New renovations bring a fresh start

As renovations at Gillette Stadium near the end, including new function spaces, a taller lighthouse, and a brand new massive video board, the New England Patriots organization is taking more of the same approach—with a fresh mindset of optimism entering the 2023-2024 NFL season.

While there are a number of questions surrounding the team at the opening of the preseason—which begins Thursday night—the fanbase has a lot to be excited about, starting with the obvious new addition to the coaching staff.

A fresh set of eyes for the offense

Aside from the new renovations inside of the home of the Patriots, the fans—and the team—have at least one key aspect of the offense to feel good about at the start of this season. After what was a calamity of a regular season in 2022-23—culminating in the team missing the playoffs—Head Coach Bill Belichick set out to replace both Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, and hired Alabama Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien, who worked under Belichick for the team in the same role from 2007-2011.

While Judge remains on the staff in an Assistant Head Coach role, it’s exponentially clearer to see how the offense will operate this season as opposed to last. The person that will likely benefit from this change the most is quarterback Mac Jones, who has voiced his confidence in O’Brien throughout multiple sessions of training camp this summer.

It will be intriguing to see how well Jones can thrive in the new offense, and if he can return to his rookie form of playing consistent and impressive football. Although the offensive line still appears to need improvement, the backs and receivers should see an uptick in production within the Patriots’ offensive attack.

Just how important is it for Mac Jones to get off on the right foot?

With the aforementioned disaster that was the 2022-23 season for the Patriots’ offense, there’s an increased level of urgency amongst both the fans and the media for Mac Jones to start his season on a positive note. With a more legitimate offensive coordinator by his side, it is expected that he has a much better campaign than last season. Some consider this season to be a “make-or-break” year for Jones, and he will truly need to prove it to Bill Belichick and ownership that he is the quarterback of the future.

Key contributors in the offense, including DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Rhamondre Stevenson, along with newcomers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki will all be worth paying attention to in terms of their camaraderie and cohesiveness with Jones early on.

What might be the most important element of the Patriots’ offense going into this season is the durability of the offensive line. Left tackle Trent Brown has battled with injuries in the past, and it’s imperative that he remains healthy through most of the regular season.

On the other end of the line, veteran Riley Reiff and depth piece Conor McDermott—who reportedly has impressed in camp to this point—appear to be battling it out for the right tackle position. While Mac Jones’ targets are paramount to the Patriots’ success, the ability of the offensive line to keep Jones upright and protected throughout the season appear to be just as vital.

The stability of the defense needs to continue

With Trent Brown being a key piece to the operation of the offense, Matthew Judon—considered a leader in the locker room by many—is absolutely a huge part of what New England’s defensive unit hopes to accomplish this season.

Fresh off of a contract adjustment with the team, Judon is jubilated to get going with this new season. According to Sports Illustrated, Judon and the Patriots agreed on an increase from his original $2 million guaranteed contract to $14 million in guaranteed money. It’s a big win for an upbeat Judon, who is now set up for a monster contract next off-season.

A void that will need to be filled is that of safety Devin McCourty, as the long-time Patriot announced his retirement this spring. These are big shoes to fill, as McCourty’s presence both in the locker room and on the field were felt, and players will need to step up into bigger roles. One of those could be Jabrill Peppers, who received a contract extension after impressing in spots last season.

A promising development in camp has been rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has shown flashes at various points throughout training camp. Gonzalez, who New England selected with its first-round pick in this year’s draft, will certainly have high expectations this season as he seemingly slots in as the team’s number-one cornerback.

Bill Belichick, Head Coach, New England Patriots—Image by Sports Illustrated / si.com

Aside from all of the questions, the Patriots appear motivated

With the multitude of inquiries that have formed around the New England Patriots for this upcoming season, the team looks primed to have a successful start. The main storyline in training camp will continue to be the performance of Mac Jones, and how he works with Bill O’Brien to install a new offensive playbook. A lot of eyes from the fanbase will absolutely be on Jones at the start of the regular season.

In terms of the defense, though, they are expected to pick up right where they left off last season, but with slightly more consistency. Christian Barmore, Ja’Whaun Bentley, and Josh Uche could each break out for big seasons. Additionally, Kyle Dugger may easily develop into a Pro Bowl type of safety this season.

It will be interesting to see if Lawrence Guy and the Patriots strike a deal on a new contract, as the defensive end has been missing from training camp amidst a holdout. Lastly, the availability of cornerback Jack Jones is in question with his pending court date from his arrest earlier this summer. As the secondary is undoubtedly the strongest unit on the team, the rest of the defense and the offense will be expected to keep up in terms of success.

All in all, the New England Patriots have a lot of work to do if they want to earn respect across the league. With a competitive AFC East, there will be a fight for the bottom playoff spots within an already aggressive conference. Despite the doubters, the Patriots have most of their signs at 1 Patriot Place pointing toward an improvement from last season’s debacle.