I’m beginning to worry that this might not be the Patriots’ year.Read the whole column if you'd like to catch up on old Shankisms and reused column bits.
This is the bye weekend for New England. Ordinarily, that means everything that can possibly benefit the Patriots will happen. Even when they are not playing.
This would have meant Jacksonville beating the Steelers Sunday. This would have vaulted the 7-3 Patriots over the 6-2-1 Steelers in the AFC playoff seedings. It would have put the Pats on the only path they know: first-round bye, second-round home game, AFC Championship, Super Bowl.
And it looked like a certainty. The Steelers trailed the Jags, 16-0 with two minutes left in the third quarter . . . in Jacksonville. It was all set. The Pats were going to benefit while they were on their couches. Just like every other year.
...
Stand around and wait for competitors to fall down. It’s a time-tested formula that’s served the Patriots for 18 years.
The Patriots got their first break of the weekend when the Chiefs-Rams game was moved from Mexico City to Los Angeles because of field conditions at Azteca Stadium. The neutral site was good for the Chiefs. But now it’s a road game for Kansas City at Los Angeles Coliseum. Advantage: Pats.
This comment pretty much sums things up:
Yup, that's exactly how you win five Super Bowls and create a a magical dynasty the envy of all professional sports. It's all luck, luck, luck. The competitors always "fall down". All the other teams are "tomato cans". The Pats have never been that good. It's just that they get lucky all the time, and they always play inferior competition. It's so easy to develop franchise qb's, I just don't understand why so many teams have a problem doing so. And those coaches, why can't more teams get top notch HOF coaches. Yup, it seems like the Pats "luck" is finally, finally running out. I hope!
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