The New England Patriots will remain one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. A franchise that won 6 Super Bowl Championships in 2 decades, 17 division titles in 19 years, and at one point won 11 consecutive AFC East titles. On the other hand, some critics would point to the controversy that marred the franchise including Spygate and Deflategate. Yet, most people admit in a whisper that the Patriots’ dynastic run will never happen again, although they may have bent the rules. However, like most great dynasties some felt like it would last forever but usually, it ends in a swift descent. In 2023, the Patriots are 3-11, and some fans hope the team continues to lose so that it preserves their right to a high draft pick. So, what has contributed to the decline of this prestigious franchise? What has gone wrong in 2023? Should they fire their legendary coach, and what about next season? In this article, we will answer those questions as we assess the debacle in New England.
1. What has contributed to the decline of this prestigious franchise?
The pivoting point of the team’s decline was the failure of Bill Belichick to re-sign Tom Brady for the 2020 season. Instead, Brady took his talent to Tampa Bay and proved Bill wrong by galvanizing the Buccaneers’ franchise to a Super Bowl win in his first season. I think Belichick could have done more to suede Tom to stay and feel more appreciated. However, I felt the breakup was inevitable because the roster lacked the necessary talent to compete for the title. The Bucs were loaded with a great defense and elite weapons like Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Rob Gronkowski at the skilled positions. Belichick signed Cam Newton to replace Brady, hoping the former number 1 pick would rediscover his 2016 MVP form. Instead, Newton struggled, the team missed the playoffs, and he famously fumbled away a game in Buffalo to lose. The team benefited from cap relief in 2021, and surprisingly Bill splurged in free agency by giving big deals to Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Matthew Judon, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and Davon Godchaux. In total, the team signed 20 players, but only Judon and Henry have played like stars worthy of the massive deals. The team drafted Mac Jones with the 15th pick and made the wild card round in his rookie season. The Patriots’ decline is partially due to bad management.
2. What has gone wrong in 2023?
The 2023 season has sadly been a continuation of the 2022 season. Jones lost confidence in his quarterback skills under the tutelage of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, who had no previous experience as Offensive Coordinators. The Patriots decided to rehire Bill O’Brien to salvage the offense, but Jones got even worse with a touchdown to interception ratio of 10 to 12. Ouch! New England’s offense is not just bad, but one of the worst units ever. The offense is the worst scoring unit in the league at 13.0 points per game, and it includes three straight weeks of failing to score more than seven points in a game. It included a debacle where they the unit was shut out at home in a 6-0 loss to the Chargers. Belichick should again get the blame for a few personnel decisions made in the off-season. For instance, why did they sign Juju Smith-Schuster to a 3-year, 33-million-dollar deal when they could have retained a younger and better Jakobi Myers who moved to the Raiders for a similar contract? Why did they extend DeVante Parker in a 3-year, 33-million-dollar deal when he did he not prove worthy of such a contract? Why did they push Nick Folk out the door as kicker, who has converted 27 of 28 tries for the Titans and instead drafted a rookie in Chad Ryland, who has been successful in only 13 of 20 attempts? It feels as if every move Belichick makes no longer turns to gold but backfires.
3. Should they fire their legendary coach, and what about next season?
The Patriots cannot fire Bill Belichick because it would be bad publicity for the team to fire a coach who brought six titles to the New England region. Instead, Robert Kraft will look to install a new GM to make the personnel decisions, and Belichick who had full autonomy will likely not want to lose any of his existing power. However, if Belichick is willing to stay under such unusual circumstances, Kraft will force his hand to make wholesale changes with the offense. Belichick still has credentials as a defense wizard because the unit ranks 3rd against the rush and 8th overall through week 14. However, I still believe the marriage will end in the off-season based on “irreconcilable differences.” The Patriots will look to move on with a top quarterback draft pick and a young head coach. It will be interesting to see if the Head Coach will come from the team’s lineage in Jerrod Mayo and Mike Vrabel of the Titans, who have a defensive background. Will they look to pair their likely quarterback (Caleb Williams or Drake Maye) with an offensive-minded Head Coach to ensure the development of the young talent? Only time will tell.