One of the best, all-time coaching rants occurred just more than 21 years ago, from then-Colts coach Jim Mora after his team lost a 40-21 decision to San Francisco. He was asked, as his team stood 4-6 at that time, about the Colts’ postseason chances.
“PLAYOFFS?! Don’t talk about—playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs!?! I just hope we can win a game, another game!
Mora’s eruption ranks right next to “They are who we thought they were!” from ex-Cardinals’ coach Dennis Green and in the NBA from Allen “We talkin’ ’bout practice!” Iverson. What gets repeated or played more on YouTube more than these three poignant postgame prattle calls?
The idea behind each, of course, was an answer to the ridiculousness of the questions they were asked. In the case of the 2022 New England Patriots, however, the postseason question doesn’t really need to be asked.
Are these current Patriots a playoff team? Playoffs?!?
You might look through red, silver and blue-colored glasses and see one. But you might also look at the end results, and how they got there.
It only takes a few other not-too-flattering statistics to see something entirely different.
Like, ‘wait til’ next year’ different. But even at 7-8 going into the final two weeks of the regular season, yes Virginia, these Patriots could very well be a playoff team – this season. How’s that for a gift from Santa Claus?
Despite falling down 22-0 at halftime to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, these Patriots crawled back to within 22-18 and had yet another mind-bending mistake occur (Rhamondre Stevenson‘s fumble) inside the five-yard line.
Despite the “Sin City Mistake” on the failed backwards lateral from Stevenson and Jakobi Meyers against the Raiders.
Despite this Patriots’ edition being the most penalized (and undisciplined) in Bill Belichick’s 23 years in New England and fashioning a major dent on the “we don’t beat ourselves” body-of-work through a dynastic era.
This New England team, thanks to a near-equally inexplicable recent series of shortcomings from rival Miami, holds its playoff destiny in its own hands:
- Beat the Dolphins at home on New Years’ Day.
- Win at Buffalo on the final week of the regular season.
Hit on both of these, and these Patriots would be in the p-p-playoffs.
Possibly up against the Bills again, too, in back-to-back weeks. But one can dream, can’t they?
The Bills might look at this situation and salivate at the chance to deliver a KO to the team that has tormented them for most of the past two decades (21 losses in 22 games, including 15 in a row, from 2003 to 2014). Conversely, New England might look at this as the ultimate opportunity for redemption in a season that hasn’t lived close to any sort of preseason expectation.
Playoffs?!? You kidding me? Nope, no kidding.
Bring ’em on, if that’s how all this craziness plays out. And these Patriots, with their blemishes, warts and all, control their own destiny in getting there. Which might be ridiculous, of course.
Around Full Press Coverage
NFL OPINION: Morten Andersen: The Toughest Place To Kick? For Me, It Was This Place
NFL: NFL 2022: Five Key Statistics for Week 2
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs Stock Report: Week 2 2022
- Ep. 197: Fields to Pittsburgh, Still Available Free Agentsby Full Press Coverage on March 18, 2024 at 8:00 pm
FULL PRESS BETS: NFL MVP Odds: Patrick Mahomes Leapfrogs Josh Allen For Top Spot
FANTASY FOOTBALL: Fantasy Football Value Picks In Every Round
PODCAST: Full Press NFL Podcast Ep 54: Chargers At Chiefs Preview
Fumbling away opportunity
It’s tough to nitpick on someone who has clearly been the team’s best offensive player this season. Consistent, tough, fast, capable, even dependable. Rhamondre Stevenson is nearing 1000 rushing yards this year (944). This isn’t the universal standard of excellence it once was – with a 17-game regular season – but it still shows ability in this pass-happy era of pro football.
Which makes it bizarre to think that Stevenson could commit TWO egregious errors in two weeks that are likely to kick his team right out of the NFL postseason. Last week’s lateral and this week’s fumble? Two errors that in another time or place would have him doomed to residence inside the Bill Belichick doghouse.
But not this year. The coach needs all hands on deck for this offense, whether they fumble the ball or not.
An offensive start, again
Before Stephenson had the chance to give the Patriots an unlikely win at the end, the offense was as anemic as it has ever been. For these Patriots, first-half starts have been slow and largely unproductive this season.
But yeah, let’s keep trying for that inane “double-score” at the end of the half and to start the second half, hmm? Please.
70 total yards, 0-for-4 on 3rd down, 17 total plays from scrimmage. The Bengals had 22 first downs in the first half.
It boggles the reasonable mind a team could be outclassed like this and still be in position later to win the game. Which the Patriots were. Credit the defense, perhaps.
Clowns to the left, jokers to the right
- A Texas judge has ordered Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to take a paternity test amid a legal dispute with a 26-year-old woman, according to several news reports. The woman claims Jones is her biological father. Kinda screams “I want mine!” doesn’t it?
- The Denver Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett Monday, following their 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Sunday. Maybe even breathing life into the career of Baker Mayfield as a starting QB in this league?
- In a game the Dolphins needed, they turned the ball over on three Tua Tagovailoa interceptions and missed a field goal on their four second-half possessions against Green Bay. That’s four straight defeats for Miami, but they still cling to the #7 slot in the AFC playoffs. For now.
- Wait, Jacksonville is in first place? The Jaguars are on top of the AFC South right now, after beating the J-E-T-S and with Tennessee losing to Houston. But this is no knock on the Jaguars, they’ve won three in a row and four of five going into Week 17 against the Texans…and the Titans.