This is the last of the three-part Season Preview.
Coaching
The Patriots will be working with a first-time head coach, Jerod Mayo, an offensive coordinator who hasn’t been a full-time play caller since 2009, Alex Van Pelt, a first year Offensive Line coach, Scott Peters, and a quarterbacks coach with just one year of experience in the role, TC McCartney. To help with the Quarterback tutelage and game day decisions is former Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo.
Mayo will defer the Offensive decisions and coaching to Van Pelt but will remain as the decision maker. I like this approach by Mayo relying on the expertise of his position coaches. Mayo has no experience on the Offensive side so deferring to those that do have the experience is not a sign of weakness, but the right thing to do.
The toughest job may fall on 1st year Offensive Line coach Scott Peters and his assistant Robert Kugler. They are trying to mold a group of Offensive Linemen, without a veteran Left Tackle, into a cohesive unit. The Patriots offense is centered around an outside zone scheme that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has implemented. Peters’ philosophy is the of his “strike system”, which involves the use of their hands. Here is a great video outlining the Strike System Cleveland Browns Assistant OL coach Scott Peters – Pass Pro Strike System Codes & Cutups (youtube.com).
On Defense DeMarcus Covington was elevated to Defensive Coordinator, another 1st year coordinator. His elevation was generally hailed by the fans. Not only did they lose the Defensive Genius of Bill Belichick but also that of his son Steve Belichick who left for Washington University. Mayo brought his good friend and former Patriot Donta Hightower in to coach the Linebackers. Matthew Slater was also added as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach. It is believed he will be a sounding board for the players and will assist in the development of the young players as they become professionals.
Luckily the Patriots were able to retain both Brian Belichick and Mike Pellegrino as the Safeties and Cornerbacks coaches. This is one of the strengths of the team and having consistency with the coaching staff here is crucial if they are to have any success this season.
The Patriots have the largest coaching staff they have ever had with 32 coaches (including Strength and Conditioning). 11 coaches on Offense, 6 on Defense, 3 Special Teams, 3 Strength and Conditioning and Matthew Slater as a Special Assistant are new.
Strength of Schedule
Warren Sharp described their schedule as an “absolute nightmare”. According to Sharp they have the worst SOS of any team in the league. They will face some very good Quarterbacks. Rodgers 2x, Tua 2x, Allen 2x, Burrow, Purdy, Stroud, Caleb Williams, Richardson, Murray and Herbert. The secondary will be tested by a plethora of very good Wide Receivers too! This from Pro Football Network “The New England Patriots will contend with the NFL’s hardest strength of schedule next season. Replacing Bill Belichick is already a daunting task. Doing so against an overwhelming schedule — while deciding when to insert rookie quarterback Drake Maye — won’t be easy for first-year Pats HC Jerod Mayo”.
Overall Prediction
Have the Patriots hit rock bottom? Not yet! The first four games of the season are brutal. They face the Bengals away, Seahawks at home, then Jets on Thursday night followed by a trip across country to San Francisco. They could go 0-4. It is going to take time for the Offensive Line to gel, if they can stay healthy! The new Offense being installed by Alex Van Pelt may take some time to install too. Jacoby Brissett is familiar with what Van Pelt wants to do having played for him in Cleveland. Hopefully that experience will pay off. Can the Defense hold back the floodgates while the Offense gets into gear?
The Over Under is 4.5
The Las Vegas oddsmakers have the number set at 4.5 wins. Will the Patriots match their record of last season or will they do better. I think they will do better and here is why I am optimistic.
Last season their Field Goal kicking game was abysmal. They would get into the opponent’s territory and because of Chad Ryland’s lack of ability they would forgo even a taking a chance to try a Field Goal. They will be much improved in this area.
The Offense under Bill O’Brien was actually worse statistically as compared to Matt Patricia’s in 2022. That was due to the rash of injuries along the offensive line and inconsistent play of that unit. Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe were running for their lives. Jones in particular was very turnover prone, which led to the 2nd highest total of turnovers in the league.
The Wide Receiver room is better than what the experts are saying about it. Pop Douglas is healthy, Ja’Lynn Polk is an exciting rookie and Kendrick Bourne, their best wide receiver from last season will be back. They have surgically removed the two cling-on receivers, Juju Smith-Schuster and DaVante Parker who could not separate from even the worst Defensive Back in the league.
The Offensive line will get better as the season moves long as long as they can stay healthy and work together as a cohesive unit. Injuries are unpredictable, but starting 9 different Offensive Line combinations in 17 games is ridiculous. In comparison, the Bills had the same line for all 17 games.
The team won’t contend for the playoffs, but I can see them improving each week to the point that they will not be a pushover. The record may not be greatly improved, if any, but the team will be better. I would like to see them competitive and a spoiler for teams trying to make the playoffs at the end of the season. This is a full blown rebuild and it may take three years to get back on top. I don’t know if the spoiled fans of the New England Patriots are ready for this.
Captains Named
Jerod Mayo announce the new Captains for the 2024 season. Retained as Captains were David Andrews, Detrich Wise and JuWhaun Bentley . Newly elected for the 1st time were Jacoby Brissett, Joe Cardona and Jabril Peppers. I was very surprised that the team did not elect Hunter Henry or Kyle Dugger. Henry was a Captain last season and Dugger was selected by the coaches to represent the team in one of the Preseason games.
The captains will wear the traditional “C” patch on their uniforms. Under Bill Belichick they did not.
Practice Squad Filled
Linebackers Joe Giles-Harris and Yvandy Rigby were added to the last two spots on the 17- member Practice Squad. Fans will be familiar with Giles-Harris as he has been with the team for two years. He had an Interception in the last Preseason game. Rigby comes to the Patriots from Baltimore, whom he signed as a UDFA this Spring. The 6’1, 234-pound linebacker played collegiately at Temple where he started 35 games and had 207 career tackles.
The Patriots made one Transaction on Tuesday, signing Caleb Jones, a massive 6’9″ 370-pound OT to the Practice Squad. Jones played Right Tackle at Indiana in a less than spectacular career. Green Bay signed him as an UDFA in 2022 and he was on their Practice Squad for two seasons, activated for two games and playing in just one. This preseason Jones played exclusively at Left Tackle. To make room for Jone the Patriots waived DE Brevin Allen.
Number Changes
You can’t tell the players without a program. It may never be truer than this season with the Patriots. Here are some number changes from the Preseason.
Jacoby Brissett – 7
Antonio Gibson – 4
Kayshon Boutte – 9
Jaylin Hawkins – 21
Dell Pettus – 24
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
