After starting the season 8-0, the New England Patriots were seemingly well on their way to another AFC Championship and, in all likelihood, a Super Bowl title.
But after going 4-4 over their final eight games, the Patriots look far less formidable and will be playing their first Wild Card game since 2009. They host the Titans (9-7) this Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
“I think Tennessee beats them up there,” former Patriot and two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long said on The DA Show. “It’s one of those things with the Patriots: everyone is scared to be wrong. I can be dead wrong. That’s my former team. I got friends on that team. I don’t want them to lose. I’m just calling it how I’m seeing it, and I’m not sure they have enough.”
Long, 34, won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2016 and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2017.
The Patriots lost three of their final five games of the season, falling to the Texans (10-6), Chiefs (12-4) and, shockingly, the Dolphins (5-11).
“I’m sure New England fans get mad anytime somebody picks against them, but they’re there boing at the stadium, so they’re upset too,” Long said. “They see what everybody else sees, but then they don’t want to be critiqued. The team’s just not the same team it’s been in the past. If Bill can advance this team and Tom can advance this team past the first round, past the divisional round, it’d be the best coaching and quarterbacking job they’ve probably ever done.”
The Patriots led the league in total defense and scoring defense (14.1 points per game) but finished 15th in total offense and seventh in scoring offense (26.3 points per game). Only one running back, Sony Michel, had more than 350 rushing yards this season, and only two pass-catchers – Julian Edelman and James White – had more than 29 receptions.
“They’re just not as good as they’ve been in the past,” Long said. “Their defense, which was historic through the first eight, nine weeks, if you know what you were looking at, it’s a really good defense, but they’re not the ’85 Bears.”