Telegraph Sports Reporter Tom KIng.

We’re now in 2021, but the Sunday season finale between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets will have that 2020 feeling.

Ah, the Patriots and the Jets used to meet in January in the playoffs; remember the early 2011 game when Rex Ryan’s Jets knocked off New England in stunning fashion, just a month after the Patriots had decimated them 45-3.

Back in early January of 2007, the Patriots avenged a stunner of a regular season loss at Gillette with a 37-16 win over the hated Eric Mangini-coached Jets. It was drama at its best with Belichick after the game shoving a photographer to give Mangini a hug similar to the one Michael Corleone gave his brother Fredo in Cuba in “Godfather II.” Of course, the following fall the two teams played in a season opener that was the famous SpyGate game.

There won’t be any of that drama in this game. There would have been some suspense if the Jets were coming in 0-15, but the Rams ruined that by allowing the Jets to beat them a couple of weeks ago out in L.A. How the heck did that happen?

But barring a miracle, for the second time a Jets coach will end his New York tenure at Gillette. It happened to Todd Bowles in 2018; in fact it was humourous after giving his final post-game press conference after the Jets lost to the Patriots Bowles for a couple of minutes got locked out of his team’s locker room. Later that night he got the expected ax.

This game will be the last one for Jets coach Adam Gase. The former Denver assistant whose claim to fame was helping Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl with the Broncos, has had his share of wins over Belichick when he coached the Dolphins. But he’s had a horrendous two-year run with the Jets and not only will today be his last game as the Jets head coach, it’s likely his last game for a long time as a head coach in the NFL. Yeah, he’s that bad.

OK, that’s the Jets’ problem. Will this be the last time we see Cam Newton in a Patriots uniform? His tweet a day after the Patriots were eliminated from playoff contention certainly sounded like he wants to return.

“The answeres are in the locker room and one thing I do know about this bunch is that this locker room is filled with guys who want to be part of the solution, including me,” he said. “…I think I speak for myself and others when I say CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.”

Oh boy. It’s clear Newton doesn’t take failing in his role as the Patriots QB lightly, which is a credit to him. However, the Patriots need a quarterback who can throw the football, which is something Newton regressed at.

It’s probably a good thing this game is being played in an empty stadium.

Two bad teams, one looking to start completely over for the umpteenth time. and the other looking to recoup past glory. We can tell you it is an absolutely bizarre atmosphere covering these games with no fans. Let’s hope that changes when we get to August (preseason) of this year.

It’s going to be an interesting off-season, beginning in March with free agency and extending to the NFL Draft in late April.

Belichick goes into this final game with all the outward focus on getting a win, blah, blah. You can bet that behind the scenes those wheels are in motion for what he wants to do for 2021.

The lists are being formed or already have been; remember, when the Patriots talk about players they’ve drafted, there’s usually talk of how he’s been on their radar for while. That’s personnel man Nick Caserio’s job to give a bevy of solutions to Belichick.

It’ll be a strange start to 2021 to not have Patriots playoff football to look forward to and dominate conversations and stories. All of us, from players to media to fans find out how the other half lives.

The other half, like the New York Jets.

Ugh.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or@Telegraph _TomK.

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