2022 Patriots Preview: Endurance and progress are the themes for Invoice Belichick’s staff in ’22

September 1, 2022

Twenty years in the past, the Patriots have been contemporary off a Tremendous Bowl win and their intention for 2002 was to start out HOTT!!!

Invoice Belichick even had t-shirts made for his gamers with a easy slogan:

TARGETING SEPTEMBER.

Belichick doesn’t do inspirational t-shirts as a lot nowadays. If he did, although, what would the 2022 slogan be?

TARGETING … EH … WHENEVER …

Whether or not it’s Belichick citing a “course of” or Matt Patricia speaking concerning the “journey” or this week’s informal acknowledgment by the pinnacle coach that September’s an extension of the preseason and that it could take till Halloween to know what’s what, the Patriots aren’t fairly oozing urgency.

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Probably the most apt buzzword for this 12 months? Endurance.

That’s not essentially a nasty factor. Keep in mind, the ’02 Patriots focused the hell out of September and went 6-6 in October, November and December, lacking the playoffs with Tom Brady as their season-long starter for the one time in his 19-year reign.

The Patriots have wobbled out of the gates loads of instances earlier than and had issues end up nice. In 2014, they obtained their collective heads caved in by the Chiefs. They gained the Tremendous Bowl 4 months later. In 2018, they have been 9-5 and misplaced each recreation to non-playoff groups. They gained the Tremendous Bowl.

 

I vividly keep in mind Tom Brady telling me three days after the aforementioned loss to the Chiefs, “Discuss to me in a month and see the place we’re.” In 2018, after a December loss to the Steelers dropped them to 9-5, he instructed me, “I do know this, I wouldn’t wish to play us within the playoffs.”

However all of us perceive that these Patriots groups — with one of the best participant of all time at quarterback, a Corridor of Fame tight finish and guys like Darrelle Revis, Stephon Gilmore, Dont’a Hightower, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman operating round – have been quite a bit completely different than this 12 months’s mannequin.

An look within the NFL’s Closing 4 was yearly assured these groups due to Brady, Belichick and the roster Invoice constructed. Even when they began slowly, when it obtained icy out, the Patriots discovered their footing.

The final three seasons, Belichick’s groups have stumbled late. This 12 months, an enormous diploma of issue has been added to the proceedings. In a transfer that’s both impressed or cavalier, Belichick opted to interchange offensive mastermind Josh McDaniels with … no person in any respect. A minimum of by title. Virtually talking, Patricia seems to be the principle playcaller. First time doing that for him. He’s additionally offensive line coach. One thing he hasn’t accomplished in 17 seasons.

Mac Jones’ quarterback coach is Joe Choose. He’s not held that job earlier than. And Belichick determined that now could be an excellent time to pivot the offense away from the scheme they ran for a pair a long time with a lot success to a extra user-friendly offense that — no less than up to now — has run as easily as a automobile with sq. wheels.

Up to date Patriots depth chart after cutdown day

So yeah. Endurance isn’t only a advantage this 12 months as Belichick sells hope and alter, it’s a necessity.

Regardless of the regular drumbeat of pessimism and the comparatively low expectations for any form of playoff run, there’s a path to 2022 success.

Even when it doesn’t finish with a duck boat parade, the regular enchancment Belichick is betting on ought to come. Mac Jones will inevitably battle a bit with out McDaniels and behind an iffy offensive line. However there’s a complement of talent place gamers, particularly at tight finish and extensive receiver, who ought to make life simpler. If the staff will get a greater return on the investments made on Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor and if the commerce for DeVante Parker reveals the dividends it seems like it could, that’s buildable for 2023.

Greater than something, the Patriots want to point out in 2022 that they’ll shut the season with the arrow pointing up.

It’s additionally very price noting that the crop of 2021 and 2022 draft decisions are poised to start out changing into the core of the staff. The Patriots didn’t ante up for both Stephon Gilmore or J.C. Jackson however their secondary really seems to be an enormous energy popping out of camp.

 

And the pace and front-seven playmaking that’s been missing was addressed straight within the offseason. There’s loads to love about the best way the Patriots have reconfigured their protection.

Greater than something, the Patriots want to point out in 2022 that they’ll shut the season with the arrow pointing up. That they’ll compete of their division towards groups like Buffalo and Miami which have extra on-paper expertise. They’re 2-7 towards the Payments and Dolphins over the previous two seasons.

If they’ll’t do any of the above — present regular enchancment, make Belichick’s pivot to a brand new offense with a duct-taped set of coaches round Jones work and slender the hole between themselves and Buffalo and Miami (sure, Miami …), that may be a fail.

Proprietor Robert Kraft mentioned in March how a lot the staff’s three-year playoff win drought was consuming at him. Odds are the drought will lengthen to 4 seasons. If the drought extends and the 2022 Patriots enhancements are arduous to see, that may be trigger for actual concern. As a result of even with a boatload of cap area for 2023 and an encouraging crop of younger gamers, this 12 months is all about course.

Are the post-Brady Patriots simply treading water? Or are they making progress on their much-referenced course of? The win whole issues. However who the wins come towards and the way goes to matter too. The fantastic print on 2021 confirmed the Patriots bullied unhealthy or undermanned groups and have been crushed up on by groups they used to push round.

With three of their first 4 video games on the street, an 0-4 begin will not be past the realm of risk. However the subsequent 4 after which might be straightforward sufficient to examine 4-4. The Patriots shut with three of their remaining 5 video games on the street. The ultimate 4 are towards playoff groups from final 12 months.

It appears like 8-9. And a really fascinating offseason that might be knowledgeable by how effectively the endurance requested was finally rewarded.

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