New England Patriots: Expectations should be tempered going forward

For the second year in a row, the New England Patriots are a bad football team. It hurts to write it out, it’ll hurt to read it, but that’s simply the way it is.

Sure, we can play the “what if” game and say that they are just a handful of plays away from being 5-1. They have simply handed the other team the game more often than not, with their only decisive defeat coming against the New Orleans Saints.

However, the reality is that good teams find a way to win close games. The Patriots are 1-3 in contests decided by one possession. These used to be the types of games where the Patriots would come out ahead against all odds.

Many predicted going into the season that the Patriots would have a resurgent year and return to the playoffs. The team has proven that to have been an extremely naive projection.

They don’t do anything fundamentally well, which is an absolutely damning indictment on this coaching staff lead by Bill Belichick. They are currently tied for third in the NFL in giveaways and are ranked near the bottom of the league in almost every important category on offense, while the defense is streaky at best.

What to watch for on the New England Patriots going forward?

A playoff berth at this point is extremely unlikely for the New England Patriots. There are too many good teams in the AFC  to overcome. With that said, there’s still plenty to keep an eye on for the remaining 11 games of the season.

Mac Jones has been a bright spot. The rookie is coming off a nice performance against the Dallas Cowboys and has shown flashes this season that he can be the franchise quarterback that the Patriots were hoping for when they selected him with the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Jones continuing to develop will be a focal point going forward. He’s had moments of brilliance but he’s not immune to head scratching plays yet, which is perfectly fine at this point in his very young career.

It will also be interesting to see how the rest of the newcomers fare. Other rookies and second year players such as Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, and Josh Uche are expected to be cornerstones of the team, and they can help reinforce that by making an impact the rest of the way.

On the other hand there are still a few offseason acquisitions who need to get acclimated still. Nelson Agholor has provided nothing of value since Week 1, Jonnu Smith has essentially been doghoused after his horrendous performance against the Saints, while Jalen Mills is still getting peeled off the grill after getting burnt by CeeDee Lamb.

Those guys need to step up and start producing, as they are being paid way more than they are currently worth.

Never say never, but the playoff expectations for the New England Patriots need to be put on hold until they prove otherwise. Until then, there is still enough reason to keep watching in hopes of improvement in areas that will benefit the team in the future.