A few weeks ago, Cam Newton said the New England Patriots’ excuse bucket was running low.
That bucket is empty this week.
No, the Patriots are not Super Bowl contenders this year. And yes, given their 2-5 start — the result of a four-game losing streak — they’ll most likely miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
But they absolutely, positively, unequivocally should beat the New York Jets, whom they’re preparing to face on “Monday Night Football.”
The Jets are 0-8, the NFL’s only remaining winless team. They’ve lost by double digits six times and by 20-plus four times, including a 35-9 beatdown against the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday.