Is Deatrich Wise watching the same team as the rest of us?
Another week, another embarrassing defeat for the Patriots.
New England suffered its worst loss in the Bill Belichick era in Week 4 when it was on the wrong end of a 38-3 decision in Dallas against the Cowboys. The Patriots had an opportunity to bounce back at home Sunday against a so-so Saints team, but like Dak Prescott and company, New Orleans blew the doors off New England. A humiliating 34-0 loss at Gillette Stadium sure felt like rock bottom for Belichick’s crew.
Deatrich Wise seemingly doesn’t see it that way, though. The veteran defensive lineman offered a pretty absurd assessment of his team after its Week 5 laugher.
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“We’re still a great team,” Wise told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “We just have got to keep working on a few small things. I know I keep saying that, but I believe in our team. I believe in our offense. I believe in our defense and our special teams. We have a lot of great guys who are mentally strong and motivated to keep improving.”
As a Patriots captain, Wise has to stay positive and vocalize confidence in his teammates. But calling New England a “great team” is patently false. The Patriots kind of looked like a frisky bunch after Weeks 1 and 2, but now, they’re looking like one of the worst teams in the entire league.
The “great team” label is reserved for teams that have a realistic shot at playing on the second Sunday in February. It doesn’t apply to New England, which probably will be in contention for the 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick at the end of the season rather than a playoff spot.