The New England Patriots went through their Groundhog Day in 2024, and the upshot wasn’t anywhere near as funny as the Bill Murray film. Last year was inked in as a big transitional season after the departure of legendary coach Bill Belichick. The Hoody led them to six Super Bowl titles in his 24 years at the helm. Those days are long gone.
2024 A Statistical Repeat For Patriots
Belichick signed off with a 4–13 season, which was sad in many ways, but cleared the way for a new man with a different storybook. Jerod Mayo got off to a flyer against the Cincinnati Bengals, and everything was sweetness and light for a week. Then the losses started to mount as the Homeland Defense went missing in all areas, conceding over 100 points in heavy defeats against Houston, the 49ers and the Jets. NFL point spreads on the Patriots were going large.
They never recovered, and Mayo ended with a 4-13 record, too. There were bound to be bumps in the road for the new coach, given the limited roster, but these became chasms in the last month of the season. The stadium was half empty for a nightmare 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers as fans called for Mayo’s head. It rolled in January.
Mike Vrabel Provides Clarity
What better way to get the supporters back onside than to employ Mike Vrabel, a Pats hall of famer who won three Super Bowls. His knowledge of the culture and the inside workings of the once storied team has been influential in trying to shift mindsets. The sense of entitlement has gone, and there are even whispers of making the playoffs.
Jerod Mayo Made Some Bad Moves
There have been more consistent selections and messaging. There was always a feeling of a stopgap solution with Mayo. Owner Robert Kraft refused to spend salary cap funds on a coach who was not going to move mountains. Calling his team soft after the capitulation to the Jacksonville Jaguars was also a low moment for the 39-year-old. That upset Belichick, which was another way to lose the dressing room.
The fresher feel around Gillette Stadium is palpable. This is all down to the more organized manner in which Vrabel approached free agency and the NFL Draft. The Pats plucked two left drafts in Missouri’s Marcus Bryant and the hulking frame of Will Campbell, while adding some real flair with Washington State receiver Kyle Williams and the explosive running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Mayo started Jacoby Brissett as the number one quarterback despite publicly declaring that Drake Maye had outplayed the Florida man.
Vrabel Wants Drake Maye to be the Main Man
Vrabel has taken ownership of the situation by challenging the 26-year-old Maye in his crucial second season. “The expectation is that he’s leading this football team. That’s what the job of the head coach and the quarterback is,” Vrabel said on the Greg Hill Show. Maye has been leading the sprints in minicamp, as his coach is putting him front and center of the project.
Milton Williams To Improve Defense
The incoming $104 million man, Milton Williams and outside linebacker Harold Landry form two parts of the new guard, which will surely be an improvement on the battered defensive shape of 2024. The Patriots’ defense finished 30th in the NFL in EPA per play. The pass rush will be the key, and despite the investment, there are still some question marks about the lack of cover.
Incomings like veteran cornerback Carlton Davis will also be a boost to the younger guns. The Pats have certainly splashed the cash that was withheld from Mayo’s short and unsuccessful reign.
Vrabel Wants Licence To Run
“First off is protect the football”, said Maye last year. At the top end, they have to go and do something with it. The Pats ranked 28th in first downs per game. Forget Mayo’s ill-judged comment about softness. Vrabel wants his team to play a tough and physical game, with Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels giving them more licence to run. Running backs were stuffed in short-yardage situations beforehand. They need lift-off with new legs.
Vrabel has put together a roster of loyal staff and assistants, like the return of McDaniels from the Belichick days. The Tennessee chain is also present, with Terrel Williams and vice president of football operations and strategy John “Stretch” Streicher employed to buy into the vision.
The Patriots are now looking to the future rather than rifling through comic hero strips of Tom Brady back when they had a dynasty. There is something of the Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson era in this epic fall from grace over the last few years. Now is the time for a rebuild.