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DENVER -- Stephen Gostkowski's missed extra point loomed large in the final minutes of the New England Patriots' AFC Championship Game loss. The Patriots trailed by eight points for the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter and had three opportunities to score on the Denver Broncos in the red zone Sunday.

The Patriots elected to try for touchdowns rather than field goals, and when they finally scored with 12 seconds remaining in the game, they were forced to try for a two-point conversion rather than relying on their usually dependable kicker.

"I just feel terrible," Gostkowski said. "These guys work a lot, all day, put their bodies and their lives on the line. To come out here and us lose the game by a point, me missing the kick, it's a nightmare scenario. I can't really explain how I feel right now. It's just kind of shock, and I feel I let a lot of people down. It's not a good feeling."

To paraphrase "Good Will Hunting": "Stephen, it's not your fault."

The Patriots' offensive line collapsed as quarterback Tom Brady officially was hit 20 times during the 20-18 loss. Bill Belichick elected to go for touchdowns rather than field goals twice in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, and those six lost points loomed just as large as a missed extra point in the final seconds.

Gostkowski has been a hero for the Patriots numerous times since taking over for Adam Vinatieri in 2006 and hadn't missed an extra point since his rookie season. This one just happened to travel wide right at the worst time.

"It wasn't a good kick," Gostkowski said. "I'm not one to make excuses. I should have made it. I've made hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of those."

The missed extra point certainly didn't help, but it came at the end of the first quarter, and the Patriots had multiple chances to recover.

"I feel like I lost the game," Gostkowski said. "I feel sorry for myself, but I don't expect people to feel sorry for me."

hey do, however. Most notably, his teammates.

"One play doesn't define a game," wide receiver Julian Edelman said. "There's plenty of opportunities for us to overcome that. Steve nailed two field goals to keep us in. It's never just one play. Steve's a stud. We love him to death."

"He's a great player. He's the best, so everyone misses them at some point. There was plenty of football left. We knew what the situation was."

It was impressive for Gostkowski to step up in front of the media and hold himself responsible for the loss, but it came down to a lot more than one extra point for the Patriots to lose to the Broncos. Gostkowski certainly didn't lose the faith of any of his teammates with the rare miss.

Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images