Having free time this time of year is a foreign feeling for a franchise that usually has a standing playoff reservation.
"It's quite different than what we've had in the past," said defensive end Richard Seymour, who sat out Sunday's season-ending 13-0 win over the Buffalo Bills with a lower back injury. "But I think it can be to our benefit coming into next year."
If there is any upside to becoming the first team since the 12-team playoff setup was introduced in 1990 and only the second ever to finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs, it's that the Patriots will have a chance to come back rested and rejuvenated in 2009.
It has been a wild ride - emotionally and physically - for the past three seasons.
In 2006, the Patriots battled all the way to the AFC title game before suffering a crushing 38-34 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts. Last season, they had to deal with the fallout from the "Spygate" signal-taping scandal and the searing spotlight of their pursuit for perfection. This season, the Patriots persevered through the loss of patron-saint passer Tom Brady in the season opener and a slew of injuries to patch together an 11-5 record, winning their final four games.
Weary coach Bill Belichick said the goal is always to play deep into the playoffs, but that having a little more time for players to bounce back from injuries and for him and his staff to evaluate the team and schemes and prepare for the draft and the start of free agency (Feb. 27) could be beneficial.
"The last two offseasons that we've had were as condensed as they could be relative to most of the other teams in the league," said Belichick. "Unfortunately, we are not playing this week, but it will give us a little bit more time to maybe do more of a thorough analysis and breakdown . . . than what we have in the past.
