Well this is different! And you know what, that might not be such a bad thing.
The New England Patriots enter their playoff game tonight against the Buffalo Bills amidst a flurry of unique and unusual circumstances, at least since Bill Belichick took over as coach in 2000. For Pats fans used to and possibly spoiled by, a Super Bowl or bust kind of existence during this time, this kind of regression, if you will, might just be a blessing in disguise.
“How so? What happened to the standard of excellence? This is Titletown! Etc!”
The standard established predominantly by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick was impossible to maintain by modern NFL standards, hence why people marveled at it so much during its time. The expectations of greatness and subsequent pressure that came with their constant success (aka the ultimate first-world football problems) weighed heavily on the organization and players (which Brady has detailed in his “Man In The Arena” series). In turn that affected the fanbase, who became (your choice: spoiled/entitled) during that time. Which made anything less than at least an AFC Championship a lost season. No wonder people who ain’t us really hated us.
Always being the best is a dream. But in reality, it’s not sustainable, for a number of reasons. Brady is off chasing his next ring, and the Patriots are in the midst Year 2 of a now successful rebuild. And yes, it’s successful because in just their second-year post-GOAT they made the playoffs. That’s pretty impressive and already a marker of achievement, even if being happy about the baseline of postseason success seems unusual, if not disappointing.
Well, the fact is there are at least 18 other franchises who would love to be in this unusual position the New England Patriots find themselves in tonight - maybe more - of being underdogs, in the playoffs, on the road, with the majority of the football world picking against them. Because those teams are home. And many of them don’t have a rookie franchise QB being guided by the best coach and a tremendous offensive coordinator.
About these unusual circumstances? First off it’s Wild Card Weekend (yes, we know it’s Super but just play along), a time that’s unusual to see the Patriots since they only played on Wild Card Weekend four times during the Belichick era. Of note all four times they were at home, so this Wild Card birth is definitely new. The four previous games were all in Foxborough. Tonight’s game, however, is in Buffalo. The good news is it’s colder there than in Foxborough, which could be an advantage for the Patriots. Somewhere a diehard Pats fan is convinced Belichick angled for this.
The Patriots also find themselves as playoff underdogs (Bills -4.5), again unusual for the Patriots. The last time the Pats were underdogs in the playoffs was in January 2019 at the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship, one of a handful of times Belichick’s squad was not the Vegas favorite. His Patriots teams were usually favorites, if not heavy favorites. And everyone in the media thought they’d win. Now the team is free of that burden, almost playing with house money. Again, weird by 21st-century Pats standards, enviable to practically every other fanbase.
The funny thing is...even if the Patriots pull off the improbable and upset the Bills tonight that hardly puts them in pole position in the division or makes them the favorite for 2022. Buffalo’s roster is arguably more set for 2022, with Josh Allen entering his fifth year in the league, improving annually. Mac Jones will no longer be a rookie, but his team could look vastly different, beset perhaps by some veteran departures, especially on defense, that has helped propel this team to a winning record. Time will tell, but it’s no certainty that victory equals more than momentary bragging rights and one more playoff game.
This isn’t how the rest of the league has known things the past twenty years. This past year, for most franchises, is what they desire and covet; competitive relevance and a ticket to the postseason. What happened here previously is likely never to be repeated. The sooner Pats fans realize that idea and accept not being the elite of the anomalous, the more likely they are to enjoy each and every postseason opportunity for the unique chance it is to pursue a championship or at least watch more competitive football.
Patriots fans had it better than any other franchise this millennium. And those days are glorious, but also long gone. The good news is your team has the youthful infrastructure and especially quarterback to compete in the division, and conference, for a while to come. The best coach of all time isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. A little healthy competition, as opposed to front-running all season long, with all those burdensome expectations that anything less than being the best, might do regional perspective and appreciation some good.
Welcome to the 2021 playoffs, and life with the rest of the NFL, Pats fans! They’ve been expecting you. For all we know you might be here a while. But at least you’re here, rooting for your flawed but fun football team. Plenty of other teams, and fans, are more than happy to let you know what a good thing that is. So please, embrace the team and the experience and, win or lose, above all try to enjoy!
Preferably win.