By all accounts the season is already misplaced. The Patriots entered the bye with the AFC’s worst document (2-8) and have nearly no shot at crawling again into the playoff image.
Yet the Patriots nonetheless have seven video games to play, and as unhealthy as issues look the gamers nonetheless have hope they’ll flip issues round.
“Of course,” stated offensive lineman Cole Strange. “If we didn’t we’d stop playing and quit.”
Fresh off a tough loss to the Indianapolis Colts and an extended flight again from Germany, the bye week is coming at a welcome time. Before their weekend off Patriots gamers stated they have been trying ahead to taking a number of days to assemble themselves and reset, but in addition that the few days after getting back from abroad have been productive and inspiring.
“I see it at practice, I see it in the games, no one’s quitting, no one’s flinching, so I’ve never lost faith in these guys and they’ve never lost faith in me, so there’s never been a question about any of that,” stated linebacker Jahlani Tavai. “I’m just excited to get back after I go and recollect myself to go fly around with these guys.”
“If you don’t have faith in what you’re doing why are you coming in here every day?” stated particular groups captain Matthew Slater. “For me, I still have faith in the people in this building, our process, the people leading us, I have faith in a lot of things. Sometimes you have to have faith even when you haven’t seen the results you’d like, but that’s life, right?”
Faith is usually a highly effective motivator, particularly throughout tough instances, however as unhealthy as issues have gone the Patriots do have some concrete causes for optimism popping out of the break. For one, offensive lineman David Andrews stated that whereas no person is comfortable in regards to the group’s document, additionally they aren’t as far-off because the 2-8 mark would possibly counsel.
“We’re not talking about splitting an atom here, just a few plays here and there,” Andrews stated. “I think every game we’ve looked at for the most part four or five plays here or there change the outcome of the game.”
Andrews isn’t flawed. New England’s first two video games have been primarily selected the final play, with the offense unable to finish last-minute drives that may have clinched spectacular comeback wins over potential Super Bowl contenders.
The losses to Dallas and New Orleans have been smackdowns and the second loss to Miami was decisive, however within the different three losses to Las Vegas, Washington and Indianapolis the Patriots had a possibility to win on the finish solely to let issues slip away.
Nothing goes to vary how these video games performed out, however the Patriots can nonetheless flip issues round over the past two months. Last 12 months the Steelers have been 3-7 after their first 10 video games and managed to win six of their final seven to complete the season with a successful document. Perhaps the Patriots have the same run in them as properly?
“That’s the exciting thing, you hope you can change the narrative of our story and how that story ends, and we have a say in that, which is a beautiful thing,” Slater stated. “So hopefully we can do the things that we need to do to start getting the outcomes we’d like to see, and you never know what can happen.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com