Examining New England Patriots’ playoff outlook after moving to 9-2 | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

Examining New England Patriots’ playoff outlook after moving to 9-2 | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

2 THINGS AND THEN WE’LL DIG INTO A GAME THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLEXED TO SUNDAY AND 1 OF THE MANY GREAT GAMES ON SUNDAY, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THURSDAY NIGHT BECAUSE FOR, AS GOOD AS THE PATRIOTS ARE, AND IT’S FUN TO WATCH THE END OF THE GAME, THE DURING THE GAME, WASN’T ALL THAT GREAT BECAUSE IT WASN’T THAT CLOSE OF A GAME AND IT JUST KIND OF FELT LIKE THIS INEVITABLE. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A POINT IN, I THINK EARLY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER LAST NIGHT, WHERE I THINK IT WAS KIRK. WHO SAID THAT DRAKE MAYE. OH, HE’LL BE TALKING TO KAYLEE HARTONG AND JOINING THE SET AFTER THE GAME. IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW IT’S A LITTLE PRESUMPTUOUS THERE BUT NOW IT’S NOT KNOW. HE WILL BE, IT WAS LIKE HE WILL BE AND THERE’S NO REMEMBER AL CALL BOSCH THAT YOU’RE APPLYING THEIR AL CALLED HIM OUT AND SAID, HEY, YOU PRETTY MUCH BOOKED HIM ALREADY. AT THAT POINT, IT WAS LIKE 12 MINUTES 12 OR 30 13 MINUTES LEFT IN THE GAME. YEAH. BUT I I SAID, LOOK, I THOUGHT IT WAS PRESUMPTUOUS, TOO. I SAID, HEY, I DON’T HERB STREET. I, I DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE ANALYSIS, BUT, UH, I DON’T, I DON’T DISAGREE WITH THAT 1. YOU’RE RIGHT. IT’S, IT’S INEVITABLE. YOU, YOU KNOW, THE JETS, JUST ONCE IT GETS BEYOND 1 SCORE 1 SCORE IF IF IT’S IF IT’S NOT A 1 IT. WITH THEIR QUARTERBACKING SITUATION. BUT THE IDEA AND THIS IS WHERE OWNERSHIP IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THERE’S NO THE PROGRAM. BUT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT JOB BECAUSE I THINK MIKE VRABEL CAN SNIFF OUT, ESPECIALLY AS HIS NOSE HAS BEEN CALIBRATED BY WORKING FOR 1 OF THE NOT FANTASTIC 4. THAT’S MY LIST RIGHT NOW. WOODY JOHNSON, STEPHEN ROSS. THAT’S MY NOT SO FANTASTIC 4 AND AND WASN’T THE FANTASTIC 4 PERFECT. IT’S PERFECT. I’M NOT A BIG FANTASTIC 4 FAN, BUT I GENERALLY RECALL 1 OF THE FANTASTIC 4 IS FEMALE. SO THIS IS PERFECT. THOSE ARE THE 4 DYSFUNCTIONAL OWNERS DYSFUNCTIONAL TEAMS AND VERBAL WORKED FOR 1 OF THEM. AND SHE FULLY THING HE’S GOING TO DO IS GOING TO GO WORK FOR 1 OF THE OTHERS, BECAUSE HE’S GOING TO KNOW. HE’S GOING TO KNOW. I DON’T WANT TO WORK FOR THIS GUY. HE’S GOING TO DO HIS RESEARCH BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS AND I THINK ROBERT SALAH FELL INTO THIS TRAP AARON GLENN’S FALLING INTO THE TRAP COACHES. THINK I’M GONNA TO CHANGE HIM. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO DO I DON’T CARE IF THEY DID EVERYBODY ELSE. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT TO ME? YES, THEY WILL. THEN YOU TAKE THE JOB AND YOU FIND OUT. YES, THEY WILL. YES, THEY WILL. ONCE THEY HAVE WHINED YOU AND DINED YOU, AND GOTTEN YOU TO SIGN YOUR NAME ON THE DOTTED LINE, THEY WILL TREAT YOU THE SAME WAY. THEY HAVE TREATED EVERY OTHER POSITION. AND I THINK VARIBLE REALIZED IT IN NEW ENGLAND. WHAT’S ROBERT KRAFT GOING TO DO AND JONATHAN GOING TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. THEY’RE GOING TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY AND LET YOU DO YOUR JOB ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE DOING IT. WELL, DOING. OBJECTIVELY INSANE THINGS, LIKE TRYING TO MAKE A DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR OF THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR. THAT’S THE KIND OF OWNERS THEY ARE. AND THAT’S THE KIND OF OWNERS THAT THEY ALL NEED TO BE BE IN THE, IN THE LUXURY SUITE WATCHING THE GAME. AND LET BE A FAN. YOU HAVE HIRED TO RUN THE FOOTBALL, OPERATION DO IT. IT’S EASIER TO DO IT WHEN YOU’VE HIRED SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE’S DOING, WHERE HE WANTS TO GO AND HOW HE WANTS TO GET THERE. SO IT’S JUST AMAZING THAT THE PATRIOTS WENT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS OKAY, BRADY LEFT. AND THEN, LET’S SEE HOW THEY COMPARE. OH, BRADY WON THE SUPER BOWL. OH, BUT THE PATRIOTS STILL KIND OF A PLAYOFF TEAM, BUT ARE THEY REALLY? OH, WOW. THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. THE BOTTOM FELL OUT 2223 THEN LAST YEAR, THEY, THEY MADE THE PROMISE TO GERARD MAYO. THEY FELT COMPELLED TO SEE IT THROUGH AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT THEY ALSO WERE WILLING TO ADMIT THEIR MISTAKE. THE THE PROPERLY FUNCTIONING TEAMS ADMIT THEIR MISTAKE. AND DON’T DOUBLE DOWN ON IT. THEY RECOGNIZE, THEY GOT IT WRONG. AND THEN FABLES OUT THERE AND BOOM. AND HERE WE ARE 9 AND 2, 9 AND 2, THE TEAM TO 9 WINS AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TIME PLAYOFF BERTH. THE QUESTION IS, CAN THEY HOLD OFF THE BILLS AND WIN THE DIVISION? YOU LOOK AT THE UPCOMING SCHEDULE. THEY SHOULD BE 11 AND 2 AT THE THEY, THEY MAY NOT. 11, BUT THEY CLINCHED. WELL, THERE’S 2 GAMES LEFT THAT ARE INTERESTING BILLS RAVENS THE WAY THEY PLAYED LAST NIGHT, THE FABLE IS GOING TO KEEP THEM FROM STEPPING ON A RAKE AGAINST 1 OF THESE TEAMS. THAT’S RIGHT, I THINK. YEAH, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY MIKE THE INTERESTING THE SCHEDULE. I KNOW, JOE BURROW’S, PRACTICE WINDOW HAS OPENED THE PATRIOTS. HAVE A MINI BUY BEFORE THEY GO TO CINCINNATI. WHICH JOE WILL THEY FACE? THAT’S THE ONLY INTERESTING QUESTION. I THINK IT WOULD BE PRETTY MIRACULOUS B. B, B, B, B, B. YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY IT’D EARLIEST. YEAH. IS THE EARLIEST. YOU. YOU GOT YOU’RE PLAYING THE BENGALS WITH FLACCO AND THEY’RE AND THEY’RE REALLY ATROCIOUS DEFENSE. UH, YOU GOT THE GIANTS AT HOME AND THEN THERE’S THAT BILLS GET LIKE BILLS RAVENS. RIGHT THERE. AND AND, AND YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT’S JUST YOU, YOU YOU DESCRIBED IT PERFECTLY EARLIER, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES JUST THINGS SHIFT IN YOUR FAVOR WHEN YOU WERE A BAD TEAM THE YEAR BEFORE YOU GET THIS A BAD TEAM SCHEDULE AND YOU IMPROVE SO, YOU’RE NOT A BAD TEAM ANYMORE, BUT YOU’RE NOT AS GREAT AS YOUR RECORD MAKES YOU LOOK. BUT YOU’RE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OF WHAT THE LEAGUE IS GIVING YOU. YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF PRIME TIME GAMES. THIS IS THEIR YEARS. SO OWNERSHIP SAYS, AH, WELL, WE’D LOVE TO BE IN PRIME TIME. COUNT ON SUNDAY AT 1. I DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LONDON. I DON’T HAVE TO GO TO MADRID. I DON’T HAVE TO GO TO IRELAND. I DON’T HAVE A MONDAY NIGHT GAME AND A SUNDAY NIGHT GAME. I GOT SUNDAY AT 1, SO THEY GOT A BUNCH OF THOSE GAMES ON THEIR SCHEDULE. THEY WOULD YOU ABLE TO PUT THAT ALL TOGETHER? AND IF YOU CAN WIN YOUR GAMES, YOU KIND OF POSITION CONTENDER, EVEN IF YOUR TALENT DOESN’T SAY, YOU ARE A VERY SUPER BOWL CONTENDER SO I DON’T THINK THEY SUCK BUT I ALSO DON’T THINK THEY ARE 9 AND 2. GREAT. THEY’RE A GOOD TEAM. I DON’T THINK THEY’RE A GREAT TEAM BUT WHO CARES, IF IF WHAT, IF THEY WIND UP WITH THE NUMBER 1 SEED AND AND THEY DON’T HAVE TO PLAY ON WILD CARD WEEKEND. NOW, YOU’RE WATCHING AS ANOTHER TEAM THAT COULD KNOCK YOU OUT GETS KNOCKED OUT ITSELF AND YOU’RE AT HOME. YEAH, THINGS CAN KIND OF TURN IN YOUR FAVOR. AND THIS IS THE DANGER. IF THERE IS 1 OF COMING IN AND HAVING SUCCESS RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, WE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THE BAR WAS BUT IT WAS LOW. IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, YEAH. UH, LET’S JUST TRY TO ENJOY OURSELVES. WE LET’S JUST LET’S JUST GO TO THE GAMES AND HAVE A BEER AND GET A SOFT PRETZEL OR A HOT DOG, OR WHATEVER. AND JUST JUST BE HAPPY THAT MAYBE WE CAN WIN THIS YEAR THAN WE. 1 IN 2023, WHEN THEY WON 4 OR 2024, WHEN THEY WON 4, LET’S JUST LET’S JUST SEE NEXT YEAR, IT’S GOING TO BE A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF EXPECTATION AND THAT’S WHY IT’S THE KISS OF DEATH FOR SOME OF THESE COACHES EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS TO WIN COACH OF THE YEAR. THAT MEANS THEY CAME IN, THEY OVER-ACHIEVED IT SURPRISED EVERYONE TO THE POINT WHERE YOU GOT ENOUGH VOTES TO BE COACHED, TO THE YEAR. AND NOW WHAT NOW WHAT ALL THE SCHEDULES HARDER NEXT YEAR? OH, YOU HAVE AN INJURY. CONCERN. NEXT YEAR, THAT THAT YOU DIDN’T HAVE LAST YEAR. OH, YOU’VE GOT TO GO PLAY IN IN, UH, TIMBUKTU, NEXT YEAR. OH. OH, YOU’VE GOT YOU’VE GOT 3, THURSDAY GAMES NEXT YEAR. OH, YOU YOU’RE, YOU’RE LIKE THE CHIEFS. YOU RARELY PLAY AT 1:00 EASTERN ON A SUNDAY, JUST ALL THAT STUFF. MAKES IT HARDER. IT MAKES IT HARDER, BUT THERE’S CREDIT FOR ABLAZE LIVING IN THE MOMENT. FOREVER IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT HAS WHILE HE HAS IT, IT’S VERY PRAGMATIC, ENJOY THE MOMENT REVEL IN THE MOMENT AND THEN AFTER THAT MOMENT, PASSES FOCUS ON WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO CREATE THE NEXT MOMENT. AND THE FACT THAT THE PATRIOTS, GO TO CINCINNATI NEXT WEEK. THERE’S A 1 LAST POINT I WANT TO MAKE AND THEN WE’LL KIND OF DIG INTO WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. THE. YEAR. BEAT THE BENGALS IN WEEK 1. AND IT WAS 1 OF THOSE GAMES, WHERE BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE END OF THE SEASON, LIKE HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN? YOU TAKE TAKE THAT AWAY. THE TABLE AND THE BENGALS. MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, YOU FLIP THE OUTCOME OF THAT GAME AND I KNOW THAT THAT’S NOT REALLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING CHANGES. YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT MOMENT. AND THEN PLAY IT ALL OUT BECAUSE YOU PLAY DIFFERENTLY, IF YOU HAVE AN LOSS. BUT IF WE JUST CHANGE THAT 1, THAT 1 VARIABLE THE BENGALS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR THEY THEY LOST TO A TEAM THAT ENDED UP GOING. OTHERWISE 3 AND 13 AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE AND I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE IT KEEPS THE PATRIOTS FROM WINNING THE DIVISION. MAYBE IT KEEPS THE PATRIOTS FROM BEING THE 1 SEED. BUT THIS YEAR WHEN THE RAIDERS ROLL INTO TOWN WEEK 1, AND RIGHT NOW, YOU LOOK BACK AT THAT AND SAY HOW IN THE HELL. DID THE RAIDERS BEAT THE PATRIOTS? HOW IN THE HELL AS BAD AS THE RAIDERS ARE? AND THEY’RE THE THE THE BOOK END MONDAY NIGHT ON A WEEKEND. I’M I’M I HAVEN’T GOTTEN A PHONE CALL YET BUT I’VE BEEN VERY VOCAL. HEY, IF YOU’RE GOING GAMES, YOU’VE GOT TO START FLEXING THEM EARLIER, OR YOU GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PICKING TEAMS TO PLAY ON THURSDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER BECAUSE WHY’D YOU THINK THE JETS WERE GOING TO BE COMPELLING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER? WHY DID YOU THINK THE RAIDERS WERE GOING TO BE COMPELLING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER? BUT THAT’S THE BOOK END, THE RAIDERS PLAY ON MONDAY NIGHT AND THE RAIDERS ARE NOT GOOD AND WON’T. THAT BE SOMETHING? AND I’M NOT WISHING IT ON THE PATRIOTS BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I’D WORRY ABOUT. IF I’M A PATRIOTS FAN, ARE WE, ARE WE GOING TO MISS THE 1 SEED? YOU KNOW, IS THE CULTS ARE THE CULTS OR THE BRONCOS GOING TO TAKE IT AND IT’S ALL GOING TO BE BECAUSE WE LOST TO THE FREAKING RAIDERS IN WEEK 1. IT’S, IT’S IT’S, UH, THAT THEY HAVEN’T SINCE THAT RAIDERS GAME BECAUSE YOU’RE RIGHT, GOING BACK TO THE FIRST, IT’S THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON. PETE, CARROLL COMING IN GENO, SMITH. AND YOU’RE LIKE, OKAY, THIS, THIS COULD BE INTERESTING AND I THOUGHT THE RAIDERS, THEY ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE RAIDERS WOULD BE NOT NECESSARILY PATRIOT LIKE, BUT I THOUGHT THEY’D UH, LIKE THE PANTHERS OKAY. UH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AROUND 500. AND SO THAT WAS AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, 3 WEEKS INTO THE SEASON THAT LOSS WAS EXCUSABLE, THE RAIDERS WIN. OKAY, HALL OF FAME COACH PETE, CARROLL GENO, SMITH BETTER THAN YOU THINK. UH, THAT IS UH, THAT IS AN ODD LOSS WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT IT. AND, AND YOU, UH, LOOK AT THE FIRST 3 WEEKS OF THE SEASON, THEY ALSO LOST TO THE STEELERS WHEN THEY TURNED THE BALL OVER, AS YOU SAID IT WAS NOT 27, BUT IT WAS FELT LIKE TURNS. AND INCLUDING A COUPLE BY DRAKE, MAYE 1 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. HE JUST KIND OF FUMBLE. SO, THEY LOOK LIKE A DIFFERENT TEAM NOW THAN THEY DID. THEN I, I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE, UH, IN IN THIS WINNING STREAK, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED, BUT 1 THING, THEY’VE CLEARLY SETTLED INTO IS RECOGNIZING, NOT IN A ARROGANT WAY, BUT RECOGNIZING, OH US. ARE. YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT’S, YOU KNOW, THE TITANS THE SAINTS, THE PANTHERS, THEY’RE NOT AS GOOD AS WE ARE. SO WE’RE NOT GOING TO MESS AROUND WITH THEM. THEY KIND OF MESS AROUND WITH THE JETS LAST NIGHT, HONESTLY. UH, THEY DID, UH, KEPT THEM IN THE GAME LONGER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN, INCLUDING MIKE, UH, A CRAZY SEQUENCE. A CRAZY SEQUENCE WITH ABOUT 2 AND A HALF MINUTES LEFT. WHEN I FIRST HALF. KNOW, GEL MIGHT BE COACHING THE YEAR BUT LIKE MIKE. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? YOU GOT 3, TIMEOUTS JETS ARE BACKED UP. AND IT’S THIRD DOWN. WHY, WHY AREN’T YOU CALLING A TIMEOUT AND PUTTING FORCING THEM TO DO SOMETHING THAT WILL GIVE YOU GOOD FIELD POSITION AND PLENTY OF TIME? UH, TO GET A A TOUCHDOWN OR A FIELD GOAL BEFORE THE HALF, AND YOU KNOW, YOU GET THE BALL BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD QUARTER. SO THEY KIND OF PROP THE JETS UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART THIS YEAR, WHEN THEY SEE A BAD TEAM. THEY KNOCK THEM OUT WITHOUT A LOT OF DRAMA. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY THAT YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE IT WAS ON SUNDAY THAT HE HAD THE QUESTIONABLE STRATEGY AT THE END OF THE HALF WHERE HE HAD FIRST AND GOAL AND TRIED TO MILK TIME OFF OF THE CLOCK BY DELIBERATELY NOT SCORING WELL WHEN YOU GIVE UP A DOWN, OKAY? NOW YOU GOT TO SCORE ON SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH AND DRAKE MAYE AND STEFON DIGG SAVED HIM. BECAUSE IF THEY HADN’T SCORED THERE AND THEY HAD LOST THAT GAME, THAT’S ALL WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. THAT’S RIGHT. AND IT WOULD

PFT debates how far the Patriots can go after improving to 9-2 with a win over the Jets, highlighting how their rest-of-season schedule will play into their hopes of securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed. #NBCSports #NFL #ProFootballTalk #NewEnglandPatriots #DrakeMaye
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Examining New England Patriots’ playoff outlook after moving to 9-2 | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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