Sport NFL
Staggering giant – the sporting decline of the Patriots
As of: 8:34 a.m. | Reading time: 5 minutes
With seven losses from nine games this season, the Patriots are now one of the worst football teams in the NFL
Those: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The New England Patriots were the benchmark in the NFL for several years. That has changed. The game in Frankfurt against the Indianapolis Colts had better be positive. After Tom Brady, the next club legend could soon disappear.
These days the disparity between the glorious history and the sad present is particularly clear at the New England Patriots. Before the game against the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday (3:30 p.m., RTL and DAZN), the so-called “Patriots House” in the heart of Frankfurt commemorates the great successes of the traditional club, for which Oliver Bierhoff (55) has also been working since October . For the first time in the club’s history, the six Vince Lombardi trophies were shipped abroad. Numerous photos, shirts and banners on the walls bear witness to great victories – but they were all a long time ago.
Everyday life looks completely different three and a half years after the departure of quarterback legend Tom Brady. While Brady led the team from Foxborough to numerous successes and a total of six titles, the Patriots are now one of the worst football teams in the NFL with seven defeats from nine games this season.
In Germany, the series of bankruptcies is taken calmly. Nothing should dampen the anticipation of the first game of the season in the Frankfurt football stadium. “This is the most successful club of all time, there is no getting around it. There are six trophies there. It’s true that things aren’t going so well this year. That’s okay after 20 years. I’m sure we’ll get back on track,” said former professional Sebastian Vollmer. Even against the Colts, who are rather modest in terms of sport, the Patriots find themselves in an outsider role.
Patroit coach Belichick announces slogans of perseverance
The club is currently reminiscent of a sleeping giant that has not been able to set the course after Brady’s departure. If the sporting low continues, it will also be difficult for legendary coach Bill Belichick. When the 71-year-old coach was confronted with questions about his future earlier this week, he responded very briefly – and rather meaninglessly.
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Does he have a job guarantee for the rest of the season? His focus is now on the Colts game. Does he think he’s already playing for his job against the Colts? “I will control what I can control and prepare our team for the Colts game,” the six-time championship coach responded. Self-confidence sounds different. After Brady’s departure in the spring of 2020, Belichick’s next big pillar of the successful era could soon collapse.
Patriots-Trainer Belichick
Source: dpa/Adrian Kraus
On Friday, the veteran led the Patriots’ first and only unit on the DFB campus in a blue hoodie and bobble hat. Belichick doesn’t want to let the results of the season so far ruin his special experience. “We’ve played a lot of NFL games, but this one will be a little different,” the head coach said. Belichick spoke of a “unique experience” for the club and especially the professionals.
Participation in the play-offs is no longer realistic
The sporting lull is unlikely to dampen the hype in Germany. Numerous fans wanted to visit the Patriots house, which was built in a hotel, around the game. There are likely to be thousands of club supporters dressed in dark blue in the stadium. “The Patriots are the most successful franchise of the past 20 years, of course shaped by Belichick and Brady,” said consultant Bierhoff. But yesterday’s successes are not helping at the moment, as the former DFB official notes. “Now other teams are following suit. That’s the exciting thing about US sport: There’s always variety, it’s constant ups and downs.”
Belichick, meanwhile, praised the NFL’s second Frankfurt game as a “unique experience. We’ve played a lot of NFL games, but this one will be a little different.” According to the coach, it’s all about regaining focus. There is currently no time to analyze the team, “I’ll think about that at a later date,” said Belichick.
An earlier arrival, like the one the Miami Dolphins made last week, was out of the question for the Patriots. “We did the same thing at the games in London, same schedule,” explained the coach. The players appeared rested during training early on Friday afternoon on the DFB campus. In doing so, they followed suit with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who also arrived just before the first Frankfurt game a week earlier.
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Participation in the play-offs is no longer realistic for the German crowd puller this season. But what happens next for Belichick, who has coached the team since 2000 and enjoys legendary status in the club? Ex-professional Vollmer has a clear opinion on this. “So I believe that he is undisputedly one of the best coaches the league has ever had. “That stands for itself,” said the former Patriots player. The game against the Colts may not have much sporting relevance, but it is an excellent opportunity for self-promotion in the growing German market.
Even European teams are conceivable in the NFL
A season game will be shown again in Germany next fall. It will then be Munich’s turn again as the venue with the Allianz Arena. It is still unclear which teams will come to Germany. The line-ups from the first two years suggest that the NFL wants to bring stars to Europe next year too. In 2025 it will be Frankfurt’s turn again.
Even European teams are conceivable in the NFL. If league boss Roger Goodell has his way, the chances of this happening are excellent. “That will happen. “We know the fans want European franchises, so we’re trying to figure out how we can make that happen,” Goodell said when asked, without giving a specific time frame. Frankfurt and Munich are “good locations for a European franchise because they have done a good job and impressed us.” But there is still a long way to go until then.
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