Stephen A. Smith believes the New England Patriots lack the burst required to reach rarefied air in the NFL.
The ESPN analyst named the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs as the Patriots’ “ceiling” for the 2020 season Wednesday on “First Take.” Smith insisted that while the Patriots appear to be an elite rushing team, their passing attack and defense leave much to be desired. He also believes four teams can beat New England in the postseason.
“… They’ve got the No. 1 rushing attack in the National Football League right now,” Smith said. “Only the 22nd-ranked passing attack, which is not a surprise when all you’ve got is (wide receivers Julian) Edelman and N’Keal Harry and a bunch of parts that are unknown, we get all of that.