No. 5 – New England Patriots
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots appear to be in a tailspin. After starting the season 10-0, they have lost four of their last six games, including their last two games of the regular season. Either win would have locked up a No. 1 seed.
They still ended up with the second seed, which is good news for a team that has been ravaged by injuries. New England has 14 players on injured reserve at present and Julian Edelman is questionable for their Divisional round matchup. Brady was nicked up in the season finale against Miami, but with two weeks to recover should be back to full strength.
The real question is whether the Pats are truly reeling or if Bill Belichick is just playing possum. On Sunday, Brady made just six pass attempts in the first half, the lowest of his career. Some critics say it’s because their offensive line is struggling so mightily, but what if it’s just another Belichick ruse? The Pats aren’t afraid of traveling to Denver for a rematch, and another Broncos Divisional round loss could put the AFC title game in Foxborough for the fourth time in five years.
Momentum is everything in the NFL; can the Patriots regain theirs?
