A lot of hype surrounded New England Patriots season expectations when Drake Maye started showing promise. And this is understandable. Jerod Mayo offers a different approach and voice from what fans have been used to. Furthermore, Tom Brady’s time in Foxboro being further and further from the present day signifies an organizational standard that once was. This is a franchise that has grown accustomed to winning.
Expectations for 2024 New England Patriots Need to be Lowered
Patriots’ Roster in Transition
Regardless of how the credit cake gets sliced, the main directing people who were involved are no longer there. So when the rookie showed glimpses of greatness, a lot of buzz surrounded this year’s prospects. However, since then, Jacoby Brissett has been named the starter. A lot of the excitement left the discourse almost immediately.
That is to say, without seeing how the No. 3 overall pick does in an actual game, for many, there isn’t much reason to look forward to games.
This can be true while acknowledging the role of the current starter. Brissett is a capable QB in this league. In his first Foxboro stint and later on, he would sometimes step in and perform well. Unfortunately for him, the peaks were too inconsistent. He’s someone who is serviceable and who you’d like to have, ideally in a backup role. Regardless, he’s someone who the team can trust to largely avoid the boneheaded negative plays and turnovers.
And it’s hard to see the offense being worse than what it has been in recent memory. But by acknowledging these points, it’s again hard to be excited. But that’s exactly what this organization needs right now.
Long story short, particularly on offense, this is not a good roster. Moreover, the offensive line is below average and needs a lot of work. Regardless of who is taking snaps, they will be running for their lives. And while there are some potential glimpses of talent at receiver, there are more questions than answers at this point.
Questions Remain About Patriots’ Front Office, Coaching Staff
Unfortunately, the biggest question marks remain with the front office and coaching staff personnel. Not only are there first-time people in their perspective roles, but the void left by Bill Belichick appears to be a little larger than many would have originally anticipated. That’s not to say that Mayo or Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will not eventually be able to figure it out.
But it will likely take time for the new pieces to find a way that works best to work together. When combined with the roles of the Kraft family and Eliot Wolf, the jockeying for responsibilities will be an ongoing development throughout the year.
Truthfully, it’s unknown if any of the current people are in the best positions to help bring winning back to Gillette Stadium. People tend to want to force the current person in charge without thinking of the long-term repercussions. Therefore, regardless of who ended up being the Week 1 starter, it was something of a lose-lose decision. While the first matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals may be winnable, it would be something of a surprise.
But looking beyond that, there are far too many unknowns for anyone to legitimately be overly enthusiastic about this team’s chances of making the playoffs. And while starting Maye would be a shot of adrenaline, it’s ill-advised at this point. Unfortunately, the team is not good, and especially the offensive line will make the push to a half dozen wins difficult. Allowing the new quarterback to develop and wait even a couple of weeks is not popular.
However, the decision matches what the New England Patriots season expectations should be. This is a building and evaluation year to see who best to move forward with. Anything beyond that is premature and likely to lead to disappointment.
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