The New England Patriots already assured themselves of a spot in the Super Bowl following the acquisition of veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons, according to a football analyst. Trey Wingo, co-host of ESPN’s Golic and Wingo, declared that Sanu’s arrival will help carry the Patriots to their fourth straight Super Bowl appearance. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t think that this season will end with the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, you need to reevaluate how you look at football,” Wingo said during the program hours after it was announced that the Patriots acquired Sanu from the Falcons for a 2020 second-round pick.
Wingo said Patriots' Head Coach Bill Belichick outsmarted the others by trading for Sanu while they were busy demolishing the New York Jets en route to a 33-0 win on Monday Night Football. “Because this is just Bill Belichick playing wizards’ chess and everybody out there is playing shoots and ladders. This is just the way this is going,” Wingo said. Earlier, former NFL quarterback and current football analyst Dan Orlovsky said that the Patriots are now unstoppable with Sanu in their fold. “This team right now is going to become unstoppable and it’s because of this addition with Sanu,” declared Orlovsky. With the 6-foot-2 Sanu, the Patriots can create mismatches against much-smaller defensive backs, said Orlovsky.
Patriots a shoo-in for AFC crown
According to Colin Cowherd, host of Fox Sports 1, the fight for AFC supremacy is over and the conference is for the Patriots to lose. Cowherd said the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens have no chance of toppling the Patriots from their lofty throne, especially with the way their defense is playing.
Cowherd said the Chiefs are out of the equation now with the health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in question. “Hi, Patriots fans, see you down in Miami, February 2,” said Cowherd, referring to Super Bowl LIV.
Special teamer a perfect addition for Patriots
Aside from Sanu, the Patriots added special teams ace Justin Bethel, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
Earlier, Field Yates of ESPN reported that Bethel, who last played with the Baltimore Ravens, met with the Patriots on Tuesday. Considered as one of the best special teamers in the league, Bethel, a defensive back, was cut by the Ravens on Monday to preserve a compensatory pick in 202. In his seven games with the Ravens, the 29-year-old Bethel played 80 percent of his total snaps with the special team.
A sixth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Bethel played his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals where he was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and to the All-Pro first team twice. According to former NFL kicker and now analyst Jay Feely, Bethel was a perfect signing for Belichick, calling him “one of the best special teams players in the league.” Feely said Bethel and Matthew Slater will make one of the best special teams duos in the league.
