When Tom Brady owned up to his performance during '16 AFC title game loss vs Broncos - "There are no excuses"

In 2014-15, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots began the second half of their championship dominance, reaching four Super Bowls and winning three of them.

But the one time they did not, it was Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos advancing against them 20-18 in the 2016 AFC Championship Game.

They did it on the strength of their vaunted "No-Fly Zone" defense, anchored by Pro Bowl cornerbacks Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, complemented by Pro Bowl linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

For the first time in a playoff game, Tom Brady failed to complete at least half of his passes (27/56) and was picked off twice, the second one on what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion by Julian Edelman. He was also sacked four times.

Speaking after the game, the multiple-time champion remarked on his performance:

"When you play quarterback, you're going to take hits. You have to stand in there and make throws. There are no excuses for me for not getting the job done. Our guys fought hard.

"I'm proud of all the guys for what they tried to accomplish. We just came up one play short to a very good football team."

He also praised his opponents' defensive line:

"It's a tough front with good players. They're teeing off on the cadence. We're trying to keep changing it up. They did a great job of it."

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Despite heartbreaking loss to Broncos, Tom Brady was still proud of his team

Brady's two-point attempt came after he found long-serving tight end Rob Gronkowski for a four-yard touchdown, reducing the Patriots' deficit to 18-20. But on the two-point attempt, Aqib Talib tipped the ball into the hands of Bradley Roby.

Danny Amendola managed to knock the ball away from Roby, but the game was decided when Broncos safety Shiloh Keo recovered Stephen Gostkowski's onside kick.

After the loss, Brady further said about the result:

"It's a disappointing loss because this team fought pretty hard, just to come up short on a two-point play. It would have been a fun overtime, had we had the opportunity. We just came up one play short."

Despite how the game ended, he still praised his team's progress:

"I wish the two-point play would have been different. I'm sure everyone can look at different plays throughout the game when it's that close and say, 'Man, I wish I would have made that play.' But I'm proud of the way we fought, and we certainly fought until the end."

The Denver Broncos would eventually defeat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in what would turn out to be Peyton Manning's last-ever game.

The Patriots did regain the Lombardi the following year, however, in one of the most dramatic comebacks in NFL history.