With a Week 17 win, the New England Patriots clinched a spot in the playoffs, just like the good old times. They did it by doing their job and destroying the Jacksonville Jaguars, 50-10. The win, combined with the Miami Dolphins loss, allowed the Patriots to advance to the playoffs and their 2021 season is officially a success. Making the playoffs is not their ultimate goal, but it is a big step in the right direction after they stumbled the previous two weeks and lost the top seed in the AFC. The Jaguars are not a good team, but they did beat the Buffalo Bills this year, and that is proof that any team can win on any given Sunday. The Patriots have taken care of bad teams all year. But they are not going to celebrate for too long, though; it is on to the Dolphins for the Patriots.
New England Patriots 2021 Season Is a Success After Advancing to the Playoffs
A team calling a season a successful one can be a matter of perspective. But in this case, it applies because a playoff berth is a successful campaign by almost any measure. Many teams do not make it to the postseason and haven’t ever experienced the playoffs. It is a special accomplishment to make the playoffs, as it validates a team’s hard work and the sacrifices made.
Expectations
Making the playoffs was the minimum expectation around New England for the past two decades. It was barely even celebrated because the team and fans truly felt nothing had been accomplished by only a postseason appearance. The teams with Tom Brady under center were good enough to win the Superbowl every year, especially with Bill Belichick at the helm. And that became the standard, but this is a new era. Last season reminded fans of what it was like before the Patriots organization had success, and that was not a place anyone wanted to be.
When the Patriots spent the most guaranteed money on free agents in NFL history this past off-season, they were not looking to fill a roster; they wanted to contend sooner rather than later. Now that they are in the playoffs, the off-season signings appear to have been successful. They were in a position to sign players when other teams could not because the salary cap decreased. According to owner Robert Kraft, they took advantage of an “inefficiency in the market,” and it has paid off.
The organization has taught a masterclass in team-building and coaching. Against conventional wisdom, they decided that spending too much money at any single position is detrimental to the roster construction. They decided to build a balanced roster with a strong running game and defense in a league that shaped the rules to give the passing game and offense a significant advantage. The Patriots took a bold step and decided they would go the opposite direction of most teams, and now they can feel vindicated in the decisions they made.
Mac Jones’s Rookie Season Was Already a Success
Perhaps the best news of the Patriots 2021 season is that the team has found its quarterback of the future in Mac Jones. Many fans and analysts who are looking at the big picture would consider that alone to have made this a successful season. Even if the Patriots hadn’t made the playoffs, Jones’s rookie season was already successful. After all, he is one of the favorites to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Jones was the fifth quarterback drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft but he has outshined all of the other rookie quarterbacks and helped lead his team to the playoffs. He has not looked like a rookie; he has shown command of the offense, made good decisions, and been accurate. It is exciting for fans to think about how good he will be with more experience and as his arm strength improves. Jones was tailor-made for what the Patriots ask a quarterback to do.
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The Future
The Week 17 win was a reminder that the Patriots are still a good team despite not showing up for the previous two weeks. The AFC is wide open, and the Patriots can beat any team they face in the playoffs. There is no clear-cut favorite team anymore, especially with Covid running wild, and just earning a ticket to this playoff party could be all they need.
The Patriots are building something special, hopefully, another dynasty, in this new era. The future looks bright, and they are still mathematically alive for the top seed in the AFC. There is hope again in New England, and just giving the fans hope again is a tremendous success.
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