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The New England Patriots were preparing for the game’s biggest stop just three years ago.
The Patriots, at that time, won the organization’s sixth Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams. From there, New England was knocked out of the playoffs in the AFC Wild Card game, which turned out to be Tom Brady’s last in a Patriots uniform, and in the final 2020 season they looked very far from their title-fighting days.
So, as Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday, the question arises: How far are the Patriots from participating in another Super Bowl?
ESPN revealed the timelines for all 32 teams on Monday, and Patriot fans likely won’t like what the world leader predicted for New England.
Simply put, ESPN thinks the Patriots are three years or more away from championship competition. This earned them an “Rising” categorization.
The Patriots, long regarded among the league’s elite, are now ranked along with the Raiders, Panthers, Washington football team, Broncos, Bears, Falcons, Jets, Jaguars and Giants.
Yuck. Only the Texans, Lions, Bengals and Eagles are further away, according to ESPN.
Here’s the reasoning, according to ESPN:
Strategy to Become a Super Bowl Contestant: After taking a year off the salary cap in 2020 to pay past bills, the Patriots are well positioned with around $ 60 million in cap space expected this year. They can potentially capitalize in a rare year where a significant number of teams could have to lose quality players due to a tightening of the cap. Using that strong financial position to improve a list with notable shortcomings is the starting point of their strategy.
Biggest X Factor: Finding the next quarterback, then giving him the best chance of success by improving talent at the receiver and tight end. The Patriots still have Bill Belichick, one of the best coaches of all time. How Belichick stores the roster in these key areas – among others – will shine a light on his personal prowess as he tries to bring the franchise back to the fore in the post-Brady years. – Mike Reiss
If that’s not hard enough to hear, the AFC East champion Bills join the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Packers as ESPN teams believe they are ready to compete now.
Even another AFC East rival, the Dolphins, is considered to be closer to a Super Bowl run, despite ranking behind the Saints, Seahawks, Ravens and Rams, who are considered one year away.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports Images
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