4.) New England Patriots
Ever since Tom Brady and his crew of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman left New England, the Patriots’ offense has been near the bottom of the league. When quarterback Mac Jones was drafted in 2021, he was expected to be the future of New England but he started earlier than what people may have expected. As a rookie, he was the starter right from the start.
While the Patriots have found ways to have success on the ground in the run attack, their passing game has been limited at best. Nothing spectacular sticks out about this Pats offense. In this past offseason, they brought in wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal worth $33 million, tight end Mike Gesicki from Miami on a one-year deal, and re-signed DeVante Parker to a three-year deal worth $33 million.
Their pass attack doesn’t look like a dangerous threat as none of their weapons are true number one receivers. When it comes to the run game, Rhamondre Stevenson should be able to build off his 2022 campaign of reaching over 1,000 yards in the ground. Another upside to this unit - Bill O’Brien is back as the offensive coordinator which should give Jones more confidence.
The Patriots still seem to be stuck in the mentality of running the ball and playing defense. With the league having transitioned to a passing league, the Patriots have the lowest ranked quarterback and the lowest ranked receiving group in the division.