This past weekend was arguably the best divisional round in the history of the NFL and Patriots fans were able to enjoy it without a real rooting interest.
That may be something they might need to get used to.
And this has more to do with the rest of the AFC than it does the Patriots. New England will be better in 2022 with Mac Jones having a full offseason in the system, one or two more playmakers on offense, etc.
But, watching the Bills-Chiefs Sunday night and the performances by Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, it’s clear the Patriots and Jones won’t be able to keep up with those two teams. Allen and Mahomes are truly special and Jones’ ceiling isn’t quite that high.
While not in that same class, at least yet, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is at the top of the next tier and this being in his second season he still has plenty of room to grow. Leading the Bengals to the AFC title game, he very well could be in Allen and Mahomes’ category sooner rather than later.
So, Jones and the Patriots will be dealing with these three quarterbacks for the next several seasons and history shows the elite quarterbacks in the conference are almost locks to make at least the divisional round every year.
Over the last five years in the AFC, here are the quarterbacks who have made it to the divisional round: Mahomes (four times), Allen (three times), Lamar Jackson (twice), Tom Brady (twice), Ryan Tannehill (twice), Burrow, Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Mariota and Blake Bortles.
And then when it comes to the AFC title game in that same timeframe the quarterbacks have been Mahomes (four times), Brady (twice), Allen, Burrow, Tannehill and Bortles. Tannehill and Bortles are the only two that cannot be considered “elite.”
This is why the Patriots may need to worry about not being able to make deep playoff runs with Mahomes, Allen and Burrow not going anywhere. It seems like Jones will be a solid NFL quarterback for the years to come, but it’s safe to say he will never be what Mahomes and Allen are and what Burrow appears to be becoming.
Will the Patriots likely be in the playoff mix for the next several years? Absolutely. But history with elite quarterbacks does not go bode well for them when it comes to making deep playoff runs. Could it happen? Sure, just look Bortles and Tannehill reaching the AFC title game. But, it may not be able to happen multiple times — as long as Allen, Mahomes and Burrow are still in the conference.
Jones and the Patriots are in a position to succeed for the next several seasons, but those seasons just might not include deep playoff runs because of just how good the top three quarterbacks in the conference are.
