American Union Times & Papers 

          The Patriots have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Last Sunday, the New-England based team lost to the Dolphins thus sealing their fate with a 6-9 record. The Patriots have lost their grip to their established Bill Belichich and Tom Brady Dynasty following the signing of former Carolina Panthers quarterback, Cam Newton. The Patriots this season, have had a problem dominating many teams which during the Patriots at it's prime, will easily win against. The other teams in the Patriots division including the Bills, seem to have an extremely probable chance of making the playoffs with the Patriot’s loss. Video from the previous game shows Bill Belichich slamming a phone while Julian Edelmen slams his helmet on the ground in frustration. Now it simply begs the question, will the Patriots, which is a team that usually dominates the playoffs, be able to even contest the Super Bowl anymore?

           The top Super Bowl contenders include the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Nate Silver's 538, the odds of the Chiefs winning is 33% which is the highest of any team. The following teams with the highest probability include the Saints and the Packers. As of now, the defending champions are the only team that have secured a first round-bye and have the best record of any team in the NFL of 14-1. Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce are likely to carry the Chiefs to victory. On the other hand, Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara are likely to contradict that and will likely take the Saints to the Super Bowl.

          For every winner, is a loser. The NFL teams with the worst records include the Jaguars and the Jets. The Jaguars have now, due to their 1-14 record, secured the first round pick. The Jaguars are likely to draft Trevor Lawerance who is a decorated quarter-back from Clemson. On the other hand, the Jets seemed to have gained some momentum after beating both the Rams and the Browns recently. It is likely that the Jets will come out with a stronger team the following season.