The New England Patriots weren’t good enough — not in any phase except, perhaps, special teams.
In Week 14, the Los Angeles Rams were more talented and better coached. They looked every bit of a playoff team and maybe even a Super Bowl contender. The Patriots didn’t have that look — not this week. L.A. won, 24-3.
The Patriots have to walk away from this game wondering: now what? Their playoff chances fell from 28% to 6%, per ESPN. It’s a bleak outlook. Quarterback Cam Newton got benched, and Jarrett Stidham didn’t look much better in relief. So that situation looks grim, too.
Again: Now what?
Coach and general manager Bill Belichick is facing an almost impossible road to the playoffs. He’s go so many questions surrounding his team. But there’s time to discuss the future in the coming weeks. First, let’s dive into the winners and losers from this game.
