NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

NFL Power Rankings: 49ers snatch top seed, Patriots lose footing entering playoffs

By Dan Parzych

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 29: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers scores a touchdown against the during the first quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on December 29, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 29: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers scores a touchdown against the during the first quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on December 29, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
22 of 33
Next
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

12. New England Patriots (6)

Remember all of that concern surrounding the New England Patriots over the last few months, and whether the defending champions had what it takes to make another run at the Super Bowl?

After appearing to make a statement in Week 16 by handing the Buffalo Bills a loss, the Patriots were in the perfect position to secure a first-round bye on Sunday since all they needed to do was defeat the Miami Dolphins at home.

With the way both teams compared on the season, New England couldn’t have asked for a better matchup to close out the regular season before preparing for another potential Super Bowl run.

Instead, the Patriots just couldn’t figure out a way to get anything consistent going against the Dolphins and finished on the losing end to drop from having a first-round bye to the No. 3 seed with a matchup schedule against the Tennessee Titans.

All of a sudden, New England now needs to play on Wild Card Weekend and could be in serious trouble of repeating if the struggles continue like the last few months.

The Patriots have been in this position before where they struggle at times before kicking things into high gear for the postseason when it matters the most, but this time seems different.

Home/NFL Power Rankings