data-mm-id=”_7923kx1ec”>Ding Dong, the witch is dead, sang the AFC East as the clock hit 00:00 in Miami on Sunday. The New England Patriots, after falling to the Dolphins by the score of 22-12, are officially eliminated from the playoffs. It will be the first NFL postseason without Bill Belichick and his team since 2008. New England will finish with a .500 record or worse for the first time in 19 years. And for the first time since Belichick decided Tom Brady would start for the team, the Patriots are rudderless and have no clear path forward to winning again. The Patriots badly need to replenish their talent level at just about every position. They're currently slated to pick No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft, which will likely be just out of reach for any high-level QB prospect barring an unforeseen tumble down draft boards. But they need more than just a quarterback. Jakobi Meyers emerged as a reliable No. 2 option this year, but otherwise, the receiving corps needs a complete overhaul. The defensive line has been awful all season and the linebacker group is a big weakness on the roster. The offensive line is good and it seems like the cadre of running backs in Foxborough is good enough. But that's the problem with the Patriots as a whole. Belichick has gotten away with drafting players who are "just good enough" for years because Tom Brady's excellence made it so that winning football could be played with just good enough. But it turns out that not having a Hall of Fame QB to cover up the holes on the roster means it's much harder to win football games! New England has no star power at any position except cornerback, and their best players are aging quickly in that grouping other than J.C. Jackson. Cam Newton is not the answer going forward. The hope was that a stint in New England would return the former MVP to his previously high levels of play and Newton would be, at worst, a one-year stopgap that kept the Patriots winning while they figured out the future of the quarterback position. At best, he would show enough to justify a longer contract and New England kicked the QB can down the road. Neither of those theoretical futures came to be. Newton looked bad enough in 2020 that he might not have any job at all in 2021. Unfortunately, there were times he was just good enough, which means the Patriots will finish with a mid-first-round pick. There isn't a fast track to success in the NFL like there is in the NBA via way of an elite talent at the top of the first round, but building from the ground up like New England has to do is a much longer process when draft picks are outside the top 10. As we discovered this year, Belichick's coaching prowess can only go so far. Doing your job doesn't matter if the players across the line of scrimmage are simply better at just about every position. So what the hell do they do now? Jarrett Stidham certainly isn't going to be their savior. New England could get lucky in the draft; maybe Trey Lance takes a tumble or Florida's Kyle Trask is actually the second coming of Joe Burrow. But recent draft history does not suggest that's in the cards. The last time the Patriots got truly lucky in that regard was when they drafted Rob Gronkowski in 2010 and that was a once-in-a-lifetime pick. There just isn't a way for New England to bounce back quickly. That happens in the NFL. But it doesn't happen under Belichick. Yet here we are. The Patriots are mired in mediocrity with nobody there to pull them out. It'll be like that for a while, too.
Related Posts
Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm is keen on remaining with the club when his playing career ends.
Lahm, who retired from international football after he lifted the 2014 World Cup with Germany, intends to quit when his current Bayern deal expires in 2018.
As a product of the Bayern youth system, Lahm is keen to become the latest playing icon to take on a role behind the scenes at the Allianz Arena when he hangs up his boots, following talks with chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Last week was the first time I discussed the subject with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
I ve always said that I would like to stay with FC Bayern.
Bayern are without a sporting director at present after Matthias Sammer stood down in July, while Lahm…
Diego Simeone refused to suggest Atletico Madrid are favourites for Tuesday s Champions League clash with Galatasaray but promised his will approach the game with aggression.
The 2014 finalists will be heavily fancied to progress from Group C, ahead of further games with Astana and Benfica, having also reached the quarter-finals of the competition last season.
Atleti La Liga champions as recently as the 2013-14 campaign make the often difficult trip to the Turk Telekom Arena, with Simeone warning of the threat Gala will pose.
We couldn t describe ourselves as favourites, he said on Monday.
A team s quality and momentum are the decisive factors in the Champions League. It is a very important and difficult competition.
At this level it is hard to…
Borussia Monchengladbach have parted company with head coach Andre Schubert after a dismal run of one win in 11 games in all competitions.
Tuesday s 2-1 defeat at home to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga was the final straw for Schubert as the club look to revitalise their fortunes after the mid-season break.
After replacing Lucien Favre in September 2015, Schubert was confirmed as Monchengladbach s permanent head coach in November and helped lead them to the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish in the league.
Their fortunes this season have been in stark contrast, though, with the club teetering above the relegation zone in the Bundesliga and knocked out of the group stages of Europe s elite club competition.
Goals from Daniel Caligiuri and Mario Go…
Market: Switzerland win
Odds:
Switzerland and Sweden head into their round of 16 clash knowing that they both have a golden chance to reach a World Cup final.
For Janne Andersson Sweden side, although few expected The Yellows to make much of a statement in Group F, The Sweds secured a 3-0 win in their final group matchup against Mexico that catapulted them to top of the group, ahead of the likes of Germany and Mexico. However, while The Yellows will fancy their chances of causing a seismic upset this summer, The Swedes have never won back-to-back World Cup games (excluding penalty shoot-outs) outside of their own country and we believe they will struggle when up against a Switzerland side enjoying a fine run of form.
As for Switzerland, although the…
Bundesliga side Hamburger SV have sent midfielder Mickael Tavares and defender Alex Silva out on loan. Tavares, 27, has joined Nuremberg on loan till the end of the season while Silva will be in Brazil with Sao Paulo for the next eighteen months ( till June 2011)
Both Tavares and Silva have struggled to feature regularly for HSV this season and coach Bruno Labbadia said that it was important for the duo to get playing time under their belt.
Tavares joined HSV from Czech giants Slavia Prague last January. Alex, the younger brother of Benfica centre half Luisao, played for Vitoria, Rennes and Sao Paulo before joining HSV in 2008.
HSV remain in the hunt for the Bundesliga title at this stage of the season. They are currently five points behind leaders Bayern Muni…
Korea Republic are the second quarter finalists at the 2009 World Youth Championship following a 3-0 win over Paraguay. All goals were scored in the second half.
The score at Cairo s International Stadium was opened through Bo-Kyung Kim in the 55th minute, and Min-Woo Kim added a second five minutes later.
Things got even worse for Paraguay when they had midfielder Rodrigo Burgos sent off with a second yellow card in minute 61, and Min-Woo Kim went on to net a third goal nine minutes later.
The Asians play their quarter final on Saturday, against the winner of the match between Ghana ans South Africa.
…
Luis Enrique is hoping for a tighter defensive performance from Barcelona during the Champions League Group E trip to BATE.
Having suffered two La Liga defeats in their previous three outings, the Spanish champions got their title defence back on track with a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
Brazil captain Neymar dazzled with four goals but his heroics came after the visitors went ahead through Javi Guerra.
Barca began the Liga campaign with back-to-back 1-0 wins over Athletic Bilbao and Malaga but they have conceded in each of their eight games across all competitions since the latter of those two victories on August 29.
We re going to keep working on our defence, Luis Enrique told reporters.
To win titles, you have t…
Lyon have announced that Memphis Depay will be presented as a new player on Friday following the completion of his transfer from Manchester United.
The Netherlands international has agreed to join the Ligue 1 outfit after a transfer fee that could reportedly rise to as much as €25million was accepted by United.
Memphis Depay will be officially presented at 14:45 [local time], Lyon said in a statement. The new Lyon player will be accompanied by president Jean-Michel Aulas and coach Bruno Genesio.
The 22-year-old, who took to Twitter to thank United fans and captain Wayne Rooney for their support during his time in the Premier League, has signed a contract that includes a buy-back option for Jose Mourinho s side.
It is easier for me, and he deserves me…
Soccer is a popular sport globally and is also one of the most bet-on sports.
As it continues growing in popularity in North America, people are beginning to wonder what the betting lines mean. This comprehensive guide will help you understand them better.
Betting Lines
Before understanding soccer betting lines on , you need to make sure you understand the sport itself.
It’s a game played over 90 minutes, with two halves of 45 minutes each. It is low scoring and does not always involve a winner. A draw is an acceptable result, except in the case of knockout games.
Most soccer games would also have stoppage time added at the end if there have been injuries or other incidents that stopped play. Some knockout games even go into a penal…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is delighted his players have finally been able to show some of their best form before the end of the season.
An inconsistent campaign has left the Reds with only an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League and only a run of six successive victories – their best sequence in over a year – has put them in that position.
“We play a really bad season, I think everyone in this room agrees, and now we have 62 points. It is strange,” said Klopp ahead of Monday’s trip to Leicester.
“There is still quality in the boys. I am really happy we could show up a little bit. Where it will end up it’s really not about that.
What. A. Weekend.
— Premier League (@premierleague)
“I know everyone wa…