The last two weeks have seen the Patriots get back into typical form. And that form is losing. At least they haven’t been blown out or put up a whopping zero points in either of those games. While I anticipated a loss to the Dolphins in Miami, I held out hope that they would pull out a victory over the mediocre Washington Commanders. Unfortunately, an interception off the hands of JuJu Smith-Schuester during the final drive of the game saw the Patriots sadly come short with a final score of 20-17.

At this point, there is no hope for this team. However, this week they at least get to have the unique experience of traveling to Frankfurt, Germany to face off against the Indianapolis Colts.

Shipping Up to…Germany?

There will be no shipping up to Boston for any teams this week as the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are headed to Frankfurt to play the NFL’s first-ever game in Germany. In recent years, the league has made attempts at expanding its audience by scheduling a few games in foreign countries. We have seen the likes of London and Mexico City, but now the international series has been expanded to Frankfurt.

As an avid NFL fan, I think these international games are a great way to captivate people around the world and generate an interest in football. Germany already boasts its own professional American football league that has been around for almost 50 years at this point, so I think those fans deserve to see the game played at its highest level. Unfortunately for them this year they got the dumpster fire that is the New England Patriots, but at least the sentiment remains.

Similarly to away games on the West Coast, the Patriots will need to make some special changes to their routines to combat any potential jetlag and the time difference. The last time the Patriots traveled overseas was in 2012 when they throttled the St. Louis Rams 45-7–that’s definitely not getting replicated this time–and the only player still left on the team is Matthew Slater, so this proves to be a new experience for the vast majority of the team.

With a unique challenge ahead, a few of the players have shared their plans for adjusting. David Andrews, the Patriots’ center, says he will avoid connecting to the in-flight WiFi in an attempt to get as much sleep as possible. As for Mac Jones, he has already moved his schedule to account for a decent portion of the six-hour time difference. The Patriots are slated to leave for Frankfurt on Thursday, November 9th, and will look to improve to 3-7 on the year.

The Injury Bug Strikes the Wide Receiver Room

A few weeks ago I highlighted how badly the Patriots had been affected by injuries. Since then, most of the positional groups have been on the surprise and we have seen better offensive line play, and gotten a few important defensive starters back into the lineup. However, the one position that seems to be constantly deteriorating is the wide receiver. Two weeks ago, Kendrick Bourne, one of the few bright spots of the offense, went down for the season with an ACL tear. On top of that major injury, the Patriots’ deep threat DeVante Parker has been sidelined on account of concussion protocol and is slotted to miss another game in Week 10.

If having the two top receivers out wasn’t bad enough, DeMario Douglas unexpectedly appeared on the injury report on Wednesday with an apparent ankle injury. Douglas is a promising rookie who is extremely talented and has shown flashes of his playmaking ability. He is an exciting replacement for Kendrick Bourne and shows a lot of potential moving forward. If he is unable to go this week, JuJu Smith-Schuester will be the only noteworthy receiver left, and he has been having quite the down year compared with his days in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

These injuries just keep making a bad situation worse, and to be completely honest, I have no idea who will be the “weapons” for Mac Jones this week assuming Douglas cannot play. Hopefully, they can find some way to win and keep an undefeated record in Europe, but that would be a miracle.

At long last I have something good to share. The Patriots won! And not against just any mediocre team. Mac Jones and company took down the Buffalo Bills, a team many consider to be a Super Bowl contender and a division rival. Forget everything bad I said about the Patriots…We’re so back! Well, not quite, but there were a lot of good things about this game so let’s talk about them.

Mac Jones Came to Play

Coming off of some of the most disgraceful quarterback performances I’ve ever seen, the man at the helm of the Patriots offense actually delivered this week. What’s better than throwing two interceptions and zero touchdowns? Throwing two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Oh, and winning. This week the Patriots get to enjoy a tangible step in the right direction rather than the moral victories we saw earlier in the season, and it started with Mac Jones.

Get ready for this state line:

• 25/30 on completions (83.3%)
• 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
• Sacked only once
• 78.5 QB rating

I think the thing that quantifies the improvement the most is the QB rating from this week; 78.5 is a very solid rating, especially when compared to the insanely good 6.0 Mac put up against the Saints a few weeks ago (sarcasm intended). Mac Jones made a very obvious improvement this week, and I believe it came with the fact that the offensive line was relatively healthy in this game. Despite the deep injury report during the week, starters like Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange were able to play and the difference was noticeable. Jones enjoyed much more time and less pressure in the pocket, which allowed him to settle in, making accurate throws and good decisions. The offensive performance in this game just goes to show that with good protection, Mac Jones can be a very effective quarterback.

Gesicki Griddy

Mike Gesicki–Patriots tight end and professional griddy-er–notched his first touchdown of 2023 at a crucial time to secure the win for the Patriots. After the Bills took the lead with less than two minutes left there was time for one more drive. Typically these two-minute drills end in despair and defeat, but not this time. A huge gain by Rhamondre Stevenson to kickstart the drive got the Patriots into Bills territory and a few plays later, they found themselves on the one-yard line. First and goal. One measly yard.

One incomplete pass later and I was losing hope. If anyone were to mess this up it would be the Patriots. However,  my lack of faith was misplaced and Mac Jones hit Gesicki over the middle for the one-yard score. Cue the celebration. The most foul griddy (dance made popular by players who have a lot more swag) to ever grace the screens of NFL fans. Mike Gesicki and a few teammates joined in; I will not lie, I was also hitting the griddy in my dorm room to the dismay of my roommate.

@espn

Gesicki #Griddy on #NationalTightEndsDay is just right 😮‍💨 (📺 CBS) #patriots #touchdown

♬ original sound – ESPN

Mike Gesicki’s rendition of the griddy (click the replay button to see the video). (source)

What’s Coming Next

It’s great to see a win, especially against a division rival and a good team, but the Patriots still have a long way to go before fans can be satisfied with this season. Unfortunately, next week they play the Miami Dolphins…in Miami. If you are unaware, the Dolphins own the Patriots when the two teams play in Miami. Going back to 2018, the Patriots have only beaten the Dolphins once in Miami, and that was when Tom Brady was still around. Since the dreaded Miami Miracle, it seems like every time New England travels down South, something goes wrong. Furthermore, the Dolphins have already beaten the Patriots this year and are simply the better team. With no home-field advantage, I give the Patriots approximately 0% chance to win this game.

Looking past Miami, the Patriots actually have quite a favorable schedule. In the following five weeks, they play the Commanders (3-4), Colts (3-4), Giants (2-5), Chargers (2-4), and Steelers (4-2)–all beatable and mostly sub-par teams–and have a bout with the lowly Denver Broncos (2-5) after playing the Kansas City Chiefs. Now let’s not get our hopes up and think the Patriots are making the playoffs, but if key players keep getting more healthy and they play like they did last Sunday, it’s not out of the question. Maybe they will surprise everyone.

Another game finished and, shocker, another loss for the Patriots. In a nutshell, this is what happened: the offensive line was absolutely terrible which hindered our ability to score points. The defense played decently, holding the Raiders to only 19, but scoring 17 points is rarely enough to win a game. With a final score of 21-17 (a safety in the final minutes got the Raiders from 19 to 21) the Patriots did not pleasantly surprise me, but at least they scored two touchdowns this week.

Injuries Upon Injuries

As I reflect on the biggest problems with this team, the most glaring issue I see is the rost. If you look at the Patriots’ working roster compared to just about any other team, it is absolutely abysmal. Even the worst teams in the NFL typically have at least one player who you can look at and say, “Wow I feel bad for them but they are the one bright spot on the team.” These players do not exist right now for the Patriots, but I don’t think it’s entirely the coaching staff’s fault.

Do I think the Belichick did a good job in the off-season? Absolutely not. Do I think that the roster is the worst in the league? Also no. The problem is that our healthy players are not serviceable. I won’t list out everyone who is hurt right now because that would take too long, but here is the full injury report if you are interested. Here are the important takeaways from that list:

1. All of the Patriots’ star defensive players are injured
2. There are five offensive linemen listed, three of which are full-time starters
3. Three of the better receivers on the team are on the list

Now I’m not saying that the Patriots would be a great team by any means if they weren’t plagued by injuries, but not having Matt Judon, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Jonathan Jones definitely puts the defense in a tough position. The Patriots are a team that relies on their defense to keep them in games, and through the first three games this season, that was the case. Once these injuries pile up, it’s incredibly difficult to stop even mid-ranked offenses. With essentially all the star players being defensive specialists and all of them being hurt, the Patriots are struggling to keep games close. It’s like trying to ride a bike without the chain. You are bound to fail.

I genuinely don’t think I have ever seen a team more affected by injuries in my many years of being a sports fan. It seems like every other play, another important player goes down. One of the craziest stats I heard while watching the game that also best explains the situation, is the fact that at the start of the game, no Patriots player who was dressed for the game had an interception on the season. That changed in the first quarter when Jahlani Tavai caught a tipped ball, but essentially what that stat meant was the Patriots started a secondary of almost all backups and inexperienced players.

Where Do We Go From Here?

You may be wondering what options the Patriots have in this situation. Well, I’m sure you also came to the conclusion that we can’t just quicken the recovery pace of all the injured players, but the team can look for some other options. With the trade deadline coming up on October 31, I think it’s time for the coaching staff to take a hard look at who will be available for the foreseeable future, and make some tough decisions.

First, the Patriots need to find some answers on the offensive line. No shade to Vederian Lowe, but he has one of the highest rates of QB pressures allowed in the NFL, and he looked like an absolute sieve against Maxx Crosby on Sunday. I’ve seen enough of him and would love to see the Patriots trade for a better right tackle.

Second, there needs to be upgrades to the receiving core. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott are solid runningbacks and Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki and two above-average tight ends. However, the Patriots lack a real number-one receiver, instead relying on a committee of very average players who do not get it done week in and week out.

As a fan, it’s hard for me to fully give up on this team, so I would definitely like to see some immediate roster changes to hopefully get a few more wins. I can’t justify rooting for continued losing and hopping on the “tank for Caleb Williams” train, but I can’t say I would be mad if the Patriots were able to draft him next year to replace the lowly Mac Jones. It’s hard to be willing to wait an entire year to see a better team, so I will continue to hope that the Patriots will give me something that is actually entertaining to watch.

I come back to you since my last blog post in a much more somber mood. If you do not readily follow the NFL, you may be wondering what could have happened in the short span of two weeks. Where do I start? Here are just a few of the problems:

1. The Patriots lost to both the Cowboys and the Saints
2. The Patriots were outscored 72-3 in those contests
3. The Patriots have not scored points in 7 quarters of play
4. The Patriots have a -8 turnover differential (they have turned the ball over 8 more times than they have taken the ball from opposing offenses)
5. The Patriots lost their two best defensive players, Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, to significant injuries

Usually, I have good things to take away from these games and report on. Often it’s moral victories. But as for right now, I have plenty of terrible, god-awful things to report on.

Belichick on the Chopping Block

The man who was credited with all of the Patriots’ success over the last 20+ years is seeing his reputation crumble around him. It seems as if the Belichick vs Brady debate that I have spoken about on this blog before is finally being settled. Including the seasons before and after Tom Brady played for the Patriots, Bill Belichick has a combined 80-92 record–not exactly GOAT or even Hall of Fame status–and has had double-digit wins in just three of those seasons.

It’s easy to say that the lack of success is due to the lack of talent on the roster, but who do you think makes roster decisions and signs players? Saying Belichick is not responsible for the roster issues is like saying a quarterback is not responsible for throwing an interception. Belichick is the one who decides who he wants on his team just like a quarterback decides who to throw the ball to. Both involve risks. Even if an interception seems to be the receiver’s fault (maybe the ball went through his hands) it goes down in the stat sheet as the quarterback’s fault. The same can be said for a head coach who is incapable of making decisions that will field a competent team.

Furthermore, Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft has said that Belichick’s job is not guaranteed and that he is open to firing the coach. After the last two weeks, we may see the end of the Belichick era in New England sooner than we thought. I can’t say I would be sad to see him go after the last two weeks. Watching this team play is like vacuuming the whole house… You don’t want to do it.

Preview for Week 6

I’m not even going to sit here and say I think we have a chance of winning. Week 6 sees the Patriots take on the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that frankly is not very good. However, the Patriots are even worse. With Christian Gonzalez out it’s hard to be optimistic about the matchup the defense has with star wide-out, Devante Adams and Matthew Judon’s absence will be sorely missed while trying to stop RB, Josh Jacobs from running all over the Patriots. Additionally, this game will be Jakobi Meyer’s (former Patriots WR who was actually good) first game against his former team. He will be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder. The Patriots did not resign Jakobi Meyers and instead chose to pay JuJu Smith-Schuester, an awful decision in my opinion.

As for the offense, I don’t think much needs to be said. They are averaging 11 points per game this season and haven’t scored a touchdown in well over two weeks. Mac Jones has looked terrible the last two weeks. I doubt any defense in the league would have trouble stopping the Patriot game plan.

Hopefully, all my pessimism proves to be misplaced, but I won’t hold my breath. There are no more moral victories at this stage of the season. A major turnaround is needed right now if there is any hope for this team.

Week Three is in the books! With two games played since my last post and another on the horizon, there is a lot to talk about. Before we dive into the headlines of Week Four, here is a quick synopsis of Weeks Two and Three.

Week Two: Patriots Vs. Dolphins

I may have predicted that the Patriots would win this game because of the favorable matchups, but long story short…they didn’t. A final score of 24-17 however, isn’t too bad considering how potent the Dolphins’ offense has been this season. Why isn’t that bad? Well, 24 points is pretty good compared to the 70 the Broncos let the Dolphins score last Sunday. The Patriots’ defense played very well this game and successfully shut down Tyreek Hill’s “big play” attribute. As usual, the offense left something to be desired but they had their moments and had a chance to tie the game up late in the fourth quarter once again. Mac Jones continues to prove competent, but may be lacking in the “clutch gene”.

Week Three: Patriots Vs. Jets

Back in the win column! After falling to 0-2 the Patriots really needed to pull this game out. The final score of 15-10 illustrates a low-scoring defensive battle between two premiere defensive units. Both offenses struggled to get going, but a 58-yard strike to tight end Pharaoh Brown was the difference maker. Rookie first-round pick, Christian Gonzalez, continued to shine at cornerback and held New York’s elite wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, to only 48 yards. My reaction to the game: offense, please be better. The Patriots will need to figure out how to score points if they are going to hang with some of the tougher teams on their schedule.

Zeke Revenge Tour?

The Patriots Week Four matchup is the Dallas Cowboys, a talented but inconsistent team. This matchup has a little bit of drama sprinkled in. Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott will be facing his former team for the first time since being released earlier this year. Along with the extra chip on his shoulder, Elliott is coming off a very solid performance last week (16 carries for 80 yards) and has been seeing reps as a starter at practice this week.

Rhamondre Stevenson has not been very effective carrying the ball this year–averaging only 2.9 yards per carry–so this week may see a changeup in who gets more snaps and carries. Bad news for fantasy owners of Stevenson, good news for Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott may be in for a big game this week, hopefully, one that includes getting one-up on his former team. Let him eat!

The Cowboys are coming off a rather embarrassing loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals, so they will look to bounce back. Hype surrounds this team every year, but they always seem to disappoint. Dallas is considered to have one of the most talented defenses in the league, and their offense is no joke either. Christian Gonzalez should give elite receiver CeeDee Lamb a good battle and if the Patriots’ offense can find ways to exploit the defense just like Arizona did last week, there is a good chance a 2-2 record is in their future.

Mac Jones Avoids a Fine

On a less positive note, Mac Jones was accused by Jets CB Sauce Gardner of hitting him “below the belt” during a small tussle after a play last Sunday. Unfortunately, Jones already has a “dirty player” narrative surrounding him after some questionable antics last season. Nothing has been obvious and Jones has denied doing things to harm other players in the past, but some have accused him of purposely falling or getting up in ways that put opposing players in harm’s way. It’s getting harder and harder to write off all of these instances as just coincidence. Sauce Gardner accused Mac Jones of some fine-worthy extracurricular actions, but video evidence was not enough to prove Jones did anything malicious. Thus, Mac Jones avoided a fine, but his reputation continues to be questioned.

Posting this so I don’t get fined lol pic.twitter.com/2KjcAVTNsW

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) September 25, 2023

Above is the video of the incident. I’ll let you be the judge. (Source)

With week one in the books there is a lot to unpack before the Patriots take on the Miami Dolphins in a Prime-Time matchup on Sunday night football (September 17th at 8:20). Below you can find everything you need to know before tuning in this Sunday as well as my review from game number 1!

My Review of Week 1

The beginning of this game was ugly. There is no denying that. A first quarter disaster, the Philadelphia Eagles jumped out to a swift 16-0 lead following a Mac Jones pick-six and a subsequent Ezekiel Elliott fumble–a problem persisting from his days in Dallas–on the very next drive. Similar to last season, the offense played abysmally once again through the first 15 minutes of this game, with the defense needing to carry the team’s success. However, through the rest of this game, I was given hope. Facing a Super Bowl favorite in the first game of the season is never an easy task, especially when that team has one of the most electrifying offenses in the league; it’s not easy to defend a dual-threat QB and two superstar WR’s. Despite this challenge and the woes of the first quarter, the Patriots rallied and dare I say it, outplayed the Eagles through the rest of the game. Did they win? Unfortunately not, but a 25-20 loss with multiple chances to take the lead in the waning minutes can be called a moral victory (if you believe in those). Mac Jones looked poised in the pocket and threw for over 300 years and three touchdowns (two to Kendrick Bourne and one to Hunter Henry). The defense played stoutly. They did not let up a touchdown outside of one in the first quarter (curtesy of Ezekiel Elliott’s fumble). Kayshon Boutte’s inability to get both feet in bounds on a 4th down passing attempt in the final seconds of the 4th quarter on a potentially go-ahead drive was ultimately to difference maker. I cringed a little at the rushing attack by the Patriots, but that is to be expected with multiple starters out on the O-line. Although the Patriots have started 0-1, I am excited to see how the offense continues to grow and hope to see the defense continue to shut down opponents.

Injury Report Heading into Sunday Night

Just like any other team, the Patriots are no strangers to injuries. The injury report includes the following players: OT Trent Brown (Concussion), OL Sidy Sow (Concussion), CB Jonathan Jones (Ankle), G Cole Strange (Knee), OL Mike Onwenu (Ankle), and WR DeVante Parker (Knee). Sow and Brown both were placed on concussion protocol following last weeks game while Jones appeared on the report during Thursday’s practice. Parker, Strange and Onwenu were all inactive for week one.

As it turns out, almost all of these players are key to the Patriots’ success. Four of the six players who are questionable for Sunday’s game are offensive linemen. Mac Jones needs to be protected. Missing four starters against a tough divisional matchup is far less than ideal, but the good news is that Strange and Onwenu will most likely suit up. Both have been full participants at practice. Jonathan Jones would be another huge loss if unable to play due to the fact that he is historically very effective against Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill. The speedster typically is a nightmare for opposing defenses, but Jones has held him to an average of 24.5 yards and zero touchdowns since 2018. DeVante Parker will hopefully make his way back to the lineup this week as the Patriots’ deep-threat to replace rookie Kayshon Boutte who was unable to make key plays against the Eagles. It seems as though most of these players will be game-time decisions. Only time will tell.

Week 2 Predictions

The Dolphins are coming off a big win from last week, where QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for over 450 yards and three touchdowns. An absolutely monster performance. However, the Patriots may have the edge over the Dolphins in most aspects of the game this week on paper. Despite the poor rushing performance last week, I like the matchup against Miami’s run defense because the Patriots should have Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu back in the line up instead of two rookies. Miami’s run defense was also shredded by the Chargers last week. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott should be excited. The Patriots should also enjoy an advantage against the run on defense. The Dolphins faltered in their run game against the Chargers defensive unit and the speed and quickness of the Patriots defensive line and linebackers should similarly hold the Miami run game in check. My only worry is if Bill Belichick decides to commit too much to slowing down Tyreek Hill. The game plan will be interesting.

The pass game should be in favor of both offenses. A wide range of reliable targets gives Mac Jones a plethora of choices while going through progressions. While they may not be superstars, the variety may cause problems for the decent Miami secondary. The Dolphins wide receiver corps is one of the best in the league, with star power in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. It’s quantity versus quality this week. Who will prevail? The Patriots have the edge in terms of matchups this week in my opinion, but need to play a sound and mistake free game in order to get their first win of the season.

With the start of the NFL season rapidly approaching and the Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on the horizon, here are the most important developments coming out of New England!

Bailey Zappe Waived by the Patriots

Accompanying the end of the pre-season schedule are, of course, the final decisions on who makes the roster and who does not (90 players down to 53). In a surprising move, the Patriots elected to waive all of their backup quarterbacks, including Bailey Zappe, a fan favorite from last season. Zappe reportedly claimed to have been ‘blindsided’ by the decision–especially from receiving no explanation–after playing a decently significant role on the team last. The former backup QB appeared in four games last season, throwing for over 700 yards and five touchdowns against three interceptions. These appearances include his entering the game midway through an October loss against the Chicago Bears, in which Zappe was given a standing ovation by fans  chanting, ‘Zappe! Zappe!’ due to the poor performance from starter Mac Jones: two three-and-outs and an interception to start the game. Jones later successfully regained his starting spot and remained for the rest of the season, but considering how disappointing the 2022/23 campaign culminated, it is no secret as to why many fans desperately wanted to see more of Bailey Zappe as losses continued to mount. Despite the surprise to Zappe and the Patriots’ fanbase, the quarterback reportedly ‘stunk’ throughout training camp and the pre-season; staying rostered in a cut-throat league like the NFL requires continued success, not just the memories of former heroics. Still, the decision to waive Zappe without the curtesy of a conversation describes an interesting move from the Patriots’ front office, who chose to sign Matt Corral (formerly rostered by the Carolina Panthers), to serve as Mac Jones’ backup. Zappe now finds himself signed to the practice squad for the foreseeable future, and time will tell whether or not he can overcome this obstacle and regain his position on the 53-man game day roster.

Rhamondre Stevenson Praises Ezekiel Elliott’s Versatility and Work Ethic

On a more positive note, this week, Rhamondre Stevenson–the Patriots’ No. 1 offensive threat–showed his support for the new running back in town. Rhamondre praised Ezekiel Elliot’s versatility as a runner, blocker and pass catcher. Stevenson also noted the intangibles, like Elliott’s hard-working nature as a ‘student of the game’ and role as a helping hand to some of the younger players who are still learning the ropes to the NFL. These words are promising ahead of the new season because in many cases, the signing of a new veteran prompts the younger player to view the newcomer as a threat to his position; instead, Stevenson recognizes the potency Elliott may bring to the Patriots offensive plan by providing a second effective running back to alleviate some of the workload. Coming off of his worst year stat-wise in the NFL, Ezekiel Elliott can expect to see a significantly lightened workload compared to the amount of use he saw on the Dallas Cowboys, which will lessen injury risk and hopefully keep him productive throughout the season. The good news for Rhamondre Stevenson–a 25 year old in the prime of his career–remains the fact that his numbers are unlikely to take a dip this season as he retains his starting position with Elliott as a security blanket to keep Stevenson healthy (avoiding injury at this point in his career is of utmost importance to longevity). Patriots fans should be excited to see what this duo can do in the upcoming season without the worry of Stevenson becoming disillusioned with the front office’s decisions.

Week 1 Projections

The New England Patriots are slated to start the new season on Sunday, September 10th against the Philadelphia Eagles: the team that is widely regarded to be one of, if not the best in the NFC. The matchup frames the Patriots as 4.5 point underdogs as the Eagles–coming off an impressive 14-3 season–are predicted to handle business in Foxboro. However, hope remains for the Patriots due to the home-field advantage and the return of post-retirement Tom Brady, who will be in attendance to give the team some extra motivation. The Eagles must attempt to shake off their Super Bowl loss from last season and get back on track (something easier said than done). Will the Patriots impress in their first outing next weekend or are we in for a similar showing as last season?

As a presumed newcomer to the New England Patriots fandom, here lies everything you need to know before tuning into the upcoming season staring on Sunday, September 10th!

Early History

Originally the “Boston Patriots” the team was founded in 1959 as part of the American Football League (AFL), and later joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1970 with the merger of the AFL and NFL. The Boston Patriots then underwent a name change to the “New England Patriots” one year later coinciding with the move to a new stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Early Patriots history defines itself as extremely forgettable. With success in the NFL often measured in playoff prowess and Super Bowl wins, the Patriots represented a below average franchise for much of their existence in the 21st century. Only brief moments in the spotlight during the 1985/86 and 1996/1997 Super Bowl campaigns that both ultimately fell short, presented fans with any hope of raising the Lombardi Trophy in New England.

The Start of a Dynasty

Highlighted by a surprise hiring of Bill Belichick after he had agreed to and then suddenly resigned from the position of head coach for the New York Jets in 1999, the turn of the century marked a new beginning for the Patriots. This new era began with the drafting of none other than Tom Brady at pick number 199 in the 2000 NFL draft. At the time a seemingly forgettable pick, this decision by Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, set the team on a crash course with greatness. One year later in week 2 of the 2001/02 season, the Patriots’ starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, took a brutal hit from Mo Lewis of the New York Jets. This quick moment forever altered the careers of Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as it caused a collapsed lung which put Bledsoe out for the remainder of the season. Next in line for the keys to the Patriots’ offense was of course Tom Brady, who would go on a magical run as the starter for the rest of the season and bring a the Lombardi Trophy to New England for the first time ever.

No time was wasted during the next years seasons as Brady and Belichick won another two Super Bowls in 2004 and 2005, back to back. New England had officially cemented itself as a dynasty in the NFL. Brady proved over and over again why he deserves the title of “greatest football player of all time”, by leading his team to the playoffs 17 times, missing out only in 2002 and 2008 due to his season being ended prematurely as a result of injury. Some highlights of Brady’s career in New England include six Super Bowl wins, five Super Bowl MVP awards, three league MVP awards, records in passing yards and touchdowns in both the regular and post season, and the greatest comeback of all time against the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl in 2017.

All Good Things Must Come to and End

Unfortunately, after 20 seasons with the Patriots, Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2020 season after his contract had run its course. Quickly a new debate arose. Who was more important to the Patriots’ success, Brady or Belichick? Since Brady’s departure, the Patriots relinquished some success fell and relatively weak seasons ensued compared to the standards of the previous dynasty. Brady’s replacement, Cam Newton, failed to lead the team to the playoffs in 2020 and since drafting quarterback Mac Jones in 2021, little success has been seen besides the short playoff birth in Jones’ rookie season that ended with a first round exit. As the 2023/24 season approaches rapidly, all New England fans can hope for is an elevated level of play from Mac Jones, supplemented by the new weapons brought on in the offseason with the likes of  WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and RB Ezekiel Elliot, as well as the signing of new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien among other new additions. Time will tell whether the Patriots will once again rise to the top or crash and burn if the Brady vs, Belichick debate falls further towards the advantage of Brady.