Robert Kraft bothered by New England Patriots' 3-year playoff skid

PALM BEACH, Fla. — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed frustration with his team's recent slide, but expressed hope for the future led by coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones.

«I'm a Patriot fan, big-time, first. More than anything, it bothers me that we haven't been able to win a playoff game in the last three years,» Kraft said Tuesday from the NFL annual meeting.

«After my family there's nothing more important to me than the New England Patriots and winning football games. That's my passion, so whatever I can do — hopefully in a small way to make that happen — I'm there. I'm not happy that we haven't won a playoff game in three years. I think about that a lot.»

The Patriots' last playoff win was their 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

The following season, in 2019, they won the AFC East championship but lost to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round at home in quarterback Tom Brady's final game with the franchise.

With Cam Newton at quarterback in 2020, the Patriots finished 7-9 and out of the playoffs. Then last season, Jones helped them to a 10-7 record and wild-card berth, but the team was blown out in an embarrassing 47-17 road loss to the Buffalo Bills.

It's a drought that Kraft and Patriots fans aren't accustomed to after the team's dynastic run from 2001-2018 that included six Super Bowl championships.

«I think we had a period of two decades that were unbelievable with a salary cap. We have to find a way to sustain it and keep it going,» he said.

Kraft pinpointed the draft as one factor for the recent dip, but the Patriots' selection of Jones in the first round last year (15th overall) — along with others such as defensive tackle Christian Barmore and