MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The New England Patriots finished the regular season 12-4, and after the first 15 games, the “ups” and “downs” of each game were highlighted. Now that we’ve come to the end of the season, here is one viewpoint on the top three “ups” and “downs” for the entire year based on initial expectations:
Up
Tom Brady -- The quarterback is an easy choice, of course, as he was among the leading candidates for NFL MVP throughout most of the year. He set a career high with 402 completions, passing his previous best of 401 set in 2011 and 2012.