Nick Wright Issues Warning To Patriots After A.J. Brown Blockbuster
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Even with A.J. Brown on board, Nick Wright doesn't see the New England Patriots as the team to beat in the AFC.
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The Fox Sports analyst demurred when asked if the conference now runs through the Patriots on Tuesday's "First Things First." Wright still believes acquiring Brown should benefit New England's offense.
"Absolutely not," Wright said of the AFC going through the Pats. "I like the move. I think it’s a good move… This is, at the very least, in the short term, a net positive for the Patriots."
Nevertheless, Wright agrees with oddsmakers still not favoring the Patriots to repeat as AFC champions. They trail the Baltimore Ravens (+500), Buffalo Bills (+510), and Kansas City Chiefs (+740) at +770 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
"I think Vegas is correct in that for a number of reasons," Wright declared. "One is ... I personally would be more shocked if the Ravens, Bills or Chiefs missed the playoffs this year than the Patriots."
Wright noted that Brown's former teammate, Jalen Hurts, is the only quarterback in the last 30 years to win a Super Bowl after losing his first Super Bowl appearance.
"The track record of making the Super Bowl and not winning it, if you haven't won one before, is not littered with teams that got right back there," Wright said.
Wright can see the Patriots resembling the 2015 Carolina Panthers and 2016 Atlanta Falcons. Those NFC South teams have combined for one playoff win since capturing a conference title behind an MVP quarterback in consecutive seasons.
"I just don't think making one Super Bowl means, definitively, the conference runs through you," Wright said.
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