You can see this play here at the 5:10 mark. Keller made the catch and busted through Brandon Meriweather to pick up the first down. Unfortunately, Jerod Mayo, who had his "coming out party" this game with a game-high 20 tackles, dropped to the wrong zone leaving Jet TE Dustin Keller with a seam down the middle.įavre saw the mistake and exploited it. Third down was the Achilles Heel for the 2008 New England Patriots, where they ranked 26th in the NFL in forcing a punt.Īs Brett Favre dropped back, the Patriots rushed only three defenders, dropping the rest into coverage. Given how the Patriots offense was clicking on all cylinders, it's likely a stop on this third down would've given New England a good shot at winning the game.īut that is easier said than done. This was the defining moment of the 2008 season. Then Gary Guyton broke up a pass intended for Leon Washington on second down, forcing the Jets into a third-and-15 situation. On first down, Pierre Woods, in his first start filling in for an injured Adalius Thomas, sacked Brett Favre for a loss of five yards. When the New York offense took the field on their 20-yard line it was impossible to know that the playoff fate of the Patriots hung in the balance. But, as fate would have it, the Jets won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball in overtime. New England had amassed over 500 yards of total offense and looked primed for a huge come-from-behind win. The Patriots likely wouldn't have to give up much in return for Higgins because of his contract status, but the hesitation from Cincinnati could come from trading a star wideout to a competitor for an AFC playoff spot, which is why any Higgins deal would come as a shock.You never truly know when you're making the mistakes that will come back to haunt you.Īt Indianapolis, some may point to Jabar Gaffney's dropped touchdown pass or David Thomas' unnecessary roughness penalty as the moments that cost the Pats at least a shot at overtime, and potentially a win.īut there was another play that I believe was truly the difference in the 2008 Patriots season and that play came in overtime against the New York Jets in Week 11.Īt half-time it looked like it was going to be a Jets romp, but the Pats clawed their way back into the game, culminating with Matt Cassel threading a touchdown pass to Randy Moss as time expired to force overtime. New England missed out on Brandin Cooks on the trade market and it probably won't land De'Andre Hopkins as a free agent, so some sort of blockbuster trade is its last chance to make an offseason impact at the position. However, the Patriots could swing big in a potential trade for the Clemson product and make him the No. 2 wideout for the Bengals since he was drafted in 2020, and that would be the reason why Cincinnati would not let him go in the season before he hits free agency. The 24-year-old is entering the last year of his contract, and the Bengals may not be able to meet his salary demands with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase also on the roster. The AFC West side also needs to restock its draft capital after the Russell Wilson trade, and the Patriots could offer one or two selections that give the Broncos some hope if they fail to improve in 2023.įile a potential Tee Higgins trade as unlikely given the teams involved in the potential deal, but it's fun to dream about a Patriots move for the Cincinnati Bengals wideout. The Broncos might have an eye on future spending and be reluctant to pay Sutton's eight-figure salary for the next few seasons. He can get out of his contract after the 2023 campaign, per Spotrac. No one knows for sure how the Sean Payton regime will start in Denver, but one can assume it will be smoother than the team's 2022 season.įor that reason, the Broncos could keep Sutton around to give themselves the best possible chance to contend for a playoff spot in Payton's first year in charge.ĭenver's incentive to trade the 27-year-old is that it could lose the wide receiver next offseason. They could change that with a summer trade with the Denver Broncos for Courtland Sutton. The Patriots simply don't have the abundance of star power at wide receiver that their AFC East rivals have at the moment. Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill are in the elite class of NFL pass-catchers, and Garrett Wilson is one of the league's rising stars. Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesĪ strong case could be made that Smith-Schuster is fourth on the AFC East rankings of No.
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