New Year’s Resolutions for the New England Patriots
By Dan Kelley
It is once again time to flip the page on one calendar year and prepare for what the next one has in store. Of course, people do have some control over what happens in their upcoming year, which is why so many make New Year’s Resolutions in the hopes of improving their futures. So why should a pro football franchise be any different, especially one currently wallowing in mediocrity? With that in mind, here are seven achievable New Year’s Resolutions the New England Patriots should strive to achieve.
New Year’s Resolutions for the Patriots
1. Make the NFL Playoffs – There are still two games left in the regular season, and the 7-8 Patriots still control their own playoff fate. They are in if the Pats simply win their next two games (vs. Dolphins and at Bills). Although making the playoffs is the first goal on every NFL team’s to-do list at the start of each season, many seem unenthusiastic about the prospect of the Patriots returning to postseason play.
Certainly, some of this apprehension can be attributed to New England’s embarrassment at Buffalo’s hands during last season’s Wild Card Weekend (a 47-17 loss, which was somehow even worse than the final score). Nevertheless, playing competitive, meaningful football games this late in the season is a good thing. So even if the Patriots have only a microscopic chance of making much noise in the playoffs, why not grab hold of that chance?
The playoff experience will be good for the players who will be returning, and a playoff appearance would be a fitting sendoff for some longtime veterans (Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty) who may be ready to call it a career. It also would give optimistic Pats fans another week to get psyched for some Patriots football.