The New England Patriots once again will be on their couches this weekend as they watch meaningful playoff football from afar. They should be taking notes, though.
That’s especially true for Saturday of the NFL’s divisional round when the Baltimore Ravens host the Houston Texans ahead of the Green Bay Packers’ trip to take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Obviously, the long-term goal for Jerod Mayo and whoever is ultimately tabbed with making football decisions for the Patriots is to again fight for NFL superiority like the Ravens and 49ers. But it’s those two teams’ opponents who could provide a short-term roadmap back to relevancy.