Despite 1st Loss, Patriots Still in Driver's Seat for No. 1 Seed in AFC

The New England Patriots lost a meaningful game for the first time in a calendar year. 

Think about that for a second. The last time they lost a game that actually mattered was November 30, 2014, against the Green Bay Packers. That was the last time they lost a game in which the final result actually had an impact on anything and when they were trying their hardest.

And boy, were they trying their hardest on Sunday night in a crushing 30-24 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. 

"I'm really proud of the way our team fought tonight," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. "We gave tremendous effort and played really hard. Obviously, there were some things we could have done better. We could have coached better, we could have played better."

The refs could have ref'd better, too, and everyone knows it. Even Belichick knows it, although he wouldn't directly say as much.

"You should talk to the league," he said. "I'm sure they have all the answers on that, so talk to them."

It's usually a cop-out to talk about officiating after a loss, but here's some food for thought: There were no fewer than three pivotal, controversial calls that had a huge impact on the outcome of the game. Patrick Chung was flagged for holding in the end zone on Demaryius Thomas, which gave the Broncos a fresh set of downs near the goal line.

The contact was marginal, at best, but it drew a flag, and the Broncos capitalized by scoring a touchdown on the next play. But that wasn't the first bad call, and it wasn't even the last.

Before that happened, tight end Rob Gronkowski was flagged for offensive pass interference, which wiped out a third-down conversion.

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VIDEO: Rob Gronkowski called for offensive pass interference. https://t.co/GNbiabvs0L

— MarcusD (@_MarcusD_) November 30, 2015"

"That is as close on that call as you could get," NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said on the broadcast, presumably with a straight face. The next play, a Broncos defender launched at Tom Brady's head and wasn't flagged. 

The bad officiating even went right down to the last whistle, with a potential holding call that was ignored on the game-winning touchdown by Broncos running back C.J. Anderson.

It took everything for the Patriots to lose. This team can overcome injuries. It can overcome bad officiating. It can overcome a hostile road environment. It cannot overcome all three in one game. The question is, will they have to overcome all three again this year?

Right now, the answer is no. They are still in the lead in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. At 10-1, there are two teams nipping at their heels: the Broncos (9-2) and Cincinnati Bengals (9-2). The Broncos and Bengals are on a collision course in Week 16 in a game that will likely determine who gets a bye and who plays on Wild Card Weekend despite having as few as three losses on the season.

Plus, although their injury luck has been bad lately, it's about to get better. Danny Amendola was a game-time decision, meaning he might be close to healthy enough to play. Julian Edelman will be rejoining the team for its playoff run. Jamie Collins should be back anytime now. The Patriots lost Dont'a Hightower during Sunday night's game, and he was on the sideline in a hat for the rest of the night.

In even more good news, multiple reports indicate Gronkowski's knee injury is not serious. Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com captured video of Gronkowski walking under his own power after the knee injury.

Think about how close Sunday night's game was. Think about the fact that the Patriots were ahead for most of the game despite being without all those players. Now think about this: That was the second-best team in the conference, and the Patriots are about to get healthier. Assuming New England wins all of its remaining games, the Patriots will be at home for the playoffs.

Not only will they not have to contend with the hostile Denver crowd, but they'll also be much closer to full health than they are right now.

If New England's only problem on Sunday was the officiating, they might have won. Unfortunately, all the factors added up to result in the Patriots' first loss of the year. Fortunately, those factors aren't likely to all come together again this year. 

And who knows, maybe they won't lose another game until next November 30. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.