Patriots Leaders, Sick Of Losing, Aim To End Playoff Drought

FOXBORO, Mass. -- For nearly two decades, a Super Bowl title wasn't just the goal for the Patriots. It was the expectation.

A loss in the AFC Championship Game -- of which New England played in eight straight from 2011-18 -- was viewed as a major disappointment. Any season that didn't end with red, white and blue confetti raining down was a failure.

Those glory days now are becoming a distant memory -- one few current Patriots were even around to experience.

Just nine players who played for New England during its most recent championship season in 2018 still are with the franchise. Only Matthew Slater, David Andrews, Jonathan Jones and Joe Cardona are left from the 2016 team. Slater is the lone holdover from the squad that won it all in 2014.

And never mind a Super Bowl. Ninety percent of the 90-man roster the Patriots carried into training camp this week hasn't even been part of a New England playoff victory. There have been zero of those since the Patriots' Super Bowl LIII win over the Los Angeles Rams in February 2019 -- a four-year drought that team owner Robert Kraft has publicly lamented on multiple occasions.

New England was bounced in the wild-card round in 2019 and 2021 and missed the postseason entirely in 2020 and 2022, finishing below .500 in both seasons. Bill Belichick's club is 25-26 overall in the post-Tom Brady era, including its blowout loss in Buffalo in the '21 playoffs.

Kraft is fed up with this prolonged streak of mediocrity. He's made that abundantly clear, insinuating that changes could be made if his team does not return to contention this season.

"My objective for our team is that we make the playoffs because once you make the playoffs, anything can happen," Kraft told reporters in March. "If you don't, your season ends in a way that doesn't make me very happy."

Multiple locker-room leaders preached that same message Tuesday.

"The expectation here is for us to be winners and to be competitive every year," said Slater, the Patriots' longest-tenured player and longtime special teams captain. "And for those of us who have been here for any (amount) of time, we have not enjoyed this past couple of seasons. It hasn't been fun for us.

"Football is a lot more fun (when you're) winning. That's no mystery. I think everybody in that locker room wants to win, but we've got to be willing to do what it takes to win. Because everybody in the league wants to win, but everybody's not willing to do what it takes."

Added Andrews: "It's not good enough. We know that. There's guys here that have won championships and know what that looks like."

Slater didn't specifically mention Brady's 2020 departure, but he said the Patriots "still are forging" their identity following a "seismic change" in their organization.

"A big part of the reason we had continuity and stability, that changed in the last few years," he said, clearly referring to New England's change at quarterback.

The Patriots have gone 7-9, 10-7 and 8-9 in the three seasons since Brady left after winning at least 11 games in each of the previous 10.

The jury still is out on whether Mac Jones can be a worthy successor to the great No. 12, though he should greatly benefit from the arrival of new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien after New England's offense imploded under Matt Patricia and Joe Judge last season.

If Jones can recapture the promise he showed as a rookie in 2021, New England's formidable defense can withstand the loss of Devin McCourty and the Patriots can avoid the back-breaking special teams mistakes that plagued them last season, they should be back in the playoff mix, even in a loaded AFC.

"We're competitive," Andrews said. "You don't want to be sitting there watching people win. You don't want to go in here on Sunday and have to deal with losing. At the end of the day, you play the game to win, and if you don't, it's not fun. Winning is fun. That's what makes this game fun. So that's what we're going to try to do. That's what you do all this for. That's what you work all year for."

Slater said he has seen "tremendous" buy-in from New England's 2023 roster thus far.

"But it only matters if it translates in this business," the 37-year-old quickly added. "So hopefully it translates this year."

Will it? The oddsmakers say no. On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Patriots have an over/under wins total of 7.5 and +750 odds to win the AFC East, miles behind the Bills (+130), New York Jets (+250) and Miami Dolphins (+290).

Folks around the league also aren't high on New England's roster talent, as evidenced by the fact that just one Patriots player (Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon) appeared on ESPN's rankings of the top 10 players at each position, which were compiled by polling more than 80 coaches, executives, scouts and fellow players. Safety Kyle Dugger, tight end Hunter Henry, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and guard Mike Onwenu received honorable mentions.

"We'll see who we are," Slater said. "I know Coach (Belichick) will tell you he has a vision for how this team operates, and it's the same vision he's had for the last 20-plus years. So hopefully we can get to that, and hopefully soon."

That effort will begin in earnest Wednesday when the Patriots take the field for their first training camp practice.

"I think the time for excuses is up," Slater said. "We've had enough excuses the last couple of seasons. It's time for us to put up or shut up."