Patriots Country

Patriots Legend Predicts Massive AFC Surprise

A New England Patriots legend has predicted there will be a massive AFC playoff picture surprise.

Evan Massey

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; (Left to right) FOX Sports personalities Howie Long, Rob Gronkowski, and Greg Olsen before Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium.
Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; (Left to right) FOX Sports personalities Howie Long, Rob Gronkowski, and Greg Olsen before Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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New England Patriots fans have seen a lot of former franchise legends making the rounds on talk shows. It seems like each and every week, a big name is making some kind of statement.

The latest happens to come from former superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski.

After the Patriots pulled of fan impressive upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, Gronkowski took notice. He spoke out and made a very bold prediction about the 2024 NFL season.

In a recent appearance, Gronkowski stated that he thinks the Bengals will end up missing the playoffs. That would be a major surprise, as Cincinnati was a team that was expected to be a serious conender with Joe Burrow back healthy.

“The Bengals always start slow, it’s the beginning of the year still, the Bengals just aren’t there. I feel like they’re continuing from last year where they left off. They’re just up-and-down and just not consistent at all. I don’t think they got it right now. I think they’re going to miss the playoffs again. You got the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers that will be going to the playoffs. The Browns and the Bengals will be in the mix, they will be fighting, but they will not make it.”

New England has to feel good that the way they played has made many media members second-guess the Bengals.

From start to finish, the Patriots made things very difficult on Cincinnati. Burrow was never able to get in a groove and the New England defense took him out of the game with constant pressure and great coverage.

While it was just Week 1 and there is plenty of time for teams to get things on track, it's very possible that the Bengals are not the team that everyone thought they were. Burrow didn't look fully healthy, as he constantly was flexing his wrist and hand throughout the game.

All of that being said, the Patriots also made a very strong statement with the win. It wasn't pretty, but they got the job done.

Clearly, New England is not going to be the pushover that many have predicted they would be. They're never going to go down without a fight and they might just found ways to grind out wins.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

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