Cris Carter might be backing off his stance that the New England Patriots are a shoo-in to make the Super Bowl.
The FS1 talking head has been all-in on the Pats since Week 1, confidently predicting Tom Brand and Co. to be in Miami in February. But the recent play of the team’s offense, coupled with mounting injuries and a relatively tough upcoming schedule, has Carter a bit concerned about the Patriots.
“I’m worried because… the second half of last week’s game, man, they were in run formation the whole time,” Carter said during Tuesday morning’s “First Things First” episode. “And the tight end was limping across like the bicentennial soldier. … Now they’re gonna get into the tough schedule. The next seven quarterbacks they got are Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
” … I know the defense can’t continue on that pace. So, now, short fields, more points. That puts more pressure on the offense. … I’m concerned about the Patriots moving forward.”
Fair enough.
There is legitimate reason to be concerned with how the Patriots will handle an uptick in schedule difficult. The defending Super Bowl champions largely have played the worst the NFL has to offer, after all.
Still, the Patriots probably will do what they always do: find a way to win.
