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The 2022 Patriots have been frustratingly decent in 2022. Going into Week 14, the Pats have allowed the 6th fewest points in the NFL. Rhamondre Stevenson has been a delight. Unfortunately, Matt Patricia has stunted Mac Jone's growth worse than cigarettes and vodka in the womb, making this offense borderline unwatchable.
Despite atrocious play calling, if the Patriots beat the lowly 4-8 Arizona Cardinals (who STILL haven't had a tight end record 100+ receiving yards in a game since 1989) in the toaster, they'll hop over the Chargers for the final AFC playoff spot. 
I love my Patriots, but I'm reasonable. I don't think this team will make the playoffs. They end the season with Bengals, Dolphins, and @Bills. Even if they did get in, unless things drastically change on offense, they aren't going anywhere...BUT... all things considered, it's remarkable this team is in that position despite all its shortcomings (Patricia's worst play calling in the NFL, Jake Bailey, a Swiss cheese offensive line, bad defense against good QBs).
FTR, I don't think tonight's game is a gimme by any means. I've learned from our last MNF game against a mobile QB, but this poorly worded blog title is 100% true. If the Patriots win tonight, they move into 7th place in the American Football Conference (as shown in that playoff machine screenshot). I think it's fair to question Belichick. Yes, he's one of, if not the greatest coach in NFL history, but even the legends eventually have the game pass them by. Tom Landry and Chuck Noll coached too long. I think Belichick is still great, and I'd take him over probably every coach in the league if I really thought about it, but you have to question his decision-making at times. He can be too conservative on 4th down (which is crazy when you think how his 09 call foreshadowed modern 4th down tendencies). This offense sucks, and it's on him for hiring a fucking failed head coach and D coordinator (who let Nick Foles cement his big dick into NFL lore, giving up 41 to a fucking backup QB in Super Bowl LII...which btw saw Malcolm Butler benched...but let's not go down that rabbit hole right) to call plays for a 2nd year QB. I'm just saying even though Belichick is responsible for this offense sucking; he also deserves a little credit for having this team in this spot (even though they've lost two straight; in his defense, we got fucked by the overturned Hunter Henry TD on Thanksgiving). I know nobody is gonna feel bad for Patriot fans if this team misses the playoffs, and admittedly, I'm much more concerned about the Celtics. Obviously, I want the Pats to win the Super Bowl, but I'm not gonna give myself false hope that it's possible, even if we end up in the seven seed tonight and in control of our playoff destiny with four games to play with a sneaky good defense and decent running game. I'm not gonna think about how in 2018, I wrote the Pats off once Josh Gordon got suspended because that team had Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. I'm simply saying that if we win tonight, we move into 7th place. If we lose this game, the season is officially over. You can't lose to Kyler of Duty. What great stakes for MNF! P.S. I can't be the only person who found this weird. I love Cosell and know the "anniversary" of that call recently passed, but not only was the field goal blocked, but the Pats lost the game. I know it was just a football game, as Howard so eloquently stated, but it's a weird move to use that historic moment in a video celebrating the Patriots on Monday Night Football, right? Especially when the Patriots played in some great MNF games in the 70s. I've fallen asleep to their 1976 game vs. the Jets multiple times.
Double P.S.
Speaking of the Pats playing on MNF. Six years ago, I saw the 2016 Pats beat the Ravens on MNF with my day for my 25th bday present. I ended up losing my fantasy playoff matchup as the #1 seed when Tucker hit a 50+ yarder, but it was still an awesome game. 
This was much better than 21, when we watched them beat the Pats in the AFC Championship Game in what ended up being the final game of Wes Welker, Danny Woodhead and Aaron Hernandez's Patriot careers. S/O Chris Hogan.
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