And just like that, the New England Patriots’ season is over.
The ending came fast, and was certainly jarring.
After an 8-0 start to the season, the Patriots went 4-5 the rest of the way, with two stunning losses in Week 17 and the AFC wild card round in a matter of six days.
In those two games, the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans brought to light major issues that appeared both sporadically (on defense) and consistently (on offense) throughout the season.
And with that, streaks of nine consecutive first-round byes, eight consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances and three straight Super Bowl appearances ended.
In dissecting the deceased, this season’s most faulty organ when alive was obviously the offense.
But the defense had its Achilles heel in its inability to stop marquee running backs. Nick Chubb (131 rushing yards), Joe Mixon (136 yards) and Derrick Henry (182 yards) ran wild against them, and behind Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram, Baltimore’s college-based rushing scheme garnered 210 yards in a victory over New England.
Despite having the league’s best secondary, the unit let New England down in the Week 17 loss to Miami, allowing Ryan Fitzpatrick to march downfield for the winning score, forcing them out of a first-round bye, and into the playoff’s first round, where Henry and the Titans ran over the Patriots.
But Tennessee running down New England’s throat (successfully) still wasn’t enough for a Titans victory. Harkening back their Matt Patricia-era bend-but-don’t-break days, the Patriots allowed just 14 defensively in their 20-13 home loss to Tennessee. (The third touchdown was a Titans’ pick-six.)
Although in need of youth and talent along the front line, the defense was mostly phenomenal in 2019, and did their part against Tennessee.
Scoring 13 points in a home playoff game — zero points in the second half — is not enough to come out victorious.
Although it’d be naive to suggest Tom Brady hasn’t become less sharp with age, his offensive personnel was not up to par of a postseason team, let alone a Super Bowl-contending team.
At various points of the season, New England famously had Antonio Brown, Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas.
But after force-feeding a 33-year-old Julian Edelman as the top target, the Patriots were left with him, Phillip Dorsett and undrafted rookie Jakobi Meyers at times during the midseason, before first-round rookie N’Keal Harry came aboard, the team traded a second-round draft choice for Mohammed Sanu.
The Sanu trade turned out to be a disaster, especially considering the Patriots’ need for more talent this offseason.
Although a great player during his heyday, Sanu struggled to separate from coverage, as did Harry, who also struggled to find a rhythm with Brady.
The Patriots were in desperate need of a top-level playmaker with speed and competence on the outside. They couldn’t find anyone to fill that niche.
At tight end, the Patriots attempted to replace Rob Gronkowski with Matt LaCosse and a 39-year-old Benjamin Watson. The position became non-existent in the passing game, and losing Gronk, and season-ending injuries to center David Andrews and fullback James Develin hurt the running game.
Although Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead once again got going in the winter months behind an improving offensive line, the rushing attack was not successful enough to fully lead the offense.
The offensive line struggled early on in the season in protecting Brady, as fill-in tackle Marshall Newhouse was particularly inconsistent, as was former second-team All-pro guard Shaq Mason, who mightily struggled in pass blocking.
The combination of these factors forced a 42-yard-old Brady into a near-impossible situation. And although he is still partly at fault for the way the unit struggled, the lack of a receiving core was ultimately the offense’s doom.
At season’s end, a defense that began the year historically on fire would not be matched by an offense that caused New England to go 0-4 in games in which the opposing team scores 20 points or more.
——-
In conclusion, the Patriots need a boatload of help on offense, and an infusion of young talent on defense as well, with several players (Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Jason McCourty, Kyle Van Noy, Danny Shelton) possibly on the way out this offseason.
But it was the lack of speed and talent in the passing game that hurt New England the most. Not it’s defense, and not six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
Although the situation won’t be solved soon, expect Brady and the Patriots to come to an agreement on a one-year deal, and the Patriots to supply him with more talent.
The Patriots season is over, but the dynasty is not.
[vertical-gallery id=77566]