The New England Patriots’ stifling, stolid NFL dynasty is finally dead
Ding-dong, the Pats are dead! The Pats are dead, the Pats are dead. Ding-dong, the depraved Pats are deaaad!
OK, possibly the official finish of the New England Patriots’ exceptional dynasty wasn’t fairly so dramatic, however for a quick second Sunday, anybody observing soccer for the previous 19 years needed to marvel if there was a sliver of Belichickian magic left. The Patriots marched to the locker room on the half up 6-0 over the Miami Dolphins because of a cocktail of clunky play by the hosts and sheer luck. A Cam Newton fumble, recovered by Xavien Howard and returned for 86 yards and a rating that was reversed as a result of it had touched a Dolphins defender. A 52-yard subject objective missed by Dolphins kicker Jason Saunders. Would the Pats someway pull off this elimination sport with Newton channelling his 2015 self and all of the bounces going Bill Belichick’s means? Not precisely.
Things reverted to their newfound trajectories after half-time. The Dolphins gashed the Pats’ hapless line of defense for 250 complete dashing yards, led by the one-two punch of Salvon Ahmed and Matt Breida. Miami had been mistake-free throughout the board within the second half whereas New England’s offensive woes continued. Newton threw for over 200 yards however the offense did not cross the objective line for the second straight sport.
In the tip, the Dolphins rolled to a relatively easy 22-12 win that not solely knocked the Patriots out of the postseason for the primary time since 2008 however ensured their first dropping season in 20 years.
The 9-5 Dolphins, then again, cemented a successful marketing campaign and management of their very own future for a playoff spot with remaining video games towards the Raiders and Bills (who could also be resting their starters). What Miami have accomplished this season is merely exceptional. Most groups in 12 months two of an enormous overhaul aren’t eyeing the postseason. They’re merely testing out their items and ready for the offseason to load up extra by the draft and free company. Thanks to buying Houston’s first-round choose in alternate for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills, the Dolphins are poised for one more top-10, possibly top-five choose, regardless of their 2020 success. But they could nicely make a playoff run earlier than then, because of normal supervisor Chris Grier knocking it out of the park by the addition of gamers like Emmanuel Ogbah, Byron Jones and Austin Jackson, plus disciplined, savvy teaching by Brian Flores. Flores’s boldest transfer this 12 months has paid off when he switched from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Tua Tagovailoa in October when the staff was 3-3. The Dolphins have gone 6-2 since and are one the NFL’s most intriguing groups.
So are the newly minted AFC East champion Buffalo Bills, who’re helmed by a legit MVP candidate in Josh Allen, a ferocious protection and a rabid fanbase that regardless of Covid will go to all lengths to point out their help.
The Patriots’ exceptional 20-year dynasty might by no means be replicated and can eternally be admired or despised relying in your perspective. But its official finish is a sigh of reduction for the remainder of the league and positively the AFC East. Imagine being a 27-year-old who turned a Bills or Dolphins fan as an adolescent. Those poor souls have needed to begin each season of their complete fandom realizing their staff would play second fiddle to the Pats. (The Jets saga is its personal horrid scenario.)
Let’s be sincere, even for those who’re the uncommon NFL fan with out an opinion of the Brady-Belichick period, their success turned stifling. They gained the AFC East in a mind-numbing 16 of the previous 17 years. The solely time they didn’t win was 2008 when Tom Brady tore his ACL within the season opener. Their report that 12 months? 11-5. Incredibly, they’ve represented the AFC in half the Super Bowls within the final decade.
Their domination was historic but in addition, dare I say, just a little uninteresting for a six-time Super Bowl champion. Brady’s rise from sixth-round choose to all-time nice is an exquisite story, however what number of extra instances did we have to see the well-known shot of a pudgy Brady on the 2000 NFL mix or hear about his avocado ice cream? Then there’s Belichick. His mumbling, non-answers turned their very own sport for some time. But then it simply turned annoying to must probe a coach who deliberately wasn’t going to relay any info or oomph.
Thank you to your service to soccer, Patriots. Now it’s time to delve into Sean McDermott and Flores and see what occurs when the Jets land Trevor Lawrence, as a result of the AFC is now not yours to monopolize.
Stat of the week
1-13. The Jets. The New York Jets. The Adam Gase-coached Jets shocked the Rams and gained an precise NFL sport. The Jets took their Thirty second-ranked offense to Los Angeles and beat the Rams’ No 1-ranked protection, 23-20. A merely gorgeous consequence. The Jets protection stole the present, stymieing Jared Goff and Robert Woods whereas Sam Darnold made his case to be the franchise’s quarterback shifting ahead. Turns out he may be by default, as a result of the Jets win means the 1-13 Jags have moved within the high draft spot, giving them inside observe on Clemson star Trevor Lawrence. Should they end with the identical report, the Jags would win the tiebreaker primarily based on energy of schedule.
MVP of the week
A now-familiar title on this class, Josh Allen shined once more on Saturday in a 48-19 whooping of Denver on the street. Allen showcased a flawless mixture of masterful throws, good decision-making and unstoppable physicality. All instructed, Allen handed for 359 yards and accounted for 4 touchdowns, two of which had been on the bottom. More importantly, the Bills clinched the AFC East.
Allen is now the second participant to throw for 30 touchdowns and run for eight or extra in a single season. The first was Cam Newton in 2015. Newton gained the MVP that season and regardless of some first rate firm for this 12 months’s MVP award, Allen is making a very sturdy case to be the dialog.
Quote of the week
“How in the world can you trade DeAndre Hopkins?” – Aqib Talib, Fox broadcast of Eagles-Cardinals
Seriously. Every week Hopkins makes Texans followers need to cry. This week’s 169 receiving yards and a rating within the Cardinals’ win over resurgent Philadelphia got here with its share of beautiful catches that solely Hopkins could make. This isn’t Jerry Rice in his twilight years; this is a receiver in his prime who can single-handedly change the trajectory of a staff as he’s doing in Arizona. Kyler Murray is an unimaginable expertise however the addition of Hopkins has fast-forwarded his standing amongst quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the ube-talented Deshaun Watson is having to slum away his prime in Houston with just about no weapons.
Video of the week
There are elite working backs. Then there is Derreck Henry, a superhero disguised as a human being. Henry placed on one other clinic in a 46-25 win over the Detroit Lions, racking up his seemingly predestined assortment of offense: 147 yards and a landing in his fifth 100-yard effort in six video games. But it was a second-quarter stiff-arm of Lions CB Alex Myres like he was a fly that was significantly jaw-dropping. A masterclass stiff-armer, this was solely Henry’s most up-to-date sufferer … however might have been probably the most soul-crushing but.
Elsewhere across the league
• The Falcons taking a 17-0 lead on the half is by no means a consolation towards any staff, and particularly towards Tom Brady’s Buccaneers. Lo and behold, the Falcons choked in normal trend in what was actually a story of two halves. Matt Ryan diced the Bucs’ secondary in first half whereas Tampa struggled to generate any offensive momentum. Then Brady injected his TB12 magic potion and the Bucs had been like a brand new offense after the intermission. Brady handed for 188 yards and three scores within the third quarter alone whereas the Falcons’ protection collapsed.
• ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Carson Wentz is sad along with his benching and can need to exit Philadelphia if Jalen Hurts stays the starter. Well, it may be so long for Mr Wentz after Hurts placed on an absolute present in an enthralling 33-26 loss to the Cardinals. Hurts’s 401 complete yards and 4 touchdowns towards fellow ex-Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray got here with its share of highlight-reel performs, like this one and this one. The rookie confirmed poise and resiliency all through. Doug Pederson did the factor that head coaches usually do in these conditions and stated he’d title his Week 16 starter later within the week, however it’s clearly Hurts from right here on out. Assuming the Eagles can’t unload Wentz’s large $126m wage within the offseason, search for the pair to compete for the beginning position in coaching camp subsequent 12 months.
• The sport most thought of this week’s blockbuster lived as much as the hype. The Chiefs topped the Saints 32-29 in a possible Super Bowl matchup. Drew Brees returned and took some time to get on observe; an absent Michael Thomas didn’t assist issues. The Chiefs’ powerhouse offense stumbled a bit towards the Saints’ top-flight and really good protection. But no one places Patrick Mahomes in a nook (besides possibly the Raiders) and the Chiefs’ offense with its bevy of stars was in a position to do exactly sufficient to eke it out. With remaining video games towards the Falcons and Chargers and the Steelers sputtering, Kansas City’s path to the No 1 total seed within the AFC is pretty clear.
• Dez Bryant apparently didn’t quit football this 12 months after being faraway from pregame warmup following a optimistic Covid check a few weeks in the past. Bryant caught his first landing move in three years as a part of Baltimore’s 40-14 annihilation of Jacksonville. Said Bryant after the sport: “I had to hold back the tears. That love is real, and I’m not joking when I say that. These guys here – they are one hundred, they are amazing. Phenomenal people. Win, lose or draw, there’s love in my heart for Baltimore forever.”
