The Patriots can say goodbye to the playoffs after a 0-2 start
According to projections, the Patriots have only an eight percent chance of making it to the postseason.
On Sunday afternoon, while the New England Patriots were engaged in a closely contested matchup with the Miami Dolphins, a game they ultimately lost, the legendary and long-serving head coach, Bill Belichick, once again became viral content on social media for his unusual and aggressive way of pulling a red flag from his sock and tossing it to challenge a referee’s decision for TV review.
Bill Belichick spiked his red flag like he was Gronk. pic.twitter.com/3sUFsvlniX
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) September 18, 2023
A few seconds in front of the cameras were enough to reveal the frustration on the face of a man who had grown accustomed to dominating the game for decades.
The Patriots find themselves in unfamiliar territory for a franchise that created a dynasty with Tom Brady taking snaps under center and Belichick directing a symphony from the sidelines.
Now, New England sits with two losses at the bottom of the AFC East and only an eight percent chance of securing a postseason berth, according to ESPN Analytics projections.
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In NFL history, only 57 out of 407 teams that have started a season 0-2 ended up with a winning record, which is 14 percent. Of those, only 39 made it to the postseason.
The odds decrease even further when searching for Super Bowl champions with a 0-2 start. Only three organizations hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy after a dismal season start.
According to the Opta Analyst’s EVE model, the Patriots are projected to finish with seven wins and ten losses, with only a 0.1 percent chance of winning the Super Bowl.
Early theme in Patriots’ 0-2 start: Not taking care of the football.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 19, 2023
Minus-2 turnover differential, with 3 giveaways in the first quarter, contributing to slow starts and playing from behind. pic.twitter.com/tXmjKSknF6
Not all hope is lost
The good news is that the Patriots are one of those three franchises that clinched the NFL championship after starting 0-2. The bad news is that they did it with Brady in control of their offense. Brady is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement, while the Patriots’ offense is dealing with the rookie quarterback Mac Jones’ lack of precision.
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Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins left the Patriots with their first 0-2 start since 2001, Belichick’s second season in New England.
The Patriots haven’t begun a season 0-3 since Belichick’s first season when they suffered a 0-4 start.