New England Patriots fans will finally be put out of their misery when the 2023 NFL regular season comes to a close in a few weeks. It's been a tiring last few months for the Patriots faithful, who've dealt with a team that's 3-11 ahead of Week 16, on pace for the franchise's fewest wins since the 1992 campaign.
With Christmas Day less than a week away, it's only fitting to see who's made Santa Claus' Naughty and Nice lists this year. While several Patriots are more than deserving of their fair share of coal this holiday, a handful deserve to have their stockings stuffed after being bright spots during an uninspiring campaign.
Patriots Naughty List #1: Bill Belichick
It's not surprising at all to see Bill Belichick's name atop the Naughty List. After all, the Patriots would likely have a few more wins this season if the 71-year-old made better coaching and roster decisions during the offseason.
While bad teams occasionally have a few things to be proud of any given season, that's hardly been the case for New England. The defense has been decent at times, but the offense is averaging an NFL-worst 13.3 PPG while being held to a single-digit total five times through 14 games (35.7%).
That's without mentioning the headache that stems from giving Mac Jones opportunity after opportunity despite the quarterback's poor play earlier this season.
Belichick's shortcomings this season have also left the franchise in a tricky spot. On one hand, some reports indicate that the eight-time Super Bowl winner could be fired once the regular season ends.
Alternatively, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Belichick being signed through 2024 complicates the issue and could require the sides to mutually part ways due to his status as one of the game's greatest coaches.
While the disastrous year won't erase Belichick's legendary legacy in New England, it's clear that he deserves to be on the Naughty List for his role in the Patriots' current (and potentially future) situation.
Patriots Naughty List #2: Mac Jones
Mac Jones has had quite the fall from grace since being drafted 15th overall in 2021.
The former Alabama QB dazzled with a Pro Bowl appearance in his rookie year, but he's been trending in the wrong direction since then. After an underwhelming sophomore season, some Patriots fans had faith that he could bounce back in 2023 — especially with the addition of weapons like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Gesicki, and Ezekiel Elliott.
Instead, Jones picked up right from where he left off, and not in a good way. Through 11 starts this season, the 25-year-old signal-caller has only thrown for 2,120 passing yards with 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Even worse is the fact that his 77.0 passer rating ranks 13th-worst among 54 qualified QBs.
Jones was also benched in four of his appearances, playing a big role in why Bailey Zappe has been New England's starting QB over the last three weeks.
Even though offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien hasn't ruled out the idea of Jones starting again, it's safe to say that Patriots fans are ready to move on. The franchise is projected to have a top-five selection at the 2024 draft, meaning the franchise will have the opportunity to draft a signal-caller with a higher ceiling than Jones.
While Jones hopes for a fresh start this year, all he's getting in the meantime is coal on Christmas.
Patriots Naughty List #3: JuJu Smith-Schuster
Hopes were high when JuJu Smith-Schuster, a former 1,400-yard receiver, joined the Patriots on a three-year, $33 million deal this offseason. As mentioned before, he was seen as someone who could help Jones take his game to the next level after helping the Kansas City Chiefs win the most recent Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, Smith-Schuster has been invisible more often than not this season.
The 27-year-old wideout is experiencing the worst campaign of his seven-year career, turning 29 catches into 260 receiving yards and one touchdown in 11 games. While poor quarterback play hasn't helped, the fact that Demario Douglas, DeVante Parker, and Kendrick Bourne have all outplayed Smith-Schuster is inexcusable.
With two years left on his deal, hopefully Smith-Schuster turns things around with a new QB next season if the Patriots haven't given up on him. Until then, though, the ex-USC Tiger should consider donating some of his undeserved salary to Christmas charities if he hopes to get back on Santa's Nice List next Christmas.
Patriots Nice List #1: Demario Douglas
Speaking of Demario Douglas, he's one Patriot who deserves to be on the Nice List this winter.
Douglas' spot on New England's 53-man roster was never guaranteed. After all, the 23-year-old wideout is a 5-foot-8, sixth-round draft pick out of Liberty. While the deck is usually stacked against players with that sort of profile, he's used that as fuel to excel at football's highest level.
Through the first 15 weeks, Douglas ranks second on the Patriots in both targets (60) and receptions (39), however, it's worth noting that he only trails Hunter Henry, who's played three more games. The rookie WR also leads the team with 443 receiving yards and ranks 10th among all rookie pass-catchers with 40.3 receiving yards per contest.
Assuming Douglas can avoid a sophomore slump, there's a good chance that he'll be a key piece of the Patriots' offense for the foreseeable future. That's especially true with both Bourne and WR/return specialist Matthew Slater set to hit free agency in March.
Even if he hasn't been perfect, there's no denying that Douglas deserves every gift Santa leaves under his tree this weekend.
Patriots Nice List #2: Jabrill Peppers
Veteran safety Jabrill Peppers has been one of the main reasons why the Patriots' defense has been semi-respectable this season.
After starting in only five of his 17 appearances in 2022, Peppers is back to being a full-time starter this season — and he deserves it. The former 2017 25th-overall pick is having his best campaign in years, racking up 76 tackles (51 solo), seven defended passes, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and a sack in 14 appearances.
Furthermore, the former Michigan product has only yielded a 67.6% completion percentage and 74.8 passer rating on 34 targets — both his best marks since the 2020 season. Peppers also leads the Patriots with an 87.0 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus while being ranked fourth-best among 94 graded safeties.
Hopefully, Peppers' resurgence isn't a one-off performance. He's signed through the 2024 season with a $5.55 million cap hit and could be another key part of any success the Patriots see next year if he picks up from where he left off.
As a result of his lights-out work, Peppers is more than deserving of being in Santa's good graces.
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