The New England Patriots didn’t even have to lift a finger to climb back into the AFC playoff rankings. That Week 10 loss for the Los Angeles Chargers means that if the season ended today, the Patriots would be the No. 7 seed in the postseason.
Take a step back for a moment and just think about where the team was before the season started. The offense was a complete catastrophe, and the defense had more question marks than an Edward Nygma holiday postcard.
And yet, we are heading into the second half of the season, and the Patriots are still very much in the thick of things in the AFC. Make no mistake, a playoff berth is still a long-shot possibility for the team, especially with the brutal stretch of games left on their regular season slate. But there’s a clear path to the postseason if they can pick up some key wins.
If the Patriots somehow get into the playoffs, it’s suddenly a new season, and they’d have an opportunity to follow in the Cincinnati Bengals’ footsteps as the second consecutive miracle team to win the AFC.
Here’s a three-point plan for the Patriots to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVII.