New England Patriots to Miss Playoffs for First Time Since 2008

Patriots' HC Bill Belichick in 2018
Patriots' HC Bill Belichick in 2018. Photo by Jason Pohuski/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (10035408dx)

It’s the end of an era in the AFC East, the NFL division that the New England Patriots have dominated for over a decade.

After losing to their divisional rivals the Miami Dolphins 22-12 on Sunday, the Patriots have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. This will be the first time that New England will not make a postseason appearance since 2008.

A day earlier, the Buffalo Bills secured the AFC East title with a statement 48-19 win over the Denver Broncos. This is the first time that the Bills will finish first in the division since 1995.

Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who led the New England dynasty for a better part of the last two decades and won six Super Bowl titles with the team, left during the offseason to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New England replaced him with veteran Cam Newton, who was released by the Carolina Panthers in the offseason after a string of injuries.

New England came into the season this year with a deficit of talent and a number of key players choosing to sit out the season due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The future is uncertain in New England for the first time in a long time, with future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick facing a complete rebuild and the major task of finding Brady’s replacement, with most experts under the impression that they will be moving on from Newton in the offseason.