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If you are a card-carrying member of the New England Patriots’ haters, which I’m thinking includes every NFL fan that isn’t a fan of the team, last season was a real treat. Not only did the Pats miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, they were one of the worst-coached offensive teams on the planet. That was, thanks in large part, to Bill Belichick’s inept handling of the offensive play-calling duties, handing them to both Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. It didn’t help Bill’s case that he continued to employ his two sons, Beavis and Butthead… I mean, Stephen and Brian, on defense.
It’s hard to complain about the horrid coaching from Patricia and Judge when the two worst coaches on your staff have your own last name.
If you’re keeping track, last year also marked the third since Tom Brady parted with the team, pretty much at Belichick’s insistence. As of now, Belichick has only led a franchise to the playoffs twice in his entire head coaching career without Brady. Bradyless, he’s whiffed on the postseason eight times. It’s an interesting stat for a head coach that is undoubtedly a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer and has the current claim of being the best head coach in NFL history.
New England’s train went off the rails early and predictably. They lost three of their first four and only started winning when Mac Jones was hurt against the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie Bailey Zappe led the Patriots to two consecutive victories over the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. In Week 8, Jones returned to the starting lineup and actually had the team at 6-4 until the wheels spun off once more. The Pats dropped five of their last seven. And, in spite of Zappe not starting again, are in the midst of a QB controversy since the rumor floating all offseason was that Jones was on the trading block.
Jones finished the year with a 6-8 record, completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Zappe was 2-0, completing 70.7 percent of his passes for 781 yards, five TDs, and three picks. Rhamondre Stevenson led the team on the ground with 1,040 rushing yards, five touchdowns to go with 69 receptions, 421 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Jakobi Myers caught 67 passes for 804 yards and six scores. On defense, Matt Judon finished with 15.5 sacks, 60 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, three passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Ja’Whaun Bentley had 125 tackles, five for a loss, three sacks, two passes defended, and a fumble recovery. Devin McCourty and Jonathan Jones co-led the team with four interceptions apiece. McCourty added 71 tackles, eight passes defended, and a fumble recovery. Jones had 69 tackles, 11 passes defended, and three forced fumbles.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
2022-23 Record: 8-9
Playoffs: N/A
2023 AFC Championship Odds: +2500
NOW WHAT?
Unable and unwilling to fire his own kids, Belichick at least improved the offense significantly by shoving Patricia out of the nearest airlock. Patricia landed on his feet as a senior defensive assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles and that’s good. He’s obviously a good defensive coach. The idea that he could coach at an NFL offensive level was dumb and, I’m guessing, not his. Joe Judge has been “re-assigned” to the defense and labeled the “Assistant Head Coach.”
In their place, Bill O’Brien, former head coach of the Houston Texans, returns. O’Brien had a lot of success calling the offense in the past for Belichick before being hired as head coach of the Houston Texans and being terrible at that. Hey, sometimes being a great coordinator is enough. Not every guy is cut out to run the whole show. Look at Steve Spagnuolo in Kansas City. He was a great, Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, was a terrible head coach of the then St. Louis Rams, then became a great, two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator for the Chiefs. Nothing wrong with staying in your lane.
Even with Jones being a first-round pick, he’s still on his rookie contract and there’s no reason for O’Brien not to give Zappe every shot to take his job this offseason and as the year goes on.
The Pats’ schedule is brutal and they will rightly be underdogs in every game they play until they travel to Las Vegas in Week 6. And, depending on how it goes before then, they might be dogs there too. After that, they get their first match-up with the Buffalo Bills and second against the Miami Dolphins in consecutive weeks. In all, the Patriots play nine games against 2022 playoff teams, including both Super Bowl participants. Five more of their contests will be against teams expected to seriously compete for the postseason this year — two against the New York Jets, one against the New Orleans Saints, one against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and one Christmas Eve match-up at the Sean Payton-led Denver Broncos.
It’s going to be ugly. I think New England maxes out at six wins and that feels like a gift since a 3-14 finish wouldn’t shock me. The Pats are finishing with their second straight losing record and, unless Belichick retires at season’s end, will absolutely be the HBO’s Hard Knocks team next year. It will be glorious.
THE DRAFT
Bill and the boys actually added some real talent in April’s Annual Amateur Player Selection Meeting. New England selected cornerback Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon in Round 1. Added Georgia Tech edge rusher Keion White in Round 2 and defensive back Marte Mapu in Round 3 out of Sacramento State. They took nine more players after that, highlighted by the selection of wideout Keyshon Boutte out of LSU in the sixth, a guy that probably could have gone as high as the second round. All this earned them a “A” grade in my draft rankings.
FREE AGENCY
After a free agency spending spree in 2021, the Patriots weren’t quite as active this offseason. They added wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster from the Kansas City Chiefs, offensive tackle Calvin Anderson from the Denver Broncos, linebacker Chris Board from the Detroit Lions, offensive tackle Riley Reiff from the Chicago Bears, tight end Anthony Firkser from the Atlanta Falcons and punter Corliss Waitman from the Denver Broncos.
AFC EAST
Gone are the days when Belichick and Brady lorded over a weak and hapless AFC East. Every team has a good head coach now and, more importantly, a better QB than New England. The Bills will repeat as champions, with the Jets and Dolphins battling out for one of just three available Wild Card spots in the playoffs. And the Patriots will get to watch it all from home.
Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.
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