Morning sports update: NFL expert called Bills’ victory over Patriots a ‘changing of the guard’ in AFC East
"Last night, I was watching a team and a franchise take out 20 years of frustration on the team that has kicked it around for so long."
The Patriots lost to the Bills on Monday night, 38-9. It was a thorough defeat for New England, and the first season sweep by an AFC East opponent of Bill Belichick’s team since 2000.
Elsewhere, the Celtics prepare to face the Pacers again today at 7 p.m. after losing by one point to Indiana on Sunday.
And in Bormio, Italy, on Tuesday, Vermont native Ryan Cochran-Siegle, son of 1972 Olympic slalom gold medalist Barbara Cochran, earned the U.S. men’s ski team its first World Cup super-G victory since Bode Miller in 2006. Cochran-Siegle’s winning run produced a 0.79 second winning margin, the largest in a World Cup race since 2016.
The future of the Patriots under Bill Belichick: Following the Bills’ lopsided win over the Patriots on Monday, Buffalo’s newfound superiority over a previously dominant New England was plain to see.
The aftermath of the game has already produced myriad speculation over the Patriots’ future, and how Bill Belichick will handle questions at the quarterback position.
During the Tuesday morning edition of “Get Up!” on ESPN, NFL insider Dan Graziano explained the current power structure of the AFC East, a place where the Patriots have ruled almost without interruption for 20 years.
“They’re going to have to turn things around. They’re going to have to figure out the quarterback position this offseason, what they do there,” Graziano began. “The Bills are much better positioned right now for the future, and actually you could make a case that the Miami Dolphins are as well.
“You don’t want to necessarily count Bill Belichick out, obviously,” Graziano admitted. “He’s had more success than anyone’s ever had, so you would have faith in his ability to get things turned around, but he has to. Right now the Bills are the much better team. They beat them twice this year.”
Examining Buffalo’s commitment through four quarters, the rout represented something more for the Bills, according to Graziano.
“Last night, I was watching a team and a franchise take out 20 years of frustration on the team that has kicked it around for so long,” he explained. “It’s a changing of the guard, there’s no question about that.”
Of course, not everyone is willing to write off New England’s run.
Former Colts center Jeff Saturday — having been an opponent of Belichick for years playing with quarterback Peyton Manning — noted that circumstances were against the Patriots in 2020.
“Bill Belichick still knows how to coach. Josh McDaniels still knows how to coach, all right,” Saturday pointed out. “Like, they’ve got to get the quarterback situation figured out, I understand. But eight opt-outs, think about how many of the defensive guys are not there. When those guys get back — you know, [Dont’a] Hightower, [Patrick] Chung, you name it. This team will be back in the mix.
“To just act like the Bills or the Dolphins will just walk through this division, Bill Belichick will find a way to get his team back and competitive,” Saturday concluded. “I would not write them off. I would not hit the panic button quite yet.”
Trivia: The last time the Bills won the AFC East was 1995. That year, the Patriots finished just 6-10. Who led New England in rushing that season?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was a rookie out of the University of Pittsburgh.
More from Boston.com:
- 7 thoughts on the Patriots’ 38-9 loss to the Bills
- Bill Belichick responded to claims from ESPN commentators about dismissing Josh Allen
- Bill Belichick threw a sideline phone in frustration during Bills-Patriots
- NFL experts rave about Tom Brady’s recent play
- 3 things to know about Rob Gronkowski’s first season in Tampa Bay
- X-rays negative for Celtics’ Marcus Smart after ‘weird’ shoulder issue, will play Tuesday
- ‘It’s extremely frustrating’: Cam Newton vents after Patriots are blown out by Bills
- Jarrett Stidham said he would ‘absolutely love’ to start against the Jets
- X-rays negative for Celtics’ Marcus Smart after ‘weird’ shoulder issue, will play Tuesday
- Bills pummel Patriots, 38-9, become first AFC East team to sweep New England since 2000
- Celtics’ Rob Williams needs to ‘have a short memory’ after costly defensive mistake vs. Pacers
- An NFL reporter linked Adam Gase to the Patriots’ coaching staff for 2021
The “Love Actually” ESPN animation using Bill Belichick and Tom Brady
:
Love Actually, featuring Tom Brady and Bill Belichick 😅 pic.twitter.com/6Zki9ssoHY
— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2020
On this day: In 1969, Major League Baseball Players Association director Marvin Miller revealed that 32-year-old outfielder Curt Flood would make his case against baseball’s long-standing “reserve clause” in federal court.
It was far from the first attempt by a player to challenge the controversial clause which had effectively tied players to a particular team in perpetuity. Previous attempts had ended with court rulings that initially established (and then reinforced) the apparent legality of the clause.
The impetus for Flood’s legal action was that he had been traded from the Cardinals (whom he had helped win multiple World Series championships) to the struggling Phillies. Believing that he should be able to see if other teams were interested in signing him, Flood committed to a lengthy legal strategy.
Represented by former Supreme Court justice Arthur Goldberg, Flood waded his way through multiple years of challenges. The case was eventually heard by the highest court in the land, but the ruling was ultimately the same: In the end, the Supreme Court sided with Major League Baseball, 5-3.
The legacy of Flood’s challenge had a deeper impact. Only a few years later, a strengthened players’ union collectively bargained a new agreement with ownership, eventually leading to salary arbitration and the death of the reserve clause.
But for Flood, it cost him almost all of his remaining playing career. He did not play in 1970 (partly due to being intentionally ignored by baseball ownership out of spite), before briefly returning in 1971 with the Washington Senators. Despite support from his teammates, and manager Ted Williams, Flood left the team after 13 games and never returned.
Daily highlight: Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha gave his side the lead against Leicester City on Monday with a superbly placed finish from a cross. The game ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw.
What a counter and what a GOAL.
Crystal Palace are ahead on this wonderful Townsend ▶️ Zaha goal! #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/M4MYRaDPDG
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 28, 2020
Trivia answer: Curtis Martin
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