2022 NFL Preview: New England Patriots

The New England Patriots exceeded expectations in 2021, as they returned to the playoffs and amassed double digit wins. But was this an aberration or a sign of things to come?

Last season, the fate of the franchise fell onto the shoulders of Mac Jones, who was selected with the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he was handed the keys to the franchise and was expected to carry the torch from the legend Tom Brady. His timing and accuracy was a hallmark of his time in Alabama, and his efficiency carried onto the pros.

With 10 wins under his belt, he now heads into his sophomore season with raised expectations. The time is now for New England, as the clock ticks on the rest of Head Coach Bill Belichick’s career.

The “Patriot Way”

As the saying in Foxborough goes, you must “Do Your Job”, and that is exactly what transpired for the Patriots offense last season. With a roster devoid of high-end talent, New England focused on efficiency and ball control to scrape away wins last season.

The team lacked a true number one wideout, and relied on a power-rushing game to carry the load. Running back Damien Harris played the part, and contributed 15 rushing touchdowns last season. This, combined with Rhamondre Stevenson‘s five rushing TDs, took the pressure off of Jones in the passing game.

Jones simply had to maintain order, and limit turnovers. With a stout defense, and a league-low three punts per game, the Patriots ranked sixth in the league in scoring last season. Jones played within the system, and threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. He also limited damage with only 13 interceptions.

New England will have to replicate this formula to succeed in a competitive AFC East in 2022.

Replacing an All-Pro

A large reason for the Patriots’ success last season was the emergence of JC Jackson, who hit his stride in year three, but took off in year four. Last season, at age 26, he became a first time Pro Bowler and second-team All Pro. With a career-high 23 passes defended, and eight interceptions, he truly dominated for the league’s second rated pass defense.

The issue is that he parlayed this excellent season into a fat contract elsewhere, as he left the team to go play for the Los Angeles Chargers.

New England did very little to replace him, as they head into the season with Jalen Mills as CB1. This will be a lingering question as the Patriots head into the season. Can they duplicate their defensive success without one of the league’s best corners?

A New Target for Jones

One area of improvement for New England was to acquire a true target-hound at the wide receiver position. With Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Myers as the primary options last season, the team lacked reliable options on the boundary.

Therefore, they sent a 2022 third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for Devante Parker and a fifth-round selection. The hope is that Parker can provide a run-after-catch option for Jones in the passing game, and bring down contested catches in the red zone.

Parker had a down season in 2021, playing in only 10 games and amassing 515 yards with two touchdowns. But the hope is that he can revert to his 2019 form, where he had 72 catches, 1202 yards and nine touchdowns.

Swiss-Army Knife on Defense

Another intriguing addition for New England was the free agent acquisition of Jabrill Peppers. 

The former Michigan standout took on a one-year, “show me” deal to play for Belichick.  He joins a safety group led by team-captain Devin McCourty, and will be asked to play multiple positions.

Peppers has struggled in deep coverage since joining the league, but is expected to play in the box, at nickel and even as a punt returner in a pinch. Ideally the presence of a defensive-minded staff can get the best out of him.

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Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

The other interesting thing to monitor is the offensive play-calling. Joe Judge rejoins the team as an offensive assistant, while Matt Patricia comes back to the Patriots as a senior advisor. This offers a wealth of knowledge in the coaching office, but also creates an odd dynamic.

It’s unclear who will officially call offensive plays for New England, as the job was vacated when Josh McDaniels left to head coach the Las Vegas Raiders. He served as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for the team in 2021, and did a fine job with his work with Mac Jones.

You can assume Belichick will iron this hierarchy out shortly, but it is something that is unclear at the moment.

Overview

The Patriots ended the 2021 in embarrassing fashion as the Buffalo Bills ended their playoffs hopes in a 47-17 drubbing Wild Card weekend. Yet, they did exceed expectations with 10 wins, and had a seven game winning streak midseason. It will be interesting to see how the team performs in ’22 with a viable Super Bowl contender within their division (Bills) and a dark-horse candidate (Miami Dolphins) who improved greatly this offseason.

On paper, the team should rank third in the AFC East next season, and likely out of the playoffs. But as we learned over the last 20 years, you can never count the Patriots out.