The New England Patriots were turning in a textbook season until they weren’t.
As has been the case in seasons past, the Patriots endured a fair amount of September struggles before kicking things into gear after the first quarter of the campaign. Unfortunately for New England, its patented December dominance has been nowhere to be found.
After earning an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings to start the month, the Patriots have dropped back-to-back road losses to the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers. While New England effectively still is a shoo-in to win the AFC East, its Super Bowl hopes are looking bleaker by the day.
In fact, even a former Patriot is willing to admit the two-time reigning AFC champions are limping into the postseason.
“There is some blood in the water,” Troy Brown said Tuesday on NBC Sports Boston’s “Boston Sports Tonight,” as transcribed by WEEI. “They’re wounded right now. This team hasn’t lost two straight in December since ’02, so that’s a long time for a team to be that consistent late in the year. You usually see this team not making the mistakes they’ve made the last couple of weeks.
“They’re (usually) hitting their stride right about now and getting ready for that playoff push, and you just don’t feel it, you don’t see it. I’m pretty sure most of those teams out there now that are probably going to be competing in the playoffs are smelling some blood in the water. It’s not gushing out right now, but it’s a little paper cut.”
The wound could grow larger than a paper cut if the Patriots are unable to get their hands on a first-round bye, a perk the club lost hold of with its Week 15 loss to the Steelers. New England has struggled on the road throughout the season, and the intensified atmosphere of a playoff contest away from Gillette Stadium could spell doom for Tom Brady and Co.
But regardless of where the games are played, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: teams around the league no longer are intimidated by the Patriots.
