With a massive 50-10 shellacking of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the New England Patriots officially booked their ticket to the playoffs after missing out altogether last season. The combination of their win and the Dolphins' loss to the Titans secured their berth and although Bill Belichick rarely shows any emotion, he sounded very pleased that his team was able to get back in the postseason.
Bill Belichick said there's "absolutely" satisfaction in clinching a playoff spot.
"Long way to go, we'll see what happens, but you want to be playing in the postseason." pic.twitter.com/9Qlejq99sY
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) January 3, 2022
It's hard to tell the Patriots head coach was actually happy, but he was. Well, in his own way at least. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones responded with a monster performance in Week 17 after back-to-back poor showings. The former Alabama standout balled out on the Jags defense, completing 22 of 30 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw zero interceptions.
Article Continues BelowMost importantly, Jones outshined number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence, who was atrocious against the Patriots, getting picked off three times. Belichick and Jones actually shared a laugh on the sidelines during the blowout victory, a rare sighting from one of the most serious guys in the NFL:
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 2, 2022
You love to see it. New England is now 10-6 on the season and will wrap up the campaign with a matchup against the Dolphins this Sunday. The AFC East title isn't out of the cards yet, either. If the Bills lose to the Jets in Week 18 and the Patriots beat Miami, the divisional crown will be theirs. Or else, they'll head into the playoffs as a Wild Card.