They were the class of the AFC for two decades. Those were the days, right? Last year, things changed for them. After 20 seasons with one team and six Super Bowl titles, Tom Brady announced he was leaving the only team he ever knew and tested free agency for the first time in his career. It was an adjustment for them in 2020 and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. This April, they drafted Mac Jones out of Alabama. Before the season started, the Patriots parted ways with Cam Newton and released him. Things looked rough for a while this season, but they have turned the page and have won five games in a row. They are one of the hottest teams in football at the moment.
Their offense isn’t anything flashy. They push the football down the field with a consistent running game and coaching Mac to his strengths. They aren’t allowing him to do too much or too little. Just control the football game, hand it off, make your passes here and there and most importantly, don’t lose the game. People had doubts about Mac when he was drafted. I don’t hear those people now. For years, I’ve always said their running game makes them scarier when they actually apply it to their game plan and consistently pound the rock in between the tackles. Also, they have more playmakers on this side of the ball compared to last season. Hunter Henry provides depth, Kendrick Bourne and Mac are both on the same page now than they were earlier in the year and they do just enough to attack defenses as a unit. Mac looks so poised when he’s in that pocket.
Defense has always been a Bill Belichick mantra. This is a top five unit in the NFL right now. If you’ve followed football long enough, the two things Belichick will always do is what? Make you one dimensional and he always takes away your best playmaker. The biggest blessing to this defense has been Matthew Judon who’s emerged as their best defensive player. Most Belichick defenses have a pass rusher. Judon does more than just get after the quarterback. It also helps the Patriots have key guys that are healthy on that side of the ball as well. How about JC Jackson? I understand why they traded Stephon Gilmore. JC made him expendable because his skillset is somewhat similar to Stephon’s. He’s a shut down corner that can shut down one side of the field. It feels like 2001 all over again in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The offense controls the clock and they’re playing opportunistic defense.
