The New England Patriots have finished the year 8-9 and have missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They fought hard but ultimately fell short in a 35-23 loss against the 13-3 Buffalo Bills, who clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC with the win.
The Patriots still had a chance to make the playoffs with a loss, but they needed the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins to lose as well. However, both teams pulled out Week 18 victories, which helped the Dolphins clinch the final wild card spot in the AFC.
New England has had an up and down season led by their elite defense that showed how good they can be on Sunday by forcing three turnovers by the Bills.
What ultimately went against the Patriots’ efforts was not one, but two kickoffs returned for touchdowns by Bills return man Nyheim Hines, including one on the very first play of the game. The Patriots special teams were horrid all game, even outside of the returns, and ultimately cost the team a victory on a day when the defense and offense both played well.
This season came to a frustrating end, as there was hardly a single game where all three facets—offense, defense, and special teams—played like a cohesive football team for the Patriots. If anything, that speaks volumes to the level of engagement the players have and the level of coaching we have seen.
Let’s get into the leftover notes from Sunday’s game.
1
Mac Jones is not the issue, and hasn't been
Mac Jones played one of his best games of the season when the team needed him the most, but that effort was ultimately overshadowed with the Bills forcing him into three costly turnovers as the Patriots tried to fight their way back into the game.
Jones was 26-of-40 with 243 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. One could argue that two of the interceptions were not his fault, but regardless of the stat line, the Patriots offense finally looked like a functional unit in the first half. Frankly speaking, Jones outplayed Josh Allen in the first half of the game.
The issue this season, and in this game, has been the inconsistency through poor play-calling and execution, which comes down to coaching and lack of talent at the offensive tackle position.
The Patriots should prioritize both of those positions if they wish to get back into the playoffs in 2023, but Jones was not the issue this season. He was set up to fail, and he managed to keep the Patriots offense, along with Rhamondre Stevenson, in the hunt with his decision-making along the way.
2
Patriots need to address quite a bit in the offseason, but aren't as far as you may think.
The Patriots do need to address multiple positions, but they can do so in one offseason. The core of the team is intact, but positions like offensive tackle, outside corner, punter, wide receiver, and defensive end need upgrades.
The Patriots need to find a true bookend offensive tackle that can be a true pass protector, which would ideally move Trent Brown back to right tackle, where the Patriots can try and stash his eventual replacement. They can do so with their first round draft selection, which will be No. 14.
Outside corner is also a need with Jon Jones a free agent, Myles Bryant a restricted free agent, and the oft-injured Jalen Mills on the roster. Jack Jones also could potentially be dealing with the Patriots as he was added to the reserve/suspended, and Marcus Jones projects to be more of an inside slot corner, capable of replacing Bryant.
The Patriots could attempt to re-sign Jon Jones as a patch, or they could let Bryant and Jon Jones walk, while adding two corners through the draft or free agency.
Punter is another funny one as Jake Bailey has filed a grievance against the Patriots and likely has played his last game in New England, while Michael Palardy has just been plain bad. However, there are plenty of ways for the Patriots to address this in free agency or in the draft/undrafted free agents.
New England also needs a receiver. But not just any receiver, they need someone to take over as a true separator and a No. 1 option. This is not as easy to fill, but the Patriots could look across the league at multiple trade options, or look to select one in the first two rounds of the upcoming draft. With only Tyquan Thornton, Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker on the books for 2023, there is a sneaky need to address this position and give Mac Jones weapons for Year 3.
Edge is a need purely for depth as the Patriots need someone opposite on the line of scrimmage, who is versatile enough against the run and in pass rush scenarios to help the team free up Josh Uche and Matthew Judon to get after opposing quarterbacks.
3
Patriots may need to clear house with majority of positional/specialty coaches.
The Patriots need to make changes on the coaching staff, as well as personnel. Coaches like Cam Achord, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia are all on the hot seat, and rumors have pointed to the Krafts ultimately wanting the offensive staff to be restructured.
A simple move could see the firing of Achord, moving Patricia to offensive line only, Judge to special teams, and hiring Bill O’Brien to call plays and run the entire offense as the offensive coordinator.
Even though the Patriots and O’Brien feels like a perfect match, he is also sought after by many other teams in the league for vacant head coaching jobs, as well as offensive coordinator.
Jerrod Mayo is also another potential candidate for coaching gigs, and could be out in New England, which could also see Patricia back to calling the defensive plays.
