On their day off, the New England Patriots were effectively dismissed in an endeavor that would surely entertain John Witherspoon’s patriarchal character from the “Friday” franchise.
Despite a surprising win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, the Patriots (3-10) nonetheless failed to advance to the postseason in 2024 as they were formally disqualified from the competition during Week 14 on Sunday. The hope that New England had of squeaking into the playoffs by some ridiculous means was dashed when the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-14.
The Patriots are now the first club to be mathematically eliminated from the upcoming NFL playoffs after the Bengals’ victory.
When added to previous year’s 8-9 record, the Patriots’ postseason omission generates even more questionable streaks: This is the first time New England has been eliminated before the last week of the season since the latter attempt of that brief streak, and it is also the first time they have lost out on the AFC playoffs since the turn of the century (1999-2000).
Despite being eliminated, the Patriots are already making their mark on the AFC bracket: the Steelers (7-6) were knocked out of the wild card trio by their win in Pittsburgh, and they will now face the Denver Broncos and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs back-to-back in the coming weeks. While Denver (6-6) is stuck in the wild card limbo, Kansas City (8-4) is vying for the AFC top slot and hosts a game on Christmas Eve. New Year’s Eve also marks the Patriots’ final game of the season against the 6-foot-6 Buffalo Bills.
When the Patriots visit the Chiefs next Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox), the season-ending countdown will begin.
