Are the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a Super Bowl LVI collision course?
Nick Wright doesn't think so.
In fact, the FS1 pundit tweeted Tuesday he's "really irritated" by the question, which, if nothing else, seems like a reasonable inquiry based on where the Pats and Bucs stand in the AFC and NFC, respectively.
So, what has Wright so hot under the collar?
Well, he's not completely sold on the Buccaneers despite them being defending champions with Tom Brady at the helm. And he's definitely not sold on the Patriots, led by rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
"What has happened to this once-proud television show? I'm despondent right now," Wright said Tuesday on FS1's "First Things First." "Look at the graphic in the bottom corner of the screen: 'NFL's best.' Best what? Are the Bucs the best at literally anything in the league? Maybe run defense?
"And that doesn't even get us to the Patriots. Are they the best team in their conference? No. Are they even the favorites to win their division? Not according to FOX Bet. No, they're not. The Bills are still slight favorites. It is more likely that a month from now the 8-4 Patriots are 8-7 than it is the Patriots end up in the Super Bowl."
New England and Tampa Bay led their respective divisions after Week 12, with the Patriots owning the No. 2 seed in the AFC and the Bucs occupying the No. 3 seed in the NFC. While a Super Bowl showdown hardly is a foregone conclusion, it's also not outside the realm of possibility, evident by the 16-1 odds BetMGM was offering Tuesday on that specific matchup.
Yet Wright still isn't willing to entertain the idea. The Patriots' next three games are against the Buffalo Bills (twice) and Indianapolis Colts, which Wright believes could spell trouble for New England.
"It's not on the table. It's not gonna happen," Wright said of a potential Patriots-Buccaneers Super Bowl. "Mac Jones is not going to go win three playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. The Patriots aren't getting the bye. They're not gonna have home-field. This is insanity. I understand it'd be great for television ratings. But it's insane. It's not happening."
Might want to bookmark Wright's take for a later date.
