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Ray Lewis has a simple message for Tom Brady — don’t end up playing on Wild Card weekend.
As the New England Patriots enter their Week 17 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the game is a big one for one reason — the Patriots are essentially playing for a first-round bye.
The playoffs feel as if they begin a little earlier because if the Patriots win in Week 17, they get a first-round bye and a No. 2 seed. Meanwhile, if New England somehow falters against the 4-11 Dolphins at home, the Kansas City Chiefs would then just need a win over the 5-10 Los Angeles Chargers to clinch the No. 2 seed.
In other words, the Patriots are trying to avoid playing on Wild Card weekend for the first time in 10 years and the former Baltimore Ravens linebacker made a strong argument for why they should want to avoid it.
The last time the Patriots did play on Wild Card weekend, they were taken down by a score of 33-14 and their opponent was noteworthy. Despite the game taking place in Foxborough, Baltimore immediately came out swinging and took a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Lewis appeared on “Inside the NFL” and sent a major warning to Brady — don’t end up as the No. 3 seed because you know what happened last time.
Via Adam London of NESN:
“I got a stat about the Patriots. Last time the Patriots been in the Wild Card was 10 years ago, 2009. They ran into the Baltimore Ravens. That didn’t end well, 33-14, Brady three picks,” Lewis said on the latest edition of Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.” “Handle your business, Brady. Don’t get in that Wild Card spot. Anything happens, guys.”
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Patriots Lack Success Without First Round Bye
If the Patriots end up as the No. 3 seed, they’ll have to host either the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers or the Oakland Raiders.
New England has only played on the opening playoff weekend just three times during the Brady/Bill Belichick era — they didn’t win the Super Bowl in any one of those seasons. During all six seasons where the Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, they began postseason play in the Divisional Round.
It’s also worth noting that Lewis’ former team, the Ravens, will begin postseason play as the No. 1 seed with home-field advantage. Considering the Patriots lost to both the Ravens and the Chiefs this season, it’s hard to fathom New England being able to defeat both teams on the road along with playing on Wild Card weekend in order to achieve their ultimate goal — a Super Bowl.
While Lewis may come off as a bit aggressive with his analysis, he has a point here.
Bill Belichick Warns Week 17 is a Playoff Game
The veteran head coach isn’t holding back in his assessment of this week’s game — it’s a playoff game.
Via Ryan Hannable of NESN:
“Look, this is very simple now: this was a playoff game, Miami is a playoff game,” he said, via Patriots.com. “If we beat Miami, then we get a bye. If we don’t, then we’ll be playing the next week. So it’s a playoff game.”
The Patriots have nagging injuries to key players such as wide receiver Julian Edelman and Marcus Cannon. Normally, the Patriots would be able to rest key players for a final regular-season game like this.
That obviously won’t be the case with the Patriots playing for the right to play one less playoff game here.
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