5 way-too-early predictions for Bill Belichick's Patriots in 2023
Heading into their fourth season since Tom Brady left, the New England Patriots are still trying to adjust to life without their long-serving superstar.
After unsuccessfully attempting to remain contenders with Cam Newton in 2020, the Patriots took on Mac Jones in the following year's draft. Jones returned the team to the playoffs in his rookie season, but it was all over quickly against the Buffalo Bills.
In 2022, Jones struggled, throwing for almost 1,000 yards fewer and almost as many interceptions as he did passes. This led head coach Bill Belichick to briefly lose faith and attempt to trade Jones in the offseason, but ultimately Jones was kept onboard after Belichick scoffed at the pool of quarterbacks available to him during the draft.
But with Aaron Rodgers now a New York Jet and the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins still going strong, the Patriots face a daunting task if they want to remain competitive in the AFC East. Here are five things that will befall the team in 2023.
#1 - The Patriots will have a top 5 defense
With his high-level tackling and pass-defending skills, 17th-picked cornerback Christian Gonzalez is shaping up to be an immediate contributor to the secondary. He is a prime candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. LB Marte Mapu will also smoothly complement Matthew Judon and Da'Whaun Bentley, and their efforts will help Foxboro to a top defensive rating.
#2 - Offensive woes will continue
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Pats' offense. Despite the addition of JuJu Smith-Schuster, he is the only quality offensive weapon on the roster after the departure of Nelson Agholor. That is not to mention the team's lack of depth in the ground game besides Rhamondre Stevenson. This is a far cry from a franchise that once boasted the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman.
#3 - Controversy between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe will emerge again
In his two starts last year, Bailey Zappe became a sensation, winning both of them and registering a passer rating of at least 100 (the first for a rookie QB in the Super Bowl era).
This briefly created a controversy, before Belichick decided to continue committing to Jones for the rest of the season. But with the team out of the playoffs again and Jones on a short leash, Zappe could be in for another successful stretch.
#4 - The Patriots will miss the playoffs again
All those things considered, the Patriots will have a tall task ahead of them, and unfortunately, they will fail. Rodgers has made the Jets credible again, while the Bills and the Dolphins still have formidable rosters littered with Pro Bowlers. Again, what prominent pieces do the Patriots have who can make dividends?
#5 - Bill Belichick will retire after the season
Even at 71 years of age, Belichick is still the most prominent figure in Foxboro.But with Jones' struggles, some now believe that Tom Brady, not the coach, was the person responsible for the Patriots' success.
With the team struggling to find its post-Brady identity, it may not be long before Belichick realizes the league has passed him by and finally leaves for good. Robert Kraft may not want that to happen, but he will eventually have to accept it for the betterment of his franchise.