NFL
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.
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.
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.
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.