Wes Welker failed to hold on to this first quarter pass, as Leodis McKelvin covered for Buffalo.

Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In The Beatles' world, you get by with a little help from your friends.

In the New England Patriots' world, you can't get help from your friends or your enemies.

In the end, it was another "somebody done somebody wrong" song for the Patriots, as for the seventh time since 1977, they went into the final game of the regular season needing a little bit of help to get into the playoffs, and for the seventh time, they were left on the outside.

Despite holding up their end of the bargain with a 13-0 win against the Bills in windy (that's an understatement) Buffalo, the Patriots had to hope that either the heavily favored Ravens would lose to Jacksonville at home or their hated rivals, the Jets, would win their home finale against a resurgent Miami club.

Neither happened, and the accomplishment of New England's against-long-odds 11-5 season was left to blow in the wind, like the plastic bags that took flight in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The Dolphins' win in New Jersey gave them the AFC East title on the fourth tiebreaker, conference record; it is the first time in six years that New England has not claimed the division crown. The Ravens claimed the final wild-card spot with their 27-7 victory. It is also just the third time in Bill Belichick's nine-year tenure with the Patriots (and first since 2002) that his team has not qualified for the postseason.

The good news for Pats fans, however, is that after each of those playoff misses, the team came back the next season and won the Super Bowl.

To fall short of the playoffs after an 11-win season is a rare feat; New England is just the second team since the advent of the 16-game schedule in 1978 to record just five losses and not qualify for the postseason.

That was not the type of playoff history the Patriots were hoping to make this year, however.

When the team arrived back at Gillette Stadium last night, their fate sealed, Sammy Morris shared his disappointment.

"It's kind of a roller coaster of emotions. You know, winning that game and showering up and getting on the plane and waiting to see about the Jets game. So, it was kind of a high and a low in a matter of hours," he said. "We did our part -- undefeated in December -- [but] that's the problem of relying on other people."

In the aftermath of their victory, in which they were required to rely heavily on the ground game due to steady 40-mph winds that gusted to 60 mph, many of the players were happy with their final record.

"You figure 11-5, that's a record you can be proud of in this league, no matter how you get them," said Heath Evans. "So I think win, lose or draw, whether we're sitting at home next week or we're playing next week, I think 11-5 is something you can be proud of."

"Any time you go 11-5, you played well enough to have the opportunity to play in the postseason, but unfortunately for us this year is kind of different and we may not get that chance," James Sanders said postgame.

After their loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, the Patriots knew that they would have to run the table in December in order to give themselves the best chance to get into the playoffs. They did that, with three of their four wins coming on the road.

But as Morris observed, relying on others isn't always the best bet.

When New England arrived at the stadium late Sunday morning, the goalposts were tilted around 30 degrees due to the winds, and it was clear that the air game would be grounded for both the Pats and the Bills.

That was certainly the case, as the two teams went a combined 13 plays over three-plus possessions before a pass was attempted, a 19-yard screen to Evans. Another screen to Evans -- the gregarious fullback joked that the way he got going, he was hoping for a 12-catch, 200-yard game -- and the Pats were just outside the red zone.

They ended the drive by putting their first points on the board, on a 33-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski with the wind at his back.

The Bills' Rian Lindell attempted a 47-yard field goal on Buffalo's next possession, but the wind decided the kick would be wide right.

It wasn't the first time Mother Nature knocked a kick off course; on New England's next drive, Gostkowski was faced with a 28-yard try, normally an easy chip-shot for the Pro Bowler. But the kick was into the wind this time, and the ball that was initially straight down the middle made an abrupt turn to the right.

Early in the third quarter, Jarvis Green made the defensive play of the game, tearing around the right side of the Buffalo offensive line and strip-sacking Trent Edwards. Mike Vrabel recovered the fumble, and New England started the drive at the Buffalo 43.

LaMont Jordan ran the ball in from two yards out 11 plays later for the Pats' only touchdown of the day.

The Patriots converted two fourth downs on their way to the end zone, the first on a fourth and two when Matt Cassel picked up six yards, and the second on fourth and five, when Cassel hit a wide-open Wes Welker for a 12-yard pickup.

His cheeks still a windblown pink, Bill Belichick spoke after the game of his players' effort.

"I respect this group of guys immensely. They've worked hard, they've put up with me all year, and they fought through a lot of adversity," he said. "Mentally and physically, they're a tough football team -- they're resilient and they know how to play in adverse conditions."

Belichick could sing his team's praises, but the playoff-eliminated, 11-5 Patriots were left to sing the blues.

smanza@projo.com