Pay close attention, New England Patriots fans.

When your team heads to the Meadowlands on Monday night, you have to hope they’re not looking across the field, or the line of scrimmage, and seeing the future.

In short, you have to hope the Patriots don’t eventually morph into the joke of an organization that the New York Jets are right now.

They are going into Monday’s game at 0-8 and looking more and more like they’ll be the one calling Trevor Lawrence’s name on Draft Night in late April. That means Sam Darnold, whose last two seasons have been marred by illness and shoulder issues, may be dealt elsewhere. We’ll see if he sees ghosts this Monday, if he plays.

“All indications are we should be good to go on Monday, but things change and we’ll just see how the week progresses,” Jets coach Adam Gase said earlier this past week. “We’re hoping to have him back out there.”

But, then on Saturday, Gase said that Darnold’s shoulder isn’t where the team or he wants it to be, so he is now doubtful. He could be a ghost.

Gase appears to be dead man walking in New York, unless his ties to general manager Joe Douglas (who has a six-year contract) will save him.

He revealed this week that Patriots coach Bill Belichick called him when he was fired in Miami.

“We had a discussion about kind of that ending and seeing what I was going to do moving forward,” Gase said. “…I was very appreciative. … He didn’t have to go out of his way to do that.”

Odds are Gase will get another call when his New York tenure ends in January, ironically in Foxborough in the season finale. The Jets will be done. The Patriots are heading in that direction.

Just don’t go too far, New England, or you may see your future.

Meanwhile two lousy weeks of picks (7-7) means this prognosticator needs a better future, too:

PATRIOTS 27, JETS 7

If this were the good ol’ days, it would be more like 45-7. This probably won’t satisfy everyone, but a win is a win, and after the last month, it’s something the Patriots need desperately. Cam Newton should be able to torch this secondary a bit.

BILLS 24, SEAHAWKS 19

Yes, we say there will be an upset here. Why? Because Seattle’s defense isn’t all that great. It may be a mild day in western New York, but the Bills need to flex their muscles and this is the time to do it.

RAVENS 23, COLTS 20

Could be a good one in indoors in Indy, whose defense has played pretty well. Lamar Jackson beats Philip Rivers any day of the week. Call this the warmup act for next Sunday night at New England, a game NBC decided not to flex out of.

BUCS 37, SAINTS 24

My, how things have changed since the season opener. Tom Brady now has all his binkies in the bunker, and Tampa keeps looking like it’s rounding into form, even though it had to rely on the ineptitude of Giants QB Daniel Jones to get a win. Antonio Brown, four catches, 73 yards and two TDs is our prediction. They slowly ease him in.

VIKINGS 35, LIONS 34

Defense, or lack of it, is the reason both these teams from the old Black&Blue Divison are really singing the blues. Vikes surprised with a win over Green Bay last weekend, and the guess here is Kirk Cousins & Co. will keep the train moving ,especially with Matthew Stafford’s status up in the air.

CARDINALS 27, DOLPHINS 13

It really shouldn’t be Tua Time as the Dolphins won in spite of him last Sunday. It is, however, Kyler Murray’s time, and Arizona is looking like a playoff team.

STEELERS 40, COWBOYS 7

Almost too easy, but hey, outside of Seattle at Buffalo, there aren’t many good games this week. Steelers, as overrated as they may be, keep in rolling over a team that really has no quarterback.

LAST WEEK: 3-4

SEASON RECORD: 35-20

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com. Also, follow King on Twitter (@Telegraph_TomK).

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