Patriots’ shocking loss, NFL playoff schedule, Aaron Rodgers and more
The New England Patriots authored a shocking loss on Sunday. The repercussions might be felt for months in Foxborough and beyond.
Fifty-seven seconds remaining in the first half of a 10-10 game. The Patriots have 1st and 10 at their own 25-yard line, all three timeouts and a world of momentum after rallying from a 10-0 deficit.
Head coach Bill Belichick gave instructions to Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time.
Run the ball.
If there was doubt how Belichick felt about his offense, it was erased in this moment. Brady handed off, the Patriots went to the locker room, and when they returned two hours later, it was in stunned silence following a 27-24 home defeat to the Miami Dolphins.
Now that offense needs to win four games instead of three, likely including road games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, to reach the Super Bowl.
The loss dropped New England from the second to third seed in the AFC playoffs, giving the Chiefs a first-round bye. For the Patriots, the Week 17 stumble is crushing to their championship chances — no team has reached Super Sunday having to play on Wild Card weekend since 2012 — but may also portend a jolting offseason.
Brady’s murky future has been widely publicized. Should the Patriots be bounced early in the postseason, the chatter around his future won’t go away. At 42 years old, Brady will enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career. His contract ensures it, with a clause stating New England can’t use the franchise tag on him.
If Brady leaves, the era is over. The Patriots have been a machine for 20 years, but Brady and Belichick are the two essential cogs. Should the quarterback decide to move on, or the organization believes it’s time for a split, New England is currently singing its swan song.
Should Brady move on, the Los Angeles Chargers are a potential fit. Brady is a California native and with Philip Rivers likely gone, the Chargers will have a vacancy as they move into a new stadium. Want to sell tickets? Sign Brady.
If Brady returns, the intrigue only builds. Would he give the Patriots another discount or make them pay sticker? Is the deal long or short term?
Currently, New England’s projected cap space is $49 million. Brady’s number could certainly eat up more than half that figure. In short, it might be tough acquiring a better supporting cast.
However, the Patriots’ stunning loss on Sunday impacts other teams as well.
Specifically Kansas City and Baltimore.
Since 2011, New England has enjoyed a first-round bye and played in each AFC Championship Game. Had the Patriots beat the Dolphins, they would have accomplished the first half of that trick. Odds would have been in their favor to accomplish the second half as well.
Now? The Ravens and Chiefs are favored to meet in the AFC title game. Lamar Jackson is about to be the league’s MVP. Patrick Mahomes is the reigning MVP. It’s easy to see those two men are the conference’s future. Belichick and Co. have held off challengers for decades. Sunday’s loss might be a strong signal of New England no longer being able to do so.
The league’s masthead has been the headlined by the Patriots for two decades. Baltimore and Kansas City are looking for a redesign.
Ultimately, New England can still win it all. This can become a rallying point. The Patriots can handle the Tennessee Titans this weekend and then power through the Chiefs and Ravens on their way to a fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
For it to happen, the Patriots must summon everything they have left.
Judging by Belichick’s lack of confidence in his offense on Sunday, even that may not be enough.
Power rankings
Top 10 Wild Card games of all-time
1. Buffalo Bills 41, Houston Oilers 38 (OT) – 1992
2. Tennessee Titans 22, Buffalo Bills 16 – 1999
3. San Francisco 49ers 30, Green Bay Packers 27 – 1998
4. Indianapolis Colts 45, Kansas City Chiefs 44 – 2013
5. San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants – 2002
6. Arizona Cardinals 51, Green Bay Packers 45 (OT) – 2009
7. Seattle Seahawks 10, Minnesota Vikings 9 -2015
8. Seattle Seahawks 21, Dallas Cowboys 20 – 2006
9. Denver Broncos 29, Pittsburgh Steelers 23 – 2011
10. Seattle Seahawks 41, New Orleans Saints 36 – 2010
Quotable
"“We had some low moments in the season, you guys just kept working your asses off and you’re seeing the fruits of that labor. The process, the preparation and all that, it counts so you get moments like this. That hard work, there is joy in hard work and this is it right here. I’m just telling you that right now. There’s joy in hard work and this is it and this is just the beginning. Trust me on that one, alright?”"
– Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to his team after upsetting New England, 27-24.
The Dolphins were supposed to be tanking. The thought of 0-16 was real. Not so fast.
Flores won’t win it, but he deserves Coach of the Year consideration. Miami went 5-3 in its final eight games, including a fantastic win over the Patriots to cap the campaign.
Heading into the offseason, the Dolphins are in great shape. They need a quarterback, but have three first-round picks to find one. This is the best position Miami has been in since the Dan Marino era.
Kudos to Brian Flores and his team. The arrow is pointing straight up.
Podcast
Random stat
Jameis Winston had one heck of a historical Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Winston eclipsed the 5,000-yard mark, becoming the eighth quarterback in league history to reach the plateau. Then, on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ final play of the season, he threw his 30th interception on a record-setting seventh pick-six for the year. The interception made him the first member of the NFL’s 30-30 club, hitting the mark in touchdowns and picks.
Info learned this week
1. Wild Card round full of intrigue in both conferences
Twenty teams are home. Twelve teams start their playoff assault.
Next weekend, four of the remaining 11 games on the NFL docket will get underway. Saturday belongs to the AFC, with the Houston Texans hosting the Buffalo Bills, followed by the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium in primetime. On Sunday, the NFC takes its turn. In the early window, the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings meet in the Superdome. Later, it’s the Philadelphia Eagles welcoming in the Seattle Seahawks.
Of all the games, New Orleans-Minnesota feels like the best and yet has the highest line. The Saints are eight-point favorites, largely because Vegas believes Drew Brees at home is a massive advantage over Kirk Cousins. Tough to argue.
In the AFC, the Patriots can’t be discounted. Despite a miserable performance outlined above, this is New England in January. After losing to the Dolphins, New England will come out furious. If the Titans win that game, it’ll be a monumental statement.
2. Browns, Jaguars need to reset after dismal years
Freddie Kitchens is gone. Doug Marrone remains on the hot seat.
The Cleveland Browns moved on from Kitchens on Sunday night, getting a jump on Black Monday. Last year, general manager John Dorsey and owner Jimmy Haslam settled on Kitchens, deciding to promote him instead of losing him to another club. This year, Dorsey and chief strategy officer Paul Depodesta need a clear plan. Don’t be surprised if the plan includes Mike McCarthy, who is longtime friends with Dorsey and has the right temperament to deal with Baker Mayfield.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars finished another disappointing campaign at 6-10. Rumors have swirled since Saturday about Marrone’s status, and it makes sense for co-owners Shad and Tony Khan to start anew. Ron Rivera seems headed for the Washington Redskins, but an ascending coordinator such as Robert Saleh, Greg Roman or Eric Bieniemy — to name a few — could be a nice fit.
With Tom Coughlin already ousted, general manager Dave Caldwell is a name to watch. Caldwell has had an uneven tenure, but perhaps gets another chance. If so, he’s armed with two first-round picks in 2020.
3. Cowboys face expensive, decision-filled offseason
Think the last few months have been stressful for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones? Give it time.
Dallas is assuredly moving on from head coach Jason Garrett, but then what? Once Jones finds his next coach — expect an outside name with sizzle — all eyes turn to a pair of stars on his roster.
The Cowboys have pending unrestricted free agents in quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Amari Cooper. The good news for Dallas? It has $86 million in projected cap space.
So what to expect? For starters, Prescott will be back in 2020. If Dallas is smart, it works out a long-term pact prior to free agency, giving the Cowboys some cost certainty. The contract would likely be around $35 million per year, slotting in above Carson Wentz and Jared Goff but below Russell Wilson.
In Cooper, Dallas needs to make every effort to retain its star. The Cowboys traded a first-round pick for him in ’18 and have seen a nice return. Cooper is going to get top-10 receiver money with powerful agent Joel Segal running negotiations, and while Dallas might believe that’s a slight overvaluation, Cooper has all the leverage. Jones can’t allow Cooper to leave after investing so much in him.
Should Cooper reach free agency, Dallas might be in serious trouble.
4. Packers need Rodgers to be much better for Super Bowl run
We won’t see the Packers for another two weeks. When we do, Aaron Rodgers must step up.
Green Bay sleepwalked to a 23-20 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, wrapping up the NFC’s second seed. While the result was good enough, Rodgers wasn’t. At one point, the two-time MVP was 2-of-10. In a tie game with under two minutes remaining, Rodgers threw an interception only to be bailed out by David Blough’s inability to author a game-winning drive.
Throughout much of the season, Rodgers hasn’t played to his standard. Too often, Rodgers holds the ball in search of the big play. He takes too many unnecessary hits and risks, and while the statistics show a Pro Bowl player, the film shows a struggling one.
The Packers are two games away from the Super Bowl. To get there, Rodgers has to rediscover his old form.
5. Rams must spend in coming months to support Goff
Les Snead better be the creative type.
The Los Angeles Rams general manager has a host of issues facing him this offseason. Snead’s without a first-round pick each of the next two years, and has to improve his 9-7 roster drastically despite massive contracts weighing down his cap sheet.
Los Angeles has already paid quarterback Jared Goff, defensive lineman Aaron Donald and running back Todd Gurley in the upper reaches of their respective positions. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was acquired for those aforementioned missing picks, is eligible for a new pact as well. He won’t come cheap and has all the leverage imaginable.
Snead’s top priority needs to be fixing his offensive line. After losing center John Sullivan and guard Rodger Saffold a year ago, aging left tackle Andrew Whitworth might now be headed or retirement.
Goff has proven he doesn’t function with traffic in his face and at his feet. Snead has to hit on some mid-round picks and smaller signings.
History lesson
Dome teams aren’t talked about as having a disadvantage in the playoffs. That wasn’t always the case.
The first dome team to win the Super Bowl? The 1999 St. Louis Rams. The first one to win a championship while having to win at least one postseason game outdoors? The ’06 Colts.
The 1978 Houston Oilers were the first dome team to partake in a playoff game, beating the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl. However, none won a conference title game until the Falcons beat the Vikings in 1998.
Fun fact: The first playoff game in a dome? The first playoff game ever. The 1932 NFL Championship Game was held inside Chicago Stadium due to inclement weather. The field was 80 yards long and smelled like elephant dung after a circus was held there in the days prior.
Parting shot
Many eras ended on Sunday.
Andy Dalton and the Bengals. Eli Manning and the Giants. Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Oakland and the Raiders.
But what of Cam Newton and the Panthers?
Newton has been on Injured Reserve since Week 2 with a foot injury. Before that, offseason shoulder surgery. At 31 years old and a potential $19 million cap savings for the Panthers, is Newton in their future plans?
Carolina has the seventh-overall pick in a quarterback-rich draft. Joe Burrow will be gone, but what about Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert?
A new coaching staff also must be factored in. Will a fresh start on the sidelines mean the same under center? Newton has only ever known Ron Rivera. Perhaps his ouster means second-year owner David Tepper is ready for a complete reboot.
We know the Bengals and Dolphins will be drafting a quarterback early come April. Carolina might join them.