‘Every team has a better quarterback’: ESPN analyst thinks the Patriots will finish last in the AFC East
"If they reach their potential, they can be relevant and compete. That doesn't sound like AFC East champions to me."
The Revolution rallied to defeat Atlas FC on penalty kicks at Gillette Stadium on Thursday in the Leagues Cup Round of 23. New England will now face Querétaro FC in the Round of 16 on Monday (which will also be played in Foxborough).
Tonight, the Red Sox and Blue Jays begin a three-game series at Fenway Park. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.
Ryan Clark on the 2023 Patriots’ chances in the AFC East: As the Patriots prepare for the new season, both fans and experts wonder what the ceiling might be for Bill Belichick’s team.
New England finished a disappointing 8-9 in 2022, the second time in three seasons that the former contenders finished third in the division.
Can the Patriots potentially get back to winning the AFC East?
Speaking on a Friday episode of ESPN’s “Get Up!”, former NFL safety and current football analyst Ryan Clark sounded off on just how far away he thinks the Patriots are from the previous standard.
Asked if the Patriots “have enough” to avoid a last place finish, Clark vehemently disagreed.
“Nope,” Clark began. “Not if the players that are important for the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, and the Buffalo Bills are there. If these rosters are whole — and we know those things don’t maintain throughout the season — but if the principles of these teams are available, the New England Patriots are absolutely going to finish last in the AFC East.
“Every team has a better quarterback. Every team has better skill players,” he added. “Every team can push the football down the field in a way we haven’t seen the New England Patriots be able to do it with Mac Jones at the helm.”
Still, Clark conceded that the addition of Bill O’Brien as the new offensive coordinator will help quarterback Mac Jones immensely.
“Do I believe they’ll be better when you have some of those pieces, two tight ends on the field, JuJu Smith-Schuster taking the place of that slot receiver that’s always been important in New England? Absolutely,” said Clark. “I expect Mac Jones to look more like he did his rookie year than last year. But that doesn’t mean in a packed and stacked AFC East that this team is going to compete.”
Citing ESPN colleague Adam Schefter’s words — he said that the Patriots could return become a relevant and competitive team this season if all goes to plan — Clark noted how that differs from how New England was described during the Tom Brady era.
“For the last two decades, those are not the words we used to describe the New England Patriots, but that’s exactly where this team is,” said Clark. “If they reach their potential, they can be relevant and compete. That doesn’t sound like AFC East champions to me.”
Trivia: The last time the Patriots finished last in the division was in 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season. New England went 5-11 as Belichick worked through a rebuilding project. Can you name the five teams the Patriots beat that season?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: The starting quarterbacks of those teams: Brian Griese, Peyton Manning, Scott Mitchell, Elvis Grbac, Rob Johnson.
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Prospect power surge: Ceddanne Rafaela, the Red Sox; No. 2 rated prospect, hit a home run for the third consecutive game on Thursday for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.
Jack Jones left Patriots practice on Thursday: The second-year cornerback might have been kicked out following a tough practice rep with Kendrick Bourne.
On this day: In 1984, Carl Lewis won the first of what would eventually be nine Olympic gold medals, taking the 100-meter sprint at the Los Angeles Summer Games.
Daily highlight: Diana Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to cross the 10,000-point threshold, which she did amid a 42-point performance in a Mercury win over the Dream on Thursday.
Trivia answer: Broncos, Colts, Bengals, Chiefs, Bills
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