Can the New England Patriots Return to their Former Glory?

By Eric Zhao '25

The New England Patriots led by head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are most famous for their dominant run between 2001-2019. Together, they produced the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Today, they are far removed from their glory days. The team had a losing record in 3 of the 4 past seasons, and in 2023, the Patriots finished with a 4-13 record, their worst season since 1992. Marred by offensive dysfunction, the offense finished second to last in scoring, averaging just 13.9 points per game (the league average was 21.8 points per game), were shut out twice, and failed to score more than 10 points in 6 games. Poor quarterback play was at the helm of the offensive struggles, with starting QB Mac Jones throwing 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions before being benched in Week 10 to QB Bailey Zappe, who didn’t fare much better. The Patriots also lacked receivers who could create separation from defenders or make explosive plays, with sixth-round rookie Demario Douglas leading the team in receiving yards, and backup running back Eziekel Elliot leading the team in catches. The team also suffered key season-ending injuries to players like WR Kendrick Bourne, CB Christian Gonzalez, and LB Matthew Judon.
Four days after the conclusion of the Patriots 2023 season, HC Belichick announced a mutual departure from the team, shocking much of the NFL World. The next day, the Patriots announced former Patriots LB Jerod Mayo and then linebackers coach as the next HC of the New England Patriots, making him one of the youngest HC’s in the NFL. Mayo stated that while he respected Belichick as his mentor, he had no problem creating his own path, vision and culture as HC, such as being more open during press conferences and naming more people as official titles. The first thing Mayo did was make significant changes to the coaching staff and the coordinator positions. The team made sure to re-sign many of their own key players in free agency, such as G Mike Onwenu and WR Kendrick Bourne, and extending players like RB Rhamondre Stevenson (their best offensive player), S Kyle Dugger, S Jabrill Peppers, and LB Jahlani Tavai. While they re-signed and extended many of their own players, they did not make a lot of free agent signings from other teams. They signed several offensive players to help on the offensive side of the ball, but the players they signed are good depth pieces—none are stars and can make a really large or significant impact by themselves. The Patriots also signed veteran QB Jacoby Brissett as a bridge QB to help aid in the development of their next franchise QB. Overall, The team really did not make a very large investment on either the offense or defense in free agency. The Patriots defense also took a big hit after trading star defensive edge rusher Matt Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, unable to come to an agreement in contract negotiations. The Patriots poor finish in 2023 landed them the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, their highest selection since 1993. With QB being the most needy position, the Patriots drafted UNC QB Drake Maye with the third pick to be their franchise quarterback. Although raw, Maye’s great athleticism makes him one of if not the most exciting prospect in New England in several decades, and has given fans something to be excited about. With proper development, Maye has all the traits to be a great QB and is the polar opposite of previous quarterback Mac Jones who had a high floor but low ceiling and was  NFL-ready coming out of the draft but didn’t have great athleticism, arm strength, and was a pocket passer. The Patriots also drafted WR’s Ja’Lynn Polk, WR Javon Baker, and OT Caeden Wallace, in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft, their next two most pressing areas of need.
The Patriots came lightly regarded in the 2024 NFL season, with most people expecting the team to be improved but still in a “rebuilding” stage, thus still going to be one of the worst teams in the NFL and likely ending up with a top-5 draft pick next season. There were pressing questions on whether QB Maye would start week 1; the Patriots put that bed to rest by starting QB Brissett in the season opener. The Patriots shocked everyone by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, a team in Super Bowl contention, 16-10 in the season opener. The Patriots then lost 6 straight games after, dropping to 1-6, including a 24-3 loss to the division rival New York Jets, a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers in which the offense was nonexistent and a loss to an injury-ravaged Dolphins team starting their third-string quarterback. The main issue is the offensive line; the Patriots lack of concern and investment in the offensive line during the offseason, whether that is through the draft or free agency, has them paying the price: The offensive line ranks second to last in sacks given up. The offensive line is ranked dead last in the NFL pressure percentage on drop back passes (54.7%). C David Andrews, one of their best lineman, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4, and starting G Cole Strange is not expected to return until late in the season at best. The struggling offensive line makes it hard for the QB to find receivers down the field, and it makes it hard to run the ball when the defense knows it’s the only play the team can run. Rookies Polk, Baker and Wallace have also struggled in their limited playing time, further slowing the offense. In Week 6 against the Houston Texans, the Patriots announced they would be benching QB Brissett in favor of rookie QB Maye, hoping that he could provide a boost to the lethargic offense; Maye threw for 5 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions and 543 yards in his first 2 full games starting, showing significant promise. Even though the offense was the main concern for improvement this offseason, and has been the main issue for the last three seasons, the offensive ineptitude continues. While I was hesitant on starting Maye early in the season, especially with the train wreck of an offensive line and lack of offensive talent the Patriots have, Maye has proved up to the challenge in front of him and has elevated the offense as a whole. Equally concerning is the defense, which has taken a massive regression from last year. The defense, ranked 26th, gives up an average of 359 yards per game and struggles to stop the run. This is significantly worse compared to the defense last year, which was ranked 7th, giving up an average of 301 yards per game and considered one of the best units in the league. 
While this team is currently going through many struggles, it’s important to keep in mind for fans that they are a rebuilding team, and it will take time for this team to come back to relevancy. This is just another step in the process—the success of the Patriots dynasty of the 2000’s and 2010’s wasn’t built in a day; and new success won’t be either. We’re on the right track— it may just take a while.