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.
The New England Patriots offensive line must find its footing
Last year, the Patriots o-line did a solid job protecting Mac Jones and was even ranked the ninth best front-five in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.
So far, it appears that a drastic drop on that list is imminent for New England. They lost a key piece to that core this offseason with guard Shaq Mason being traded to Tampa Bay. His presumed replacement is rookie Cole Strange out of Chattanooga who was a shocking first-round choice to the NFL world.
While Strange has showed promise with a solid preseason, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. was not very high on him upon draft night.
"“This was a huge reach on my board. I thought Strange might sneak into Round 2, but he’s not a first-round talent. I know New England has a hole at guard, but will Strange even start immediately? Strange made 44 starts in college and plays with good technique, but this is high for a prospect who is No. 69 on my Big Board.”"
With Strange having ‘boom or bust’ potential, and the Patriots returning three to four starters from last year’s adequate front, why the concern?
In Friday’s exhibition bout with the Raiders, the starting group looked helpless; allowing free releases, QB pressures, and two sacks on Mac Jones in not a lot of playing time.
Beyond that, there is even more uncertainty regarding this group with rumors swirling around a possible Isaiah Wynn trade. Wynn, a first-round pick in 2018, has been an above-average tackle over the past couple seasons, and there is no sure replacement for him if he is traded.
The front five has not looked great early on, and they are definitely a group Patriots fans should keep a close eye on this year.
Which New England Patriots linebacker will emerge?
The Patriots enter the season with a weakness that carries over from last year in their linebackers. Belichick has been known to go for bigger run-stuffers over the more modern-day linebacker with speed and versatility.
This strategy has left them struggling with pass-coverage especially over the middle with slower guys like Ja’Whaun Bentley. The only reinforcement coming really is Mack Wilson, a fifth-round Alabama product acquired from the Cleveland Browns. At 233 lbs, Wilson is a bit more mobile than Bentley, however he has not proved to be a huge impact player to this point of his career.
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Furthermore, edge guys like Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings will be forced to ascend into bigger roles after losing Donta’ Hightower and Chase Winovich, amongst other veterans, this past offseason.
They still have a premier edge-threat in Matthew Judon, and if Uche and Jennings can both make a leap there is still reason to believe the group will be just fine, but until those questions are answered this is a very feasible concern for New Englanders to have.
Who will take charge in the New England Patriots Play-calling
In the wake of losing longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders, one of the biggest stories surrounding the Patriots throughout training camp is the question of who will be calling the offense now.
Early on, it appeared to be a competition between familiar-face Matt Patricia and newcomer Joe Judge who is labeled as offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach. In the preseason opener against the New York Giants, Patricia and Judge split the play-calling duties, appearing almost like a ‘try-out’.
When asked about the move postgame, Belichick downplayed its significance saying, “…we’re going through a process. Simple as that.”
This story has gained traction due to the New England offense appearing mostly stagnant so far throughout training camp and the preseason.
After having an offense that struggled at times last year, it is not far-fetched to be worried about what its effectiveness will be this year given what we’ve seen and the fact that no true leader has been chosen for that side of the ball.
Mac Jones needs to get the New England Patriots offense rolling
After being the runner-up for ‘Rookie of the Year’ and being selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021, one might ask the question: How is Mac Jones a main concern of this team?
Yes, he had a solid rookie campaign, yes, he took the Patriots to the playoffs, but there are definitely limitations to his game that are worth noting and paying attention to.
Despite showing promise in year one, Jones does not fit the mold of an elite quarterback in today’s game. If you look at all the top tier quarterbacks, they each are strong-arm quarterbacks who can run and make plays outside of the pocket.
Jones is quite the opposite; more of a game-manager who is more comfortable making short, quick throws inside of the pocket.
As we saw last year, this can still win enough games for a playoff spot, but is it enough to transcend a team towards being a Super Bowl contender? If Jones is to be the franchise quarterback in New England, he absolutely will need to take it up a notch for year two.
The New England Patriots secondary the X-factor
Arguably the biggest weakness for the Patriots as of now is the secondary.
The most impactful loss from last offseason in New England was undoubtedly cornerback J.C. Jackson, who was second in the NFL in interceptions last season and was named second-team all-pro on top of it.
This departure moved everyone up a spot on the depth chart. The backend of the defense took yet another hit when depth corner Joejuan Williams sustained a season-ending injury in the first preseason scrimmage with the Giants back on Aug. 11.
This leaves Kyle Duggar (who has shown some good playmaking ability), the aging Devin McCourty, Jalen Mills (heavily struggles in man-to-man coverage), Jonathon Jones, and not a whole lot of reinforcement after that.
Adrian Phillips has proved he can be an adequate safety, and new arrival Jabrill Peppers has the potential to contribute, but to have an elite secondary in this league calls for five to six solid players with at least one upper-tier talent.
Cornerback in particular is one of the premier positions in the NFL where you want to have a game-breaker.
Bill Belichick, however, might not agree according to J.C. Jackson’s interview with Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston ahead of the free-agent frenzy last offseason.
"“I guess they feel like they don’t need me,” Jackson explained. “I guess I can’t be that important to them. I know I am, but they’re not showing me.”"
Letting Jackson go very well could blow up in Belichick’s face, and the injuries on top of it just might bring the mistake to light.