Perry: Feeling of 'resignation' in Patriots locker room originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots remain in playoff contention after last week's devastating loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, but you wouldn't know it by the morale in the locker room.
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According to our Phil Perry, Pats players and coaches are feeling pessimistic heading into the final three games of the regular season. The deflating feeling comes as the result of a struggling offense and a group that has made uncharacteristic mistakes all year long.
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"After talking to multiple people in and around the organization, it is my understanding that there's a feeling of resignation that has started to creep into pockets of the locker room, pockets of really the facility at large," Perry said during Patriots Pregame Live. "This is a group that there are individuals within it that understand what they are at this point 15 weeks through the season. They're a non-complementary group, they're a mistake-prone group that faces an arduous, uphill climb to just make the postseason, never mind follow through on Robert Kraft's preseason wishes of winning a playoff game this year."
New England enters Saturday's game vs. Cincinnati on the playoff bubble with a 7-7 record. But with long-shot postseason odds and a tough road ahead, the Patriots may already be looking ahead to a much-needed reset in the offseason.
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"I was told it'd be human nature for playoffs and coaches alike to look forward to the offseason and look to the hope and fresh slate the offseason would provide, because it's a tired group right now," Perry added. "Especially this coaching staff. I know there were coaches in the building here, 3 o'clock in the morning after losing to that Buffalo team on a Thursday night. Into the wee hours of the morning, they worked in Tucson, Arizona when they were on the road preparing for that Raiders game. And they're just not seeing the results of all that effort. It's deflating. It doesn't mean they can't come out here today and compete, but they are desperate for the hope that a win here against the Bengals would provide."
The Patriots will finish their 2022 regular season against the Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills.
