NFL playoffs: How your team can make it
47. . AFC. East. New England Patriots. 1. player
The New England Patriots always make the playoffs, so this should be a fairly easy argument. Yes, future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady is suspended for the first four games of the season pending appeal, but does it really matter. While the ban might hurt New England’s chances of landing a BYE week in the playoffs, it still remains the clear-cut favorite to win the AFC East for the seventh consecutive year.
The Patriots are defending champions and although they had some notable departures in Vince Wilfork, Shane Vereen, Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, remain a great team. New England has one of the most potent offenses in the NFL with Brady running the show alongside the best tight end on the planet, Rob Gronkowski. The former University of Arizona star is a bear to deal with, running over defenders with the glee of a youngster on his way to the candy store.
On defense, the Patriots are more challenged but will have ample schemes to mask weaknesses. Nobody is better at playing the cloak-and-dagger game better than head coach Bill Belichick, who found his way to six Super Bowls since 2001. With Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich on the edges, New England will still be able to generate pressure, helping to cover up for the secondary.
In the end, the Patriots will win 11-12 games and find themselves hosting a playoff game or two at Gillette Stadium. This is a team that knows how to overcome, something it has been doing for the past 15 years. Once Brady returns, expect a massive run by an anger-fueled franchise, something we saw in 2007 after SpyGate. That year, New England had an undefeated regular season.
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