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Thursday 5 sepTember 2019

Patriots start season at No. 1 in AP Pro32 poll

By SIMMI BUTTAR third and fourth, respec-
AP Pro Football Writer tively. “After two excruci-
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL’s ating playoff setbacks, the
final four teams at the end Saints are poised to repre-
of last season will start off as sent the NFC in Miami Feb.
the top four going into the 2,” said Ira Kaufman of Fox
start of the 2019 season. 13 in Tampa, Florida.
Which is not all that surpris- Those two teams started
ing. Even less so is the team a run of five consecutive
at the top: the defending teams from the NFC in the
champion New England poll. The Philadelphia Ea-
Patriots. The Patriots re- gles and Chicago Bears,
ceived eight of the 12 first- who faced off in a memo-
place votes for 376 points rable NFC wild-card game
in balloting Tuesday by me- last season, followed at
dia members who regularly Nos. 5 and 6, respective-
cover the NFL. ly. The Eagles advanced
The Patriots will begin their when Cody Parkey missed
quest for a seventh Super a 43-yard field goal in the
Bowl on Sunday night when final seconds. The Bears
they host the Pittsburgh have Eddy Pineiro as their
Steelers. The two teams are kicker now as they host the
tied for the most with six. rival Green Bay Packers on
“The defending champs New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline in the first half of an NFL Thursday night in the NFL’s
have a chance to make preseason football game against the New York Giants, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Foxborough, regular-season opener.
it to four straight Super Mass. “Secondary issues critical
Bowls, and who’s going Associated Press with (Vic) Fangio gone,”
to say they don’t have Belichick. The Kansas City “Did defensive coordina- the reigning league MVP. Fox Sports’ John Czarnecki
a chance? Even with a Chiefs, who lost to the Pa- tors come any closer in the The New Orleans Saints and said of the former Bears
42-year-old quarterback triots at home in overtime offseason to figuring out the Los Angeles Rams, who defensive coordinator who
and a 67-year-old coach,” of the AFC championship how to stop Patrick Ma- met in the NFC champion- was hired in the offseason
Newsday’s Bob Glauber game, earned two first- homes?” Charean Williams ship game, each received to be the head coach of
said of Tom Brady and Bill place votes for 357 points. of Pro Football Talk asked of a first-place vote and were the Denver Broncos.q