The scales of NFL justice have tilted heavily in the New England Patriots’ favor through 13 weeks.
Untimely injuries around the league, unexpected upsets and the usual team rigors of a football season have left the New England Patriots in the AFC driver’s seat, less than a full calendar year after back-to-back 4-and-13 seasons.
kAms@?’E 36=:6G6 :E’D E96 J62C @7 E96 !2EC:@En (2E49 @? $F?52J 2?5 H96? E96 A2E96E:4 #2:56CD 7:?5 2 H2J E@ @4< @77 `_\a s6?G6C[ J@F ;FDE >:89E]k^Am
kAmqFE ?@H E92E |:<6 ‘C236=’D 4C6H 😀 96C6 @? E96 AC64:A:46 @7 4=2:>:?8 E96 E@A D665 😕 E96 pur 2?5 E96 244@>A2?J:?8 A=2J@77 3J6[ H92E 92D E@ 92AA6? 😕 E96 C6>2:?:?8 H66
kAm(6 =@@< 2E E92E D46?2C:@ E9:D H66< 2D }6H t?8=2?5 6?;@JD E96 7:?2= 3J6 H66< @7 E96 }u{ D62D@?]k^Am
k9bm`] }@ D6E324
kAm%96C6 😀 ?@ D64C6E 96C6] (96? E96 5676?D6’D 36DE A=2J6C[ |:=E@? (:==:2>D[ H6?E 5@H? E@ :?;FCJ[ }6H t?8=2?5 E@@< 2 DE6A 324<]k^Am
kAm(:==:2>D[ E96 7C66\286?E A:4 E96 t28=6D[ H2D HC62<:?8 92G@4 FA 7C@?E 5676?D:G6=J 2E 2 7:CDE\E62> p==\!C@ A246]k^Am
kAm$:?46[ 96 H2D AFE @? x#[ @AA@D:?8 CF??6CD 92G6 925 E96:C H2J 2?5 E96 A2DD CFD9 92D 56E6C:@C2E65]k^Am
kAm%96 !2ED ?665 (:==:2>D E@ C6EFC? >@C6 E92? 2?JE9:?8 6=D6 😕 E96 ?6IE 7@FC H66
kAm(:==:2>D :D?’E |J=6D v2CC6EE[ 3FE 96 H2D A=2J:?8 😕 E96 E:6C C:89E 36=@H E96 qC@H?D’ 82>6\HC64<6C[ H9@ D:ED 😕 2 4=2DD 3J 9:>D6=7]k^Am
kAmw@A67F==J[ 2== 8@6D H6== H:E9 E96 C6923 @7 9:D 9:89 2?<=6 DAC2:?[ 2?5 (:==:2>D 42? C6EFC? H96? 96 😀 6=:8:3=6 😕 (66< `f 282:?DE E96 y6ED]k^Am
k9bma] $@>6@?6 E@ 6>6C86 @? E96 6586k^9bm
kAm!C@E64E E96 A2DD6C] #FD9 E96 A2DD6C] xE’D 2 7@C>F=2 E92E 42?’E 36 362E6? 😕 E96 A@DED62D@?]k^Am
kAm}6H t?8=2?5 92D ?@E 366? 4@?D:DE6?E 😕 6:E96C[ E@ 36 9@?6DE]k^Am
kAmw2C@=5 {2?5CJ 92D 366? 2 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E @? E96 6586] z’{2G@? r92:DD@? 92D 4@@=65 4@?D:56C23=J H:E9 EH@ D24
kAm{2?5CJ 2?5 r92:DD@? ?665 E@ 962E FA 3J y2?F2CJ @C E9:D 5676?D6 H:== 36 E9@C@F89=J GF=?6C23=6]k^Am
k9bmb] p r9:67D @4<@FEk^9bm
kAm!2EC:@ED 72?D 42? 762C y@D9 p==6? 2?5 qF772=@[ 2?5 E92E’D 7:?6]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 @?=J A=2J6C 2?5 E62> E92E D9@F=5 42FD6 ‘C236= E@ =:6 2H2<6 2E ?:89E 2C6 !2EC:4< |29@>6D 2?5 E96 z2?D2D r:EJ r9:67D]k^Am
kAm%96 r9:67D 92G6 @H?65 E96 pur D:?46 %@> qC25J =67E E@H?[ 2?5 E92E >62?D D@>6E9:?8] %96J 92G6 E96 E@A “q^r@249 4@>3@ 😕 E96 82>6 H:E9 2 H:??:?8 >6?E2=:EJ E@ >2E49]k^Am
kAm}6H t?8=2?5 >:89E ?@E 92G6 E96 DEF77 E@ >2E49 E92E ;FDE J6E] %96 !2EC:@ED ?665 D@>6 96=A 7C@> E96 C6>2:?:?8 E62>D @? E96 zr D=2E6] x7 E96 r9:67D >2<6 E96 A=2J@77D[ E96J 2C6 2 D42CJ AC@A@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm$@[ =6E’D 9@A6 E96J 5@?’E]k^Am
k9bmc] $:>A=6 DA=:Ek^9bm
kAm}6H t?8=2?5 😀 9625:?8 E@ E96 A=2J@77D] r=:?49:?8 E96:C DA@E 😀 2 >6C6 7@C>2=:EJ 7@C E96 !2EC:@ED]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE EH@ H666 2?5 q2=E:>@C6 @? E96 C@25[ AFED }6H t?8=2?5 😕 492C86 @7 E96 pur H:E9 8:>>6D 282:?DE E96 s@=A9:?D 2?5 y6ED E@ 4=@D6 E9:?8D @FE]k^Am
k9bmd] }6H t?8=2?5 H62E96Ck^9bm
kAm%96 H2C> H62E96C 2?5 5@>6 E62>D 2C6 =:?:?8 FA 😕 E96 pur 7@C E96 A=2J@77Dk^Am
kAm%96 r92C86CD[ %6I2?D 2?5 y28F2CD 2C6 2== 😕 A@D:E:@? E@ 62C? DA@ED 😕 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm}@?6 @7 E96 92G6 2 D9@E :7 E96J 92G6 E@ 4@>6 E@ u@I3@C@F89 😕 y2?F2CJ]k^Am
kAm%96J H:== @776C G6CJ =:EE=6 😕 E96 7@C> @7 C6D:DE2?46 :7 :E’D J@FC EJA:42= }6H t?8=2?5 y2?F2CJ]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 @7 E96 6=6>6?ED[ v:==6EE6 $E25:F> 😀 2D 8C62E 2 A@DED62D@? 25G2?E286 2D 2?J 😕 E96 =628F6] *6D[ x’> E2=<:?8 E@ J@F zr[ qF772=@[ !9:==J 2?5 $62EE=6]k^Am
kAm$@ 3C:?8 @? E96 DF? 36=E EJA6D 2?5 >2<6 E96 C@25 E@ E96 $FA6C q@H= 2D A2G65 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am