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Nobody would have imagined this five years ago when they won Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. However, this year, the New England Patriots are already mathematically out of the postseason, still with four games ahead in the NFL regular season.
Bill Belichick and his team did their job by narrowly defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-18 on Thursday. However, an almost unpredictable factor came into play to exclude the six-time Super Bowl winners from the postseason.
This Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals took advantage of their home status to beat the Indianapolis Colts 34-14 at Paycor Stadium and keep limited hopes of making it to the postseason.
Cincinnati has a record of seven wins and six losses, and although it is the last in the highly competitive AFC North Division, any stumble by the Baltimore Ravens (9-3) or the Cleveland Browns (7-5), still with four games to play, could give them the coveted ticket.
On the contrary, with a record of 3-10, the Patriots are not only the last in the AFC East but also in the entire NFL, completely nullifying their chances.
Patriots out a month in advance
This is the year the Patriots have bid farewell to the postseason earliest since Bill Belichick took over as head coach.
Even in the infamous 2000 season, Belichick's first in charge, the Patriots kept hope alive for a couple weeks longer, although they were ultimately eliminated with a record of 5-11 and 4-9 in the last 13 games.
The Patriots could still salvage some of their dignity if they have a good run in the last month of the regular season. However, it seems highly unlikely, as their games are against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets.
The first two are still in the midst of the fight to advance to the next phase, so they will fight tooth and nail to maintain their chances. The last two are divisional rivals of the "Pats," who will not make things easy for them in the closing of the regular season.
Two years without postseason for New England
Counting this year, the Patriots have missed the last two postseasons and three of the last four. Before this, the team was a constant guest in the championship's second phase, with 11 consecutive appearances between 2009 and 2019.
In those 11 years, New England played in four Super Bowls, with a record of 3-1. Nevertheless, their two most recent postseason appearances in 2019 and 2021 were somewhat disappointing for their fans, as they were eliminated in the wildcard round in both years.
Last year, circumstances combined unfavorably for the team after finishing with a record of 8-9, second in their division, so they were left out of the race to Super Bowl LVII.