January 21st has been dubbed the "most depressing day of the year" by UK psychologist Cliff Arnall and that moniker is fitting for Tom Brady and his New England Patriots, as they now must sit home after losing to the Baltimore Ravens 28-13 in the AFC Championship game.
The depressing day theory was crafted by Arnall in 2005 when he developed a formula that used various factors, including the lack of holidays coming up, failed New Year's resolutions, and the increasing colder temperatures outside. The date he found that fit the name most was the third Monday in January, now called "Blue Monday" by the researcher.
Brady has the most playoff wins in NFL history for any player, but he will have to wait another year at least to make it to his sixth Super Bowl. The Hall of Fame quarterback has now lost his past two Super Bowl appearances to the Giants and has not hoisted a Lombardi Trophy over his head since defeating the Eagles 24-12 in 2005 in Jacksonville.
The Patriots have reasons to feel depressed on Monday, especially because they were the highest-scoring offensive team in the NFL this season and could only muster 13 points against the Ravens. Baltimore was able to shut out Brady and the Patriots in the second half of the game and also knocked running back Stevan Ridley out after Bernard Pollard forced him to fumble in the fourth quarter.
The Ridley fumble turned out to be extremely depressing for the Patriots, as the Ravens were able to take the ball back and score a touchdown, pushing the lead too far out of reach. The injury weakened the Patriots' rushing game and allowed the Ravens to take more time off the clock.
Adding more depression for the Patriots, Pollard was the same player who injured Brady's knee a few years ago while with the Chiefs, forcing him to miss the entire season. He was the man who tackled Wes Welker when he blew out his knee the following year and last season he was the player who originally injured Rob Gronkowski's ankle, which was hampered in the Super Bowl against the Giants.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco outplayed Brady, throwing three touchdowns to his one, and also handled the ball more securely, turning the ball over zero times as compared to two for Brady. The loss for the Patriots will bring up the yearly questions about how great the team actually is and the job of head coach Bill Belichick, but it is likely that New England will be in the mix once again next season.
The depression for the Patriots can be looked at in a number of ways. New England hadn't lost a home AFC championship in five games and left Brady and coach Bill Belichick still looking for their sixth Super Bowl appearance. The duo started out 3-0 in Super Bowls, but has lost the past two tries against the New York Giants.
"I'd probably say we came up a little short in every area," Belichick said.
The day after a loss is always the toughest one, because it's easy to look back and wonder what would have happened if some plays went differently. For the second year in a row, wide receiver Wes Welker dropped a pass that could have converted a first down, following his Super Bowl drop that likely would have put the Giants too far out of reach last year.
Brady found Welker on a third-and-8 with New England leading 13-7 wide open in Ravens territory, but he dropped what would have been a first down conversion. Instead the Patriots punted the ball back to Baltimore. Welker is one of the best receivers in football, but the drops have become more of an issue for him. According to ESPN Stats & Information, "Welker led the AFC with 11 drops during the regular season."
Another play could have changed the outcome as well, as the Patriots took a 13-7 lead into halftime. It could have been bigger had Brady called a timeout quicker at the end of the second quarter. New England opted for a field goal and made it, but they could have taken a couple shots at the endzone if there was more time on the clock.
The Patriots will now face some depressing offseason questions, as Welker may not return after dealing with contract issues last season. Brady has come out to say that he would like Welker to return, but everyone knows the NFL is a business and even the quarterback does not have final say.
"I think those business parts of the game are ... those usually take care of themselves," he said during his weekly interview with the "Dennis & Callahan Show" on Boston sports radio WEEI. "Certainly I'm not involved in any of those."
Brady and Welker have been one of the most successful combinations in NFL history and the wideout had an excellent game against the Ravens, making eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Welker had five 100-catch seasons for the Patriots and has been their most consistent receiver over his tenure with the team. But it could be money that costs him.
"Everybody knows how I feel about Wes, our whole team feels that way about Wes," Brady said. "He's just one of the best players I've played with and played against. He's just a phenomenal player, and he's been the heart and soul of what our team is all about. He's been so selfless, and the way that he carries himself and commits himself to help our team win, it's second-to-none. But like I said, those aren't my decisions."
Brady had one of his best seasons in 2012, throwing for 4,827 yards and 34 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. He completed 63 percent of his passes and threw for six touchdowns over the past three games. This year though, Brady's best wasn't good enough.
No matter what happens to Welker during the offseason, the Patriots and Brady are a little depressed on what is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year.
