The New England Patriots suddenly find themselves entering their offseason a little earlier than expected as they fell short to the Tennessee Titans. Their Wild Card exit is one that a lot of fans enjoyed witnessing as Tom Brady and the Patriots were far from the ideal football team that has plagued the NFL for the past decade.
It would be reasonable for fans to think that this loss effectively ended the New England dynasty that has imposed itself on the NFL for two decades now. However, the Patriots will be the first to tell you that the dynasty is far from over. Moreover, there are a couple of reasons why disregarding the Pats as irrelevant for the 2020 season is the one mistake NFL teams can make.
The biggest reason why it would be a big mistake to disregard the Patriots is their defense. They may have fallen short to the Titans, 20-13, but that is in no way, shape, or form the fault of the defense. They played extremely effective defense and topped the NFL in terms of total yards allowed. Both the passing and rushing aspects of their defenses are considered to be the best among the league's 32 teams this season.
Everyone knows that defense wins championships, and this Patriots team has that in spades. It's relatively easier to build a Super Bowl-caliber offense than it is to build a defense, and the Patriots have that in the back of their pockets. They might have to tweak their defense a bit, but they got all of the players they need to compete next season.
NFL fans also remember that the Patriots have the uncanny ability to pull off incredible acquisitions in the offseason. In fact, you just have to remember the absurdity of the situation when they acquired Antonio Brown during the early stages of the season. While their working relationship didn't last long, it was a testament to how alluring New England is to the best players in the league.
They definitely need help in the receiving corps as they struggled to get anything going on offense. Expect Bill Belichick and company to scour the free agency and the incoming rookie class for possible wideouts they could add to their team. They could also do with securing their offensive line even further.
Finally, the other reason why it's foolish to dismiss the Patriots is due to one Tom Brady. Sure, he did perform terribly against the Titans, but he still arguably has what it takes to win a Super Bowl. If he says that he's still raring to go, he will definitely be ready to play next season.
These are some reasons why it's bad to count the Patriots out. They've proven before that they can come back from impossible situations, and they can do just that next season.
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