New England Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers said what has been a bit of a puzzle for those watching the team in the late stages of the season.
What happened after their seven-game win streak?
It seemed New England went into its late-season bye and should have come away restored and ready for a late-season push. That didn’t happen. The Patriots lost four of their final five games, including a 57-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the postseason.
“Our intensity going into the bye was great. I don’t feel like it dropped off, but (here’s) the problem: It didn’t build up either. I feel like we still tried to ride the wave,” Meyers told reporters on Monday. “We needed to build on that and we just didn’t do it.”
Interesting insight from Jakobi Meyers:
"Our intensity going into the bye was great. I don't feel like it dropped off, but (here's) the problem: It didn't build up either. I feel like we still tried to ride the wave… we needed to build on that and we just didn't do it."
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) January 17, 2022
New England seemed like it had a handful of wins over playoff-caliber teams during its win streak. The Patriots beat the Tennessee Titans, ultimately the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and the Bills during the regular season. In hindsight, those wins feel somewhat flukey, with the Titans playing without Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown or Julio Jones and the Buffalo game taking place with insane winds and a heavy snowstorm. Perhaps those bullet points on the Patriots’ resume needed to come with an asterisk.
As the Patriots faced tougher and improving competition in the final games of the season from the Colts to the Bills — a second and third time — to the Dolphins, New England didn’t look quite as ready for a playoff run, let alone a Super Bowl run. And Meyers’ insights paint a clearer picture as to why.
