NFL Writer Sums Up Patriots First Half Of Season In Two Words

The New England Patriots aren’t what they used to be … mere months ago.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Wednesday described the first half of the 2020 New England Patriots’ season in two words: stunning decline. The Patriots improved their record to 3-5 on Monday night when they beat the lowly New York Jets in Week 9. However, a losing record and third place in the AFC East is a stark contrast to the preceding two decades, during which the Patriots won six Super Bowls, most recently in the 2018 campaign.

Reiss expanded on New England’s “stunning decline.”

“Things were looking good at 2-1 — which easily could have been 3-0 if QB Cam Newton wasn’t stopped at the 1-yard line in Seattle — and then COVID-19 hit Newton and sacked the entire team in the process. The Patriots haven’t really looked the same since.“

Although the Patriots aren’t out of the race for a place in the NFL playoffs, few will publicly back them as Super Bowl contenders.

That in itself is a bitter pill to swallow for a team that entered each season for the last generation with legitimate hopes of winning the NFL’s ultimate prize.