What a Monday Night Football game we have this week. The win-less New York Jets going up against the New England Patriots, who have lost four straight games. Of course, every normal human being would think that Bill Belichick will beat one of the worst teams in recent memory. But these aren’t the same Patriots.
The “Cam Newton experiment” hasn’t gone the way the Patriots would’ve hoped and Belichick has been reluctant to go to backup Jarred Stidham. The team sits at 2-5 and if things continue the way they are, then they’ll be well on their way to a top-ten pick in the NFL Draft.
Would Belichick try to lose to the Jets on Monday evening? If you really think about it, do you really think that Belichick wants to see Trevor Lawrence–who’s being touted as the next Andrew Luck–become the next quarterback of a division rival? If the Jets win that gives them their first victory of the year but more importantly makes the competition for the #1 pick that much more competitive.
A Jets win would also mean they would then be tied with the Giants and the Jaguars with one win assuming both teams lose this week. The Patriots would obviously prefer seeing Lawrence go to a team in the other conference (the Giants) or a team not in their division (the Jaguars).
Looking at it through the Patriots point of view, a loss would make them one win from of the worst records in the league–and closer to being slotted in a spot that would allow them to pick a quarterback such as Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
Belichick is the ultimate winner and his job is to put his team in the best position to win, but his job is obviously safe as the Patriots head coach regardless of if they lose to the Jets or not this week. But it’s worth noting what the effect of a loss would mean to the Patriots chances of moving up in the draft order–and making it harder for the rival Jets to get Lawrence.
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