There is an important reality fans of bad sports teams need to understand — players do not tank for draft position.
They do not care about draft position.
They do not want to hear about losing games on purpose for draft position.
They only care about winning the next game, no matter the circumstances or context.
The New England Patriots proved that Sunday afternoon by defeating the Buffalo Bills 23-16 in an otherwise meaningless Week 18 game, costing themselves the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Tennessee Titans, thanks to their loss to the Houston Texans, will now have the No. 1 pick.
Even worse for the Patriots draft watchers is that they fell completely out of the top three, as the Cleveland Browns will own the No. 2 pick and the New York Giants will get the No. 3 pick.
The Patriots fall to the No. 4 overall pick.
A Patriots loss would have secured the top pick and given the team an absolutely massive asset for the offseason, where they could have either had their pick of top prospects (like Colorado dual-threat star Travis Hunter) or sold the pick off to the highest bidder for a bounty of draft picks and players.
Instead, the Patriots won the game against a Bills team that was resting most of its key starters. Backup quarterback Joe Milton had an especially strong day, completing 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.
Patriots fans are, mostly, going to be disappointed. The only thing fans of bad teams have to look forward to is next season and what a top draft pick might be able to do for the franchise. But this is where the disconnect between players and fans comes in.
A significant number of the Patriots players on the 2024 roster are not going to be on the 2025 roster.
Head coach Jerod Mayo was fired on Sunday shortly after the win, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Those people could not possibly care less about a draft pick they will never be teammates with or get an opportunity to coach. All they care about is trying to beat the team lined up across from them, and trying to do something to earn themselves a job for next season, whether it be in New England or elsewhere.
You do not make it to the NFL — or any other professional sports league — by taking a mindset that you want to lose any game for any reason. You especially do not take that mindset when your job and your career might be potentially on the line.
Patriots fans can be frustrated, but they also have to understand nobody is going to go out there and lose on purpose.
Source : YardBarker