Welcome to Season 13, Episode 14 of the Unconventional Preview, a serious yet lighthearted, nostalgia-tinted look at the Patriots’ weekly matchup …
And now we’ve reached the Lose With Dignity portion of the schedule … hopefully.
That is the best outcome for the Patriots, who come off their much-needed bye to face the sub-.500 but still playoff-contending Cardinals in Arizona, right?
This is what must happen Sunday, and over the final four games. They must play with relentlessness and discipline (for once), coach with boldness (Jerod Mayo is overdue to do that), find the balance between protecting Drake Maye and giving him opportunities to let it fly, gather more intel on which players are keepers and which must be discarded, come close to winning all four games, don’t actually win, and let your fans daydream about having a shot at Colorado’s Travis Hunter or another cornerstone at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft.