Weird things happen in 2020.
One of those weird things is the absence of the New England Patriots in the playoffs. The Patriots have a 6 percent chance of making it into the postseason, but those odds will likely dwindle after this weekend unfolds. New England will miss the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons and they’ll have a record without double digit wins for this first time since 2017.
Cam Newton’s been on a streak of three straight games with less than 120 passing yards and the group of skill players is laughable compared to most other NFL teams. With the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets ahead, the Patriots can make the decision to tank for a draft pick or finish the season strong.
According to Patriots’ defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, the latter is the only option.
“We ain’t a bunch of quitters,” Guy said, transcribed by NESN. “It doesn’t matter what the record is. It doesn’t matter what the outcome is. We ain’t a bunch of quitters. We’re going to go out there and play some football. We are who we are. We’re NEP, and that’s what we’re going to do — continue to fight regardless of what happens at the end of the season.”
The Patriots are 6-7 and have the potential to finish the season with a winning record. It’s the prideful decision to make, but the Patriots may need to draft a quarterback early and the more losses the better for that scenario. It’s hard to believe Newton will be the starter in 2021 despite the bad hand he was dealt.
For anyone with hopes of tanking the season, you can kiss that goodbye.
