ESPN Analyst ‘Absolutely Convinced’ Patriots Will Claim AFC’s No. 1 Seed
The New England Patriots seized the national spotlight after improving to 9-2 with a “Thursday Night Football” win over the New York Jets.
Friday’s sports discourse has centered on whether the Patriots are back as a legitimate Super Bowl contender amid an eight-game winning streak. A former Pro Bowl defensive back is buying the hype.
Ryan Clark picked the Patriots to enter the postseason as the AFC’s top seed on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“Absolutely. I’m absolutely convinced,” Clark said. “And it’s not just about what we saw last night. Obviously, against the Jets, you expected the New England Patriots to operate that way, to execute in the way that they have.”
The Patriots cruised to a 27-14 win over the Jets, and skeptics will keep pointing to the team’s manageable schedule. However, Clark credited them for winning a huge AFC East road game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5.
Drake Maye’s MVP ascension plays a considerable role in Clark trusting the Patriots to finish the regular season strong.
“This is a team that’s shown us they can win in many ways,” Clark said. “You have a quarterback right now. I don’t care if you’re talking about the Patrick Mahomes, the Josh Allens, the Lamar Jacksons of the world. You have a quarterback in Drake Maye that’s outplayed all of them.”
Head coach Mike Vrabel has also re-established a team identity not seen in the last few years.
“You have Mike Vrabel, that has instituted a culture here that is don’t quit, show up every day, execute every day and never take a day for granted,” Clark added. “Those are the type of things we expect from a New England Patriots team.”
But yes, the Patriots also have an easier remaining schedule than one of their top competitors for the conference’s first-round bye. The 8-2 Indianapolis Colts play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 and face the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in December.
“It’s going to go through Foxborough,” Clark predicted. “Just like it used to throughout the 2000s.”