Patriots Kicker Chad Ryland Misses Game-Tying Chip-Shot Field Goal, Helps Franchise Immensely

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The New England Patriots need to lose games down the stretch in order to put the franchise in the best position going forward in their rebuild. And, kicker Chad Ryland did his part, as he missed a 35-yard chip-shot field goal to end New England’s chances that would’ve sent a crucial game against the also-terrible New York Giants to overtime at 10-10.

As far as tank commanders go, Ryland is General Patton after a miss this bad.

And, it’s such a crucial miss. The Giants entered at 3-8, and the Patriots were 2-8, making this a monumental game for the tankapalooza to try to draft quarterback prospects Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.

And, both of these teams need a franchise quarterback, that’s for sure. The Giants signed Daniel Jones to an extension in the offseason with over $80 million guaranteed. He was absolutely awful this season, before missing time with two injuries, the second of which being a season-ending ACL tear. He’s clearly not the long-term answer at quarterback for Big Blue, and the team is almost surely looking to draft a signal-caller. That will be made a lot harder after today’s win, which gives them four wins and likely means they won’t pick in the first two or three picks.

As for the Patriots, they recently used a first-round pick on a quarterback, taking Mac Jones 15th-overall in 2021. That seemed like an inspired draft pick for a season, as Jones led the team to the playoffs. But, in the last two seasons, he’s been among the worst quarterbacks in the league and has been benched numerous times over the last two years, including in today’s game.

Together, the two teams attempted 60 passes for 298 yards today. That is, frankly, terrible, and illustrates just how badly these teams need quarterbacks.

Fortunately for New England, they’re in a much better position to get a franchise quarterback after today.