Max Kellerman Makes Prediction On Patriots Ahead Of Super Bowl LIV

Max Kellerman hated the New England Patriots last year, but decided to give them credit ahead of the upcoming season.

We all remember how Kellerman said that Brady’s performance would “fall off a cliff.” He talked about the Patriots on ESPN’s “First Take,” adding that the Patriots will represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIV. This one came like a surprise to you, right?

“Luck is the residue of design,” Kellerman said after noting the Patriots got lucky in the AFC Championship Game. “The thing about the Patriots is (Bill) Belichick coaches them to a great record year in and year out, so they’re always in the playoffs. And then once you get in the playoffs and you’re going to play the other team tight — because Patriots games are frequently close; they’re a different team every week based on who they’re playing — then like the Patriots seem to get lucky a lot. But part of that is because they’re better prepared than the other team, because their coach is better prepared than the other team.” 

This doesn’t change the fact that Kellerman is convinced that Brady won’t play too long.

“First of all, the eyeball test tells you he’s not the same,” he said recently. “Secondly, if you look into the numbers, it verifies it. Highest interception total. Lowest TD rate since 2013. Lowest passer rating since 2014, in a year of record passing.

“…. Two things have conspired to make it look like he hasn’t fallen off a cliff. One, he’s playing for the greatest coach who ever lived, and they’ve compensated with run game, etcetera. And two, they’ve changed the rules in the NFL where you can’t touch the quarterback.

“…. In big situations, he’s still Tom Brady. He still has the clutch gene, and all those things, for sure. But he is much more of a game manager now than he’s been at any point since he was a young guy.”

Hopefully, Brady will prove him wrong. The Patriots will open their training camp without wideout Julian Edelman who will be sidelined due to a thumb injury.