Josh Rosen’s garbage time pick-six will forever be part of Patriots’ history, just like the Colts’ fake punt.
Bill Belichick is back to making his inferior opponents look downright foolish.
The Falcons were never competitive in the Patriots’ 25-0 drubbing, but Atlanta’s ineptitude reached new lows in garbage time. Josh Rosen relieved Matt Ryan with 1:40 remaining, and promptly threw a pick-six to Kyle Van Noy. The ball hit the linebacker right in the chest, and there was nobody in his way.
Rosen quietly signed with the Falcons in late August, after inglorious stints with the Cardinals, Dolphins and 49ers. Rosen’s existence in Atlanta is so clandestine, his Twitter page still features Miami and San Francisco, with no mention of the Falcons.
But now Rosen is back where he belongs: hilarious football infamy. Falcons third-string quarterback Felipe Franks, who took over for Rosen, was picked off on his first throw as well.
The Falcons became the first team since 2000 to have three quarterbacks throw interceptions in the same game. (Devin McCourty picked off Matt Ryan early in the fourth quarter.)
It’s clear the Patriots' historic Super Bowl comeback destroyed the Falcons, who are barely an NFL team at this point. Outside of Ryan and Kyle Pitts, it’s hard to find another player on their roster who would even start on another club. It’s amazing the Falcons were even able to get up 28-3.
Malcolm Butler’s game-sealing INT in Super Bowl 49 torpedoed the Seahawks’ would-be dynasty, causing Seattle’s core to disintegrate. The Seahawk were so broken, Russell Wilson took his teammates to the literal edge of a cliff.
The Falcons fell off the proverbial cliff years ago, and now, they’re on their way to their fourth straight losing season. Belichick destroyed their veneer of respectability on national TV.
It was just five days ago when the Patriots’ beat down over the nascent Browns resulted in Cleveland players sniping at their coaches.
The Patriots are marching back towards the top of the AFC, leaving a familiar trial of emasculated opponents in the process. Rosen is finding his place right next to Sam Darnold.
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