Will the real Patriots please stand up?

The team’s impeccable start has turned into disaster

The+Patriots+have+been+fine+in+the+regular+season+without+tight+end+Rob+Gronkowski%2C+but+they+are+only+1-2+in+the+playoffs+without+him.

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The Patriots have been fine in the regular season without tight end Rob Gronkowski, but they are only 1-2 in the playoffs without him.

By Sriharish Pingali, Sports editor

Beat the 5-10 Miami Dolphins in the final game of the regular season and clinch the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Pretty easy, right? Apparently not for the Patriots.

After starting the season with 10 straight wins, most in dominant fashion, it seemed inevitable that New England would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl yet again. The team then lost four of its final six games, and gave up a guaranteed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs to the Denver Broncos.

Of note: Only the 2012 Baltimore Ravens have won the Lombardi Trophy after losing four of their last six regular season games.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick was quoted as saying in the Boston Herald.

In Saturday’s upcoming divisional round—after a much-needed bye over the weekend—the Patriots will host the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:35 p.m. The Chiefs are a scary team at the moment, having won 11 straight games; they also have an experienced defense which matches up well against a Patriots offense that has struggled of late, to say the least.

With the likely return of wide receiver Julian Edelman and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer, however, the Patriots offense that will take the field this weekend will be much different and, fans hope, much improved.

The return of Edelman and Vollmer is especially significant because the main issue for the Patriots offense has been pressure on quarterback Tom Brady. Vollmer’s presence should give Brady more time in the pocket, while Edelman gives Brady a reliable and proven option for quick throws.

Edelman, the team’s leading receiver, fractured a foot during Week 10. It seems no coincidence that the Patriots’ troubles began thereafter.

New England has sorely missed injured wide receiver Julian Edelman.
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New England has sorely missed injured wide receiver Julian Edelman.

“He’s been very dependable,” Brady said of Edelman in Sports Illustrated. “He’s been a great player for us as long as he’s been here.”

Vollmer has battled injuries all year, beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list. He then suffered a concussion in Week 9 in a game against the Washington Redskins, and then sprained a knee in a 26-20 overtime loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 27.

In the first three games without both Edelman and Vollmer, Brady was hit an average of 10.6 times a game. In the next three—with the Patriots going to the ground more often and relying on short, quick passes—he was still hit an average of 5.2 times per game, which is not what anybody associated with the team wants for a quarterback in his late 30s.

The significance of Edelman’s return, in particular, cannot be overstated. In the 1o games he started, the Patriots scored an average of 33.6 points per game. In the past six, they have averaged 23.3 points, including an anemic 20-10 loss to the Dolphins to close the regular season.

Even with the return of Edelman and Vollmer, it is difficult to know what to expect from the Patriots, who have battled a host of injuries to key personnel all season. Running backs Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount, and defensive tackle Dominique Easley are all on injured reserve and will not return this year.

To be fair, New England can’t suddenly be expected to play as well as it was playing before so many players went down and so many adjustments had to be made. The Chiefs, as hot as they are, won’t make things any easier.

That said, Brady is a proven winner and as long as he stays on the field, the Patriots cannot be ruled out for another Super Bowl run.

The questions will be answered Saturday.