By Jack McNicholas

In the NFL there are not many guarantees these days but one thing you can always count on is that Bill Belichick will build his team back up. When Tom Brady was there, we saw years where they went through coaching changes, a high turnover with their rosters season by season, and still found success. After one year without Tom Brady, the team decided to use their first-round selection in 2021 to fix that hole and Mac Jones was a success in this first season. How will he fare with the new play calling if Josh McDaniels is no longer the offensive coordinator? As mentioned in my Raiders article he is now the new head coach in Las Vegas. The Departure of McDaniel’s creates a ripple effect for this team that will affect this offense. Jones will be relied on heavily as all New England fans will be observing him each play as the signal-caller. Last year this team finished second to the Bills in the AFC East division. I believe they will be on a revenge path next year to take the division back that they have had possession of for the majority of the last two decades. 

The run combo of Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson was impressive in their first year together and if they can continue the success from the 2021 campaign and take the weight off of Mac Jones’s shoulders on the offensive side. Last year the pair combined for 335 carries 1537 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. Neither running back averaged more than 62 yards per game and that will be something to watch in 2022. 

The team as mentioned has gone through changes in the past but this offseason the team has yet to bring back two long-time stars Jamie Collins and Donta Hightower, who have not signed with teams yet. A chance to bring them back perhaps but they have lost J.C Jackson who has more interceptions than any player over the past three seasons. I do believe this would be the Achilles heel for the Patriots this season as I do have high confidence in their offense however they have to play Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs twice a season. The Bills Jets and Dolphins have all improved this offseason on the offensive side and New England has already taken a hit from the Bills taking AFC supremacy, with the Dolphins adding Tyreek Hill the New England secondary will need a lot of help. Losing Stephon Gilmore and J.C Jackson. The question remains just how they will adjust as a defense that we have seen as one of the premier defenses. Will New England find their strides in Mac Jones’s second season? Will they be relying on the offense more than they have in the past two years to carry this team to back-to-back playoff runs? Find out in 2022.