If the decision-makers for the Patriots were right about one thing in this unsatisfying season, the AFC East was there for the taking. All the hype about this being the best division in football and having four teams make the postseason fizzled faster than a discount firework from South of the Border.
Injuries, erratic quarterback play, and inconsistent messaging have held back the division's favorite Buffalo Bills. Losing Matt Milano and Tre'Davious White has proven to be hard to overcome. Sean McDermott had to fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey last week - desperate much? - in hopes that interim Joe Brady can find a better balance between run and pass and convince Josh Allen to take better care of the football, even with that howitzer of his.
The all-in-on Aaron Rodgers strategy was the right one for the Jets to make, but four snaps into the regular season, and that blueprint had to be blown up. This was supposed to be a rebuild from the ground up year for Zach Wilson; instead, he's been thrust into the action again, and no one believes - not teammates, coaching staff, or fan base. After his mercy benching Sunday in Buffalo, Robert Saleh had to throw a Hail Mary and turn to Tim Boyle (with Trevor Siemian as the #2). Imagine a season filled with promise in dire straits that you must make that decision? I'd rather have my head stapled to the carpet.
Sure, the Miami Dolphins are 7-3, but after that sizzling start, they feel like a team that can be had. Tua Tagovailoa has proven to be better than the most recent Alabama slingers (Mac Jones and Bryce Young). Still, his penchant for working under the philosophy of a wing and prayer could be part of the Fins' eventual demise. He was picked once by the Raiders Sunday but had three other balls (by my count) that were in harm's way and could have easily been intercepted. I'm all for emboldening your quarterback, as Mike McDaniel has done like a boss since taking over in South Florida, but he might want to curb his QB's whims, even if just a little. Tua, like Mac, suffers from delusions of grandeur at times. Dude, know what you're good at it and stick to it.
And that brings us to the Patriots. We've been over what ails them. There were at least a couple more wins on the vine, but because of the offensive line, wide receivers, quarterback, coach, scheme-over-everything, roster building, and/or stupidity, those wins died on that vine. So, instead of finding themselves in the middle of a crowded playoff picture, they are playing out the painful string for the first time since the Covid season, although even then, they had playoff life late in the year. We're talking about Bill Belichick like he's Jeff Freakin' Fisher, wondering if the end is upon him and debating the merits of Jones vs. Zappe vs. Grier. That's not Grogan vs Eason or even Eason vs Flutie. It's just…sad; a chapter that can't be forgotten soon enough, though we have many months (and years?) to go.
Now, what the fan base does for a jolly good time is shake their ass because the Giants won a game or groan because the Cardinals and Bears didn't. That's not exactly how we envisioned 2023-24, is it? The Pats remain third in the Tankathon standings, trailing only the Panthers - did you see how pathetic they looked Sunday? - and Arizona (reminder that the Bears own Carolina's pick). Sunday's game at MetLife against the Fighting Dabolls is huge but for all the wrong reasons. There's no playoffs - cue Jim Mora's epic rant. Nope. This is all about draft positioning, zeroing in on some of your free-agents-to-be, and deciding if they warrant another go-round in Foxborough. Ain't it glamorous?