After last year's All Ireland final replay defeat to Dublin by a single point, some observers wrote off this Mayo crop's chances of going similarly close to All Ireland honours agian.
Yet for an hour on Sunday, it looked like Mayo were about to break the 66 year barrier between the present and the last All Ireland win back in 1951.
Unfortunately for Stephen Rochford's side who performed well, Dublin again prevailed by a point and the same question is being asked: Can this team bounce back again and find those extra percentages that will finally push them over the line.
Ex-Tyrone All Ireland winner Enda McGinley, former Mayo forward Billy Joe Padden and Laois man Ross Munnelly joined Joe to analyse the situation and what Mayo can learn.
"If you wind the clock back 12 months, losing after a replay, everyone said all those same things about Mayo last year, that they 'had their chance and they didn't take it,'" said Munnelly.
"I honestly believe they were closer yesterday. They were almost getting over the line. Dublin are a powerful team. They could go on create even more history but I think Mayo have a lot to be confident about going into the New Year. I believe they were closer than they have ever been yesterday and I think they will regroup."
The old argument about Mayo down the years was that they lacked marquee forwards but McGinley does not see that as an issue for this team.
Mayo's Jason Doherty dejected after the game ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson
"They have top quality forwards. But the difference is they're playing against Dublin. Nearly every other All Ireland winning county team - my own team included - will have two or three marquee forwards, this phrase that gets bandied about," he said.
"The difference for Dublin is they have 10 potentially marquee forwards."
The lads also addressed the performance of Aidan O'Shea with the consensus from the watching public having been split down the middle when it came to assessing his impact on proceedings.
"I thought in the first half, he was very influential," said Munnelly.
"Probably Aidan was more dominant in the first half and I think [James] McCarthy's ability to play off the break and play off the shoulder probably propelled the level of his performance and kicking two points in the second half.
"They're small margins. I think it's probably Aidan O'Shea's best performance in an All Ireland final."
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