. 1

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The Patriots open their 2011 playoff campaign against the Denver Broncos. In their Week 15 matchup, the Broncos' offense jumped all over the Patriots’ defense by getting out to a 16-7 lead. Tom Brady and company finally got the offense going en route to a 41-23 win.

More importantly, it was the Broncos who upset the Patriots in the 2005 playoffs, ending their chances for a three-peat.

Led by Jake Plummer, the 2005 Broncos forced five turnovers, including a game-changing 100-yard interception return, which set up a 1-yard Mike Anderson touchdown to give the Broncos a 17-6 third quarter lead. The Broncos would go on to win the game 27-13. 

This time, the Patriots will be facing a Broncos team coming off of a huge home playoff win versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Should they get past the miracle team from the Mile High city, they could potentially—and, in my opinion, likely—host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

That game would hold special meaning for the Patriots. The Pats locked up the No. 3 playoff seed during the 2009 season and were playing host to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens ended Tom Brady’s comeback season with a 33-14 drubbing, led by Ray Rice’s 152-yard and two touchdown rushing performance. 

The Ravens jumped out to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. They forced five turnovers and pounded the Patriots defense with their brutal rushing attack. It also marked the Patriots' first playoff loss at Gillette Stadium. 

If the Houston Texans come out on top this weekend, then it will be Gary Kubiak’s playoff return to New England. Kubiak was in his last season as the Broncos' offensive coordinator in 2005 when Denver pulled off the shocking upset. This game would match one of the NFL’s best offenses against one of its best defenses.

On the NFC side, there's a strong chance we could see the Green Bay Packers win the NFC title.  This would set up a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI, which saw the Packers dominate the Patriots, 35-21, in a game that was not as close as the score indicates.

Bill Belichick coached the secondary and was also the assistant head coach during that season under head coach Bill Parcells. Brett Favre and the Packers posted 323 yards of total offense against the Patriots, including two passing touchdowns of 50-plus yards against Belichick’s overwhelmed secondary. 

That was the first of five Super Bowls that Belichick would go to during his Patriots tenure. Now, having a shot against another high-flying Packers offense is just too good to pass up.

While the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints are the clear-cut favorites in the NFC, the New York Giants are looking strong and could potentially make a run to the Super Bowl. If the Giants pull off the shocker and make it to the Super Bowl, it could set up one of the biggest playoff grudge matches since Cowboys/Bills 2.0 in Super Bowl XXVIII. 

This matchup would be the ideal situation for the Patriots. They would have the opportunity to right the wrong from the almost-perfect 2007 season. The Patriots went 18-0 through the regular season and playoffs before losing to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

The Patriots have not won a playoff game since that season and have looked less than stellar ever since. 

A win over the Giants would be the coup de grace on a playoff run built of vengeance; delivering punishment to the teams who have kept the Patriots from winning the Super Bowl during some of their most promising seasons over the last few years. 

The scenario would be similar to the 2007 game; the Patriots boast a high-octane offense and the Giants bring one of the best pass rushes on defense, including the unstoppable Jason Pierre-Paul.

There are still a lot of scenarios that will need to play out in order for us to see Patriots/Giants 2.0.  The Patriots defense is dreadful, but they have persevered. The Giants have two big hills to climb, but it’s possible. 

A Giants/Patriots rematch could be the most watched Super Bowl in NFL history, and I’m sure the matchup has crossed the minds of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at some point. 

Don’t think Tom Brady and Bill Belichick hold grudges? Don’t think they look forward to revenge games? Ask yourself this: When was the last time the Patriots lost the season’s first matchup against a division opponent and then lost the second game?  Better yet, when was the last time a division opponent swept the Patriots since Tom Brady became the starter? 

I’ll tell you…NEVER!

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