Content available exclusively for subscribers
It should be humiliating . . .
. . . for the other teams in the AFC East.
The New England Patriots have won the AFC East title ten years in a row. That is flat-out embarrassing for the other three teams in division.
And maybe it’s time for the Patriots’ AFC East foes to take a page from that old movie “Network” and yell, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”
In a league set-up in every way for parity, this is pretty ridiculous.
And then you see Belichick flashing his eight Super Bowl rings (two from the Giants) for cameras recently, along with Tom Brady flashing six Super Bowl rings.
Not only has a team in the AFC East won 10 straight division titles, but six Super Bowl championships since 2001.
New England has also put together 16 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins.
I’m sorry, in the modern NFL, set-up for competitive balance, this is beyond the pale.
It’s time other teams, especially in the AFC East, to get really, really mad and redouble their efforts to stop so often looking like the Washington Generals facing the Harlem Globetrotters.
One thing that would help the Patriots foes in the AFC East to become more competitive is to stop starting over every few years. I’m talking about hiring new head coaches all the time.
The Patriots have had the same head coach along with offensive and defensive systems (with some small tweaks) since 2001.
The Jets and Dolphins have new coaches and new playbooks once again entering 2019. This has happened too many times with the Jets, Miami and Buffalo.
The Patriots continuity has helped their program a great deal, and that lack of continuity has hurt their AFC East foes.
But you know what, whatever the reason is for the dominance, if these coaches and players of their foes, especially in the AFC East, need to look in the mirror and say to themselves, “This is embarrassing.”
The oft-used quote from Chinese author Sun Tzu, “Every battle is won before it’s ever fought.”
So to me, a lot of these AFC teams have come into games unprepared to deal with the Patriots’ attack.
I can never get over that play at the end of the Patriots 38-3 win over the Jets in Week 17 last year.
Brady hit Julian Edelman on a quick slant over the middle for a five-yard TD.
He was WIDE OPEN!
How, under any circumstances, is Edelman, Brady’s favorite receiver, not covered?
Let me repeat that.
How, under any circumstances, is Edelman, Brady’s favorite receiver, not covered?
That is mind-boggling.
I’m not saying Edelman is easy to cover. With his great route-running skills, top-shelf short-area quickness and great chemistry with Brady, he’s a tough cover.
But on this play, no Jet covered him. The Jets’ former nickel back seemed to be on him before the snap, but didn’t follow him once the ball was snapped.
When this kind of thing happens, you have no chance against New England.
Somebody asked him over the weekend what I think of Gase. I said I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but I think that their three department heads – Gase (offense), Gregg Williams (defense) and Brant Boyer (special teams) will have the Jets’ three sides of the ball should be as well prepared as a trio then they have been at long time. This is a terrific strategic trio. This should help them against the Pats.
I do think this is going to help the Jets narrow the gap.
We shall see.
But clearly this embarrassing domination by one team in the AFC East in an era rife with parity needs to end.
There is no excuse anymore for this to continue.
It’s ridiculous.
July 1, 2019
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Tuesday.