The Patriots Season Is Over, Time To Start The Offseason Work.

The Patriots went into 2019 the defending superbowl champions and went on to play in the wildcard weekend where they lost to Tennessee. As long as they had Tom Brady, they were a contender. So it was just a little more demoralizing when fans found out he had already checked out and was planning to sign elsewhere.

In 2020 Jarrett Stidham and Cam Newton would compete for the starting job. Newton was the favorite to win the job but with exception to his legs, he never really looked better than Jarrett Stidham. The Patriots would finish 7-9 and miss the playoffs. The pass catchers were below average but the quarterback play was way worse. The Patriots' quarterbacks showed it don't matter how athletic they are if they can't complete a pass.

In 2021 the Patriots made upgrades to the offense. They signed four pass catchers and drafted a quarterback in the first round. There was a split on whether or not Mac should start. By the end of the preseason, many had been converted into thinking Mac Jones should sit including myself. So Bill Belichick cut Cam Newton and named Mac Jones the starter. Go figure, right.

Anyone who seen Cam Newton play in Carolina this season knows Bill made the correct decision. Mac Jones would game manage and at times play like a rookie. The Patriots had a few close games but did their job for the most part and finished 10-7. Like in 2020, if a few plays had gone their way and they could've easily won 14 games but it is what it is.

I had the Patriots with Mac as the starter as a 7 win team but I thought Cam's legs and experience could net them 9 wins with potential to make the playoffs if things went well. Mac Jones was more NFL ready than a lot of people thought. So reflecting back on the 2021 season, I believe the Patriots were truly a double digit win, wildcard team. The thing with "wildcard" teams is they should be a level below the division winners.

Had the seeding of been different, the Patriots could've gone toe to toe with the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Raiders 26 to 19. However seeding did not benefit the Patriots and they were out coached. And out played. This wasn't something new. Since the bye week, the Patriots have lacked urgency and it's shown. The Bills did their job but the Patriots also helped Buffalo by beating themselves.

The Patriots looked slow on defense. And although Barmore is improving, the interior of the defensive line cannot stop the run. Offensively today they couldn't catch the ball. They still don't have a guy that can get separation the way Edelman did. Plus when Agholor's not on the field, this season, defenses aren't afraid of the other guys going deep. The offensive line is inconsistent and there's been a lack of focus and hustle from the entire roster.

The Patriots have needs to address on the roster without a doubt but Robert Kraft called out the coaches during the 2021 offseason. And they need to get called out again. The coordinators need to do a better job scheming and using personnel. The rest of the staff has to not only get the roster prepared for game day but they have to do a better job developing them. 

I don't expect there to be any news coming out of Foxboro until after the superbowl with exception to coaches being interviewed. I expect a lot of film watching and meetings internally between Kraft, Belichick, and the rest of the coaching staff. Stuff we won't know about. There should be a chance that someone gets demoted or fired. There were areas that just weren't well coached this season. Changes need to be made in some fashion.

The Patriots aren't going to have a ton of money to spend this offseason, so a lot of their roster moves are going to have to come from the draft. An area Kraft said the Patriots would have to do better in going forward. Belichick was given credit for the 2021 draft, can he keep it going? Only time will tell. Until then it's going to be a long offseason.