Sports

This Year's Patriots Eerily Resemble Disappointing 2013 Team

January 4, 2016 / 9:29 AM EST / CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Besides some intermittent strong performances, the Patriots are going on six weeks of uninspired, sloppy football. It's not all their fault, as an unprecedented spate of injuries has slowed a train that looked like an unstoppable locomotive, but it's just another way that this year's team continues to resemble the 2013 Patriots - and you know how that season turned out.

On the Patriots' end, they are not doing a good job with the things they can control. A win against the lowly Miami Dolphins was all they needed to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home field throughout the AFC Playoffs. Instead, Tom Brady took yet another beating (which may have finally injured him) and the team looked and felt like they weren't exactly trying to win the game. The energy felt zapped from early on. Hopefully, that feeling doesn't continue into January.

In 2013, the Patriots went through an on-the-fly rebuild as the offense around Brady simply didn't have the personnel to execute at their typically high level. Julian Edelman was the only reliable target with Rob Gronkowski injured while the pass protection wasn't where it needed to be. Brady didn't help matters with inconsistent accuracy throwing the ball.

This season, the protection for Brady is even worse, arguably the worst it's been in his career. The offensive line has spent most of the season playing without left tackle Nate Solder and veteran guard Ryan Wendell while working several rookies into the rotation. The Patriots' lack of depth and continuity has caught up to them in recent weeks, especially in their four losses. The Broncos, Eagles, Jets, and Dolphins all brought consistent pressure on Brady and it's no coincidence that the Patriots lost all of those games.

In 2013, Gronkowski played a handful of games in the middle of the season before tearing his ACL. Without Gronk, the Patriots' passing attack sputtered. This year, Gronkowski is on the field but the offense has struggled to consistently move the ball without Edelman, especially on third downs and in chain-moving situations.

In 2013, the Patriots tried to morph into a running team with LeGarrette Blount before fizzling out in the playoffs; this year, the running game is also decimated by injuries and not something the team can rely on for a Super Bowl run.

As for the things that the Patriots cannot control...the biggest similarity between this year and 2013 is the team standing in the Patriots' way at the top of the AFC standings. The Denver Broncos earned the No. 1 seed with a 27-20 comeback win against the San Diego Chargers, and they did it by putting Peyton Manning in the game for the first time since Week 10. Manning looked fresh and sharp and the Broncos got a clear spark on offense.

The Patriots now have to go back to Denver if they want to make it to Super Bowl 50 (assuming Denver wins in the divisional round), and unfortunately, the team still doesn't have a good recent history there. There's still a chance that, when fully healthy, the Patriots significantly elevate their game to the championship level they were at during their 10-0 start. But the Broncos are also playing their best football at the best possible time and own home field plus the AFC's top defense.

Another big difference between this season and 2013 is that the Patriots defense, assuming they have all their horses back and reasonably healthy, is a much more formidable foe than two years ago, especially up front. The Broncos offense isn't the air show they were in 2013 when Manning put up record numbers, either. Assuming the Patriots have to face Manning again, they could have an easier time than in 2013 - but the two seasons are still eerily similar, and losing to Manning in Denver again is pretty much New England's worst-case scenario.

Things could change quickly for the Patriots. Maybe Manning turns in a dud in the Broncos' divisional round game and the Patriots regain home field. Maybe once Edelman comes back the offense gets the spark they desperately needed. Maybe the defense locks down as they enter the playoffs at full strength. Anything can happen on any given Sunday. But right now, things are trending downward and the Patriots need to reverse course.

History is repeating itself two years after a supremely disappointing 2013 season. Hopefully, for the Patriots' sake, this year writes a new story.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.