We all knew Rick’s siege against the Saviors couldn’t work. There’s no way our heroes could fight an antagonist so powerful and defeat him with a single attack. Moreover, we knew Negan would never be beaten in a mere mid-season finale. So the question wasn’t if Rick was going to lose, but what he was going to lose.
Source: Gizmodo – Rick Loses More Than the Battle on The Walking Dead’s Midseason Finale