On one hand, the New England Patriots blew it. They led the Buffalo Bills in the second half of a game that, if they won, would clinch a playoff berth. On the other, the Patriots had no business being in the playoff race in the first place.
That's the conundrum of the Patriots. They're not good enough to be relevant to the championship chase anymore. But they're not bad enough to lead to an honest evaluation of the roster and a total rebuild that could be beneficial to getting back to the top of the NFL.
The offense has been miserable all season. The special teams on Sunday was an absolute nightmare. The roster as a whole isn't good enough to compete with the top teams in the league. Bill Belichick's odd decision to have Matt Patricia be the offensive coordinator was bad from the start. The Patriots battled, but the Bills were just better. With the Patriots having a slim hope of coming back in the fourth quarter, Mac Jones threw one too high and it was deflected and picked off.
With a playoff spot on the line, the Miami Dolphins had to turn to a rookie seventh-round pick at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater injured.Jason Sanders' field goal with 18 seconds left, coupled with the Patriots' loss, puts the Dolphins in the playoffs. They're the No. 7 seed in the AFC with an 11-6 win over the New York Jets. That win means the Dolphins avoid the embarrassment of missing the playoffs after an 8-3 start.
On Sunday the Steelers needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was rough early on. But the Steelers found a way, as they have all season. The Steelers won 28-14 over the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh didn't get a playoff spot because the Dolphins won to get the No. 7 seed. It doesn't take anything away from the job Tomlin did this season.The Houston Texans likely weren't going to trade the No. 1 overall pick.
And the Buccaneers got nothing out of it. Their center Robert Hainsey, who has started all season, injured his hamstring and left the game. Receiver Russell Gage was grabbing his back in pain after catching a touchdown pass. The Atlanta Falcons beat them 30-17, so it's not like they gained some momentum.
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