Revisiting the Crystal Ball: Predict How this Season Ends

How does the 2021 Patriots Season End?

  • Super Bowl Win

    Votes: 35 26.3%
  • Super Bowl Loss

    Votes: 9 6.8%
  • AFCCG Loss

    Votes: 65 48.9%
  • Divisional Round Loss

    Votes: 23 17.3%
  • Wild Card Loss

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • Disaster - No Playoffs

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    133

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
47,087
Ok, Pats are now sitting pretty at 9-4 with a bye coming up and games against Indy, Buffalo, Jacksonville, and Miami remaining. If they win out, they're the #1 seed. If they drop 1, they still have a chance at top seed depending on what other teams do. If they drop 2, who knows. So, based on what we know today, December 7th, how do you see this story ending?
 

Bowhemian

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Nov 10, 2015
5,698
Bow, NH
3-1 down the stretch, ending up 12-5 with home field. They win divisional game, then lose the AFCCG to Tenn.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
I just am enjoying the hell out of this run.
Yup.

It all feels like gravy right now, not only because of the success we've had in the past but also because with Mac on a rookie contract for three more years plus the rest of the draft classes of 2020 and 2021 producing some good players and several of the recent FA signings looking like home runs it feels like this team will be in the mix for a while.
 

RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
55,298
deep inside Guido territory
Yup.

It all feels like gravy right now, not only because of the success we've had in the past but also because with Mac on a rookie contract for three more years plus the rest of the draft classes of 2020 and 2021 producing some good players and several of the recent FA signings looking like home runs it feels like this team will be in the mix for a while.
Oh, don't get it twisted. I want to stick it up the rest of the league's proverbial ass by winning a Super Bowl this year with a rookie QB. But, it's just so much damn fun seeing this group develop into a contender.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
Pats now #2 in overal DVOA, #1 in weighted DVOA, #11 in offense (10 pass / 8 rush), #2 in defense (2 pass / 7 rush), #4 in ST.
 

Royal Reader

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Sep 21, 2005
2,275
UK
Yup.

It all feels like gravy right now, not only because of the success we've had in the past but also because with Mac on a rookie contract for three more years plus the rest of the draft classes of 2020 and 2021 producing some good players and several of the recent FA signings looking like home runs it feels like this team will be in the mix for a while.
I'm enjoying it for the opposite reason - despite the Brady/Belichick run being the exception to the rule, success is fleeting, and who knows what will turn up in 22 or 23 to derail everything. So makes sense to enjoy the shit out of a run like this, because who the hell knows? No-one after 2010 would have thought that Aaron Rodgers would still be stuck on that one super bowl ring.
 

JOBU

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Sep 22, 2021
8,385
I just am enjoying the hell out of this run.
Parallels with the Sox season nicely. Prior to the Sox and pats seasons my optimistic outcome (for both teams) would be to enter the final month of the season still in contention and maybe find a way to wiggle into the playoffs. We know what happened with the Sox. The final chapters of the pats story has yet to be written, yet I’ll enjoy the hell out of it. All aboard the gravy train. House Money!!
 

Justthetippett

New Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,391
I think they get to the AFCCG in Foxborough and have a rock fight with one of Tenn or KC. Game comes down to the Pats defense making a stop (like last night). They survive and then face AZ in the SB. Belichick exposes Kingsbury the same way he did McVay. Duckboats.
 

pokey_reese

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Jun 25, 2008
16,247
Boston, MA
I'm voting SB loss, but was on the fence about AFCCG loss. The AFC is full of flawed teams, but it only takes one bad game to lose in the playoffs, and Mac Jones is still a rookie. If the Pats have HFA I'm not sure that they would be an underdog against anyone before the SB, but they also still have to get through the Colts and another Bills game before I would be ready to consider them as a team with a good chance at winning it all. Last night was a good outcome, but it's hard to take it of predictive given the unique circumstances. Not sure it even makes me feel like we should definitely be favored over the Bills in a few weeks, depending on the Buf/TB and IND/NE games.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Jun 27, 2012
9,824
Needham, MA
I think there have only been something like 12 rookie QBs since the merger to start at least 10 games and take their team to the playoffs, only five of those have won playoff games, and only two of them have won multiple playoff games (oddly enough, Joe Flacco and Sanchize!). So it would be completely unchartered waters if they do make the SB with Mac.

The Steelers and Roethlisberger did get the #1 seed in 2004 and we know how that ended for them.

I'm just happy they have put themselves in this position and we have meaningful football games to watch in December again. Last year sucked.

Edit: For both Flacco and Sanchez in the year they won two playoff games they played in the divisional round, so like Roethlisberger in 2004 conference title game has been the furthest any of them have made it.
 
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Cotillion

New Member
Jun 11, 2019
4,926
I've really just been enjoying this season. I don't have any expectations about where they should or shouldn't get to. It's just been nice to watch a season and not have the weight of history constantly weighing down on every pass (not that I wouldn't want Brady to be here). It's just feels different. This is like those heady days of 2001-2004 era where Pats are just making teams go bonkers with "how did they beat us?" stuff. It's fun.

It would be beyond belief for them to get to the Super Bowl, yet alone win it. For me as a fan, this season has already been a roaring success. We're contenders again. We have some potential pieces to build off of going forward. Just going to enjoy the run.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
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Apr 12, 2005
41,946
If the Pats get the #1 seed, and have a bye and then HFA, they will not lose in Foxboro in January. That's still a big "if," but I don't see any team coming into Gillette in the playoffs and beating this team with the way this defense is playing. Obviously, a couple injuries could derail that in short order, but that's where I'm at.

Without HFA, I don't see them winning the AFCCG in Tennessee or KC, but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if they did.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
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Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
It would honestly be insufferable but THINK OF THE RATINGS
I don't know, it would be two weeks of Patriots Super Bowl highlights and Tom Brady throwing TDs to Gronk.(and some Giants lowlights, too, but what can you do?)

I don't think it would be insufferable. I think it would be historic. And if it was insufferable, you can just detach from the discourse.
 

54thMA

Member
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Aug 15, 2012
10,154
Westwood MA
They’re gonna win the whole fucking thing.
This.

They reloaded, got their QB of the future, a stud defensive lineman and a stud running back.

They're going all the way and winning the Super Bowl.

And it will be a tremendous run, they will instantly become my third favorite Patriots team ever behind the 2004 team and the 1985 team.
 

Pandemonium67

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Apr 17, 2003
5,575
Lesterland
Don't get me wrong -- I want the Pats to be the top seed, get the bye, and have HFA all the way to the Super Bowl.

On the other hand, all four losses have come at home. One takeaway from that, I guess, is that they're a good road team and so I wouldn't fret too much if they have to play somewhere else.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Nov 16, 2004
19,271
Patriots clean the Bills clock as a left over Christmas special in a few weeks, Pats win Super Bowl over Brady, McDaniels gets a HC job somewhere, Bills fire Daboll, BB hires Daboll as OC, Bill retires after taking over the NFL All Time Wins Record from Shula, Daboll runs off 20 great years as HC and the Bills fans all put their tables next to Niagara Falls and jump through them off the cliff for decades.
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
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Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
We played Alabama for all the marbles!
Now that’s what I want when I say expand the college playoffs.

I truly have no idea. The top 8 teams in both conferences are so close to each other and the remaining 4-6 aren’t that far behind. How does one predict the results of relative parity? A wise person once said that football styles make fights. There isn’t a matchup in the AFC that scares me minus the Colts and a healthy Titans team. The Chiefs offense maybe but even though they are playing better they aren’t dominating. I also think their defense is vulnerable especially against heavier teams like the Pats. Think the Bills don’t particularly matchup well vs the Pats.
In the NFC Tampa is probably their worst matchup because it’s hard to run against them and the running game is a big part of the offense. They also have better receiving depth (including TEs) than the Pats have to cover them well in man coverage. You have to play a mix vs Brady and disguise coverages but you also have to win when you’re playing man and I’m not sure how they cover AB and Godwin. They also have a damn good OL so Brady might get enough time to wait for cracks in the back end. They are by far the worst potential matchup for the Patriots of the NFC teams. I think they could handle the Rams, Packers, and Cardinals because all four of those teams struggle against heavier teams as well. SF is actually problematic but they’ve been so inconsistent that I’m not too concerned.
 

GB5

New Member
Aug 26, 2013
675
this has been a lot of fun...especially after last year. My perspective on all of this has changed. The weight of every loss with Brady as a Patriot was enormous. Regular season losses were often attached to articles declaring" Is this the end of the run" Playoff losses were crippling. Bing super bowl or bust every year is just a terrible way to watch football. This team has done a great job finding ways to win games. Winning games is enough, whereas during the Brady run, the question was always why didnt you win by more?

Losses sadden me, but the knowledge that the program is back on track is comforting. Win round 1 of playoffs vs. Chargers. Loss to Tennessee in AFC semis.
 

nighthob

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Jul 15, 2005
12,678
A Super Bowl loss to Brady and the Bucs in which the suicide rate amongst NFL fans reaches an all time high as they want both teams to die in a fiery train wreck.
 

Traut

lost his degree
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Jul 20, 2005
12,750
My Desk
This team feels a lot like the 2001-2002 team that took down St Louis. A strong defense, an emerging QB, and enough weapons on offense to get it done. They win the whole thing.
 

Seels

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Jul 20, 2005
4,948
NH
I don't think Kansas has righted the ship at all. They've put like 100 points on the Raiders, but ignore the games against a team with the worst defense in the league and an interim coach, and they're averaging under 20 since early Oct, and about 15 over their last 5 games. Mahomes only has two games since early Oct with over 100 rating....the Raiders games. Their defense looks better and hey, I can still buy that they can score 30 most weeks, but they shouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt that they will.

Will know more after the Indy game. If they win the Indy game, they're winning out and HFA goes thru Gillette. I do not think Mahomes can come into New England in Jan and win. The Titans or Colts, should they make the playoffs, are more scary as they can just run and sit on a lead. Belichick has designed defenses well against KC in the past, and there's no reason to fear this time right now, IMO.