New England Patriots: Top 5 concerns heading into 2022 NFL season

Since the departure of Tom Brady just a few years ago, all eyes immediately turned to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

All are expecting him to prove he can carry on the winning culture in Foxboro without Brady, and the 2022-23 season in particular has the potential to create a lasting impact on Belichick’s legacy.

The New England Patriots have raised more questions

From the start of New England’s training camp on July 26 to their 23-6 loss in the preseason finale against the Raiders on Friday, there has been enough shown to cause concern regarding the status of the team going into the new season.

In the two seasons they have had in the post-Brady era, it seems like the Patriots have had somewhat of an excuse to not retain their usual reputation as one of the top-dogs in the league. Year one was a bridge year with Newton, and year two Belichick had a rookie quarterback in Mac Jones, both fair reasons to warrant lower expectations.

However, now three years removed from Brady, and Mac Jones coming off a ‘Rookie of the Year’ push, the pressure is on for Belichick to prove New England is back to being a contender.

Although it is only the preseason, the signs that have been shown to this point have not been trending entirely in Belichick’s favor.

Here are the top five concerns Patriots fans should have about the team entering the 2022-23 campaign.