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The New England Patriots are headed back to the playoffs and they have an outside chance to win the AFC East on the final day of the regular season. However, they still have their detractors.
Count Fox Sports personality Nick Wright as one of New England’s biggest non-believers. On a recent episode of First Things First, Wright made it clear, he doesn’t view the Patriots as true Super Bowl contenders.
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Fox’s Nick Wright Calls the Patriots a ‘Parking Garage’ Team
Wright is almost always descriptive with a heavy use of metaphors and similes to convey his thoughts on several sports topics. He didn’t disappoint in this episode when he described the Patriots as a “parking garage team.”
“Parking garage… what does ‘parking garage’ mean?” Wright asked. “What do all parking garages have in common? Low ceiling. Don’t drive your U-Haul in there — you’re gonna go straight through the roof. Low ceiling.”
There we are. Wright has already placed a cap on what he says the Patriots capable of accomplishing once the postseason gets underway. If we’re looking for something for Wright to point to as back up for his take on the Patriots.
” … And why are the Patriots there?,” Wright asks of himself. “Have you seen their point differential? Fun fact about the Patriots that I don’t know if you know: Jets, Panthers, Falcons, Browns, Jags; those five teams, they’ve outscored them by 180 points. The rest of their schedule they have been outscored by four points. I don’t think you’re gonna be playing any of those teams in the playoffs.”
Here is a look at the segment.
“Co-favorites! Chiefs. Packers. You know what The Committee™ is saying? This is your Super Bowl.”
— @getnickwright breaks down his NFL Tiers ahead of Week 18:
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Have the Patriots Padded Their Record Against Bad Teams?
Wright brings up a really good point. The Patriots put up 50 points against the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars in huge blowout wins–the most recent coming in Week 17 when the Patriots used the Jags as their ultimate get-right pill.
Aside from any of the teams Wright mentioned, the Patriots’ biggest win of the season was its 4-point triumph over the Buffalo Bills on the road under the influence of 50 mph winds. Some consider the conditions so extreme in that game that it didn’t serve as an accurate measure of the Patriots’ fitness to compete with its division rivals.
It didn’t help that the Bills handled the Patriots fairly easily in the rematch at Gillette Stadium in Week 16. New England had a strong showing at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19-17) and Dallas Cowboys (35-29 OT), but they still lost both of those games.
The Patriots did manhandle the Tennessee Titans 36-13, but the latter was playing without Derrick Henry. He’ll be ready to go in the postseason if the Patriots and Titans rematch.
Does this concept support the Patriots being labeled a “parking garage team?” Perhaps that’s still a bit harsh, but Wright has a point, the Patriots still have to prove they can beat a really good team that is at–or near–full strength.
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Patriots Called ‘Parking Garage’ Team by NFL Analyst