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The Patriots may be 2-4, but the team has plenty of reasons for hope. Many Patriots fans are already talking about next season, but they should first focus on the season in front of them. The Patriots may be under .500, but there are still plenty of reasons why the Patriots can turn it around in time for January. Here are three reasons why the Patriots could be playing in January.
Why a return to the playoff Patriots could be just around the corner
#1 - Slow starts with Tom Brady
Even at the height of their power, the Patriots had plenty of notoriously slow starts with Tom Brady. There were several years when the Patriots started 1-2 or 0-2 and the pundits started wondering if it was the end of the Belichick-Brady era. All of those seasons ended with playoff appearances and some ended with Super Bowls.
Belichick is famous for starting slow, making the correct adjustments, and heating up as the weather turns cold. The 2-4 Patriots are much more competitive than the 1-2 Patriots. At this current pace, the Patriots will eventually turn a corner and start stacking up wins.
#2 - Mac Jones still learning
Mac Jones seems to be getting better with every passing week. As a rookie, he was expected to start at the bottom and slowly work his way up. In essence, that's what he's done this season. In his first three games, Jones threw for two touchdowns and three interceptions. In his next three games, Jones threw for five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Essentially, his play is getting better even as his competition becomes more difficult. His best two games of the season came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys. While the Patriots ultimately lost those games, Jones' play kept the game close enough to win. Once he learns to finish against those teams, the Patriots could round a corner quickly.
#3 - Tight games
The Patriots are losing tight games. Unlike the other 2-4 teams who are getting blown out each week, the Patriots haven't lost a game by more than two possessions. Outside of the 28-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Patriots have lost the other three games by a combined nine points. Meaning, the Patriots are on the doorstep of winning against some of the NFL's best.
The Buccaneers and Cowboys would both be in the playoffs if the season were to end today. The Buccaneers are in second place and the Cowboys are in fourth place in the NFC. If the Patriots can play tough against those teams, they should be able to beat the easier teams on their schedule, which is what they've done thus far outside of Mac Jones' very first game in the NFL.
