No one expected things to go this way.
Sure, there were skeptics that believed the New England Patriots would ultimately crash and burn at the end of their 2023 run. But here we are, just eight games into the season, and it’s already over.
This team vehicle driven by coach Bill Belichick wasn’t even halfway down the track, and it has already flipped on its side, watching as the rest of the AFC East competitors wave goodbye in the smokey rearview.
It’s a weird place to be in for a franchise with six Super Bowl banners hanging from Gillette Stadium, but that’s exactly where the Patriots find themselves after Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.