Well, we knew this was coming.
Jason Whitlock was awfully high on Kansas City’s chances in Week 14, as he made it clear ahead of the AFC Title Game rematch that he believed there was “no reason” the Chiefs couldn’t take down the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Whitlock came out looking smart, as Patrick Mahomes and Co. handed the Pats their second consecutive loss.
The “Speak For Yourself” host admitted Monday the Patriots were “screwed” by the referees on multiple occasions in this highly anticipated tilt. But Whitlock doesn’t want to let the officiating gaffes distract the football world from what the Chiefs-Patriots outcome truly signaled.
“The refs and replay are an NFL problem that have little to do with the issues plaguing the Patriots, losers of two straight. The end of the Patriots dynasty is here,” Whitlock said on FOX Sports 1. “Don’t let the New England whiners ruin what is a glorious moment for those of us who root for professional football teams outside of the Boston area. The Patriots’ problems have nothing to do with Jerome Boger’s officiating crew. The Patriots’ problems start with Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, extend to Antonio Brown’s bad behavior and end with Tom Brady’s date of birth. The Patriots have played like dog poop since Nov. 3. That’s when Lamar Jackson and the Ravens put a 37-20 clown suit on the Patriots. New England has been mired in five straight weeks of mediocre play. Back-to-back one-score victories over the Eagles and the Cowboys briefly masked New England’s demise, but the last two weeks — losses to the Texans and Chiefs — should make the Patriots’ plight quite obvious. They’re not winning the Super Bowl. I don’t even see them winning a playoff game. They can’t score without Rob Gronkowski and if you move Brady off his spot with pressure or a blitz, he’s highly ineffective.
“… There’s no solution here. Adam Schefter reported the Patriots have no interest in re-signing Antonio Brown. Gronk’s not walking back through that door, not this year. Brady knows it’s over. He knows he doesn’t have the necessary tools. … The Chiefs played a mediocre football game and still beat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are done. They’re the fifth-best team in the AFC after the Ravens, Chiefs, Titans and Texans.”
Today’s #Whitlogue: Belichick & Brady can’t challenge the fact that the Patriots dynasty is finally done. @WhitlockJason pic.twitter.com/1lpO37NWHb
— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) December 9, 2019
It’s obviously not looking pretty in Foxboro at the moment, but it probably would be premature to count the Patriots out now. New England took back-to-back December losses on the chin last season before flipping the switch during the home stretch and mounting a Super Bowl run. Brady and Co. have quite a bit to figure out over their final three regular-season games, but history suggests they’re more than capable of finding a groove ahead of the playoffs.
The mission to turn things around begins Sunday when the Patriots visit the Cincinnati Bengals.
