1. Taking all sentiment out of it, the Patriots may have been better off losing their finale of this lost season Sunday. Depending on the outcome of a couple of other games, a loss could have moved them up a couple of slots in the pecking order of the 2021 NFL Draft, the most important one for the franchise this century as they seek their cornerstone quarterback. Yet I’m glad they did not lose. This win, as ultimately meaningless and perhaps even slightly detrimental as it may be, was strangely fun. Cam Newton, so often ineffective and yet so likable, candid and sympathetic, got to end what is almost certain to be his lone Patriots season on an up note, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and catching another.
Twelve thoughts on the Patriots’ 28-14 win over the Jets
