The Patriots are halfway through the 2024 regular season and, for the second year in a row, find themselves at 2-7 and in last place in the AFC East. While the record and standing are the same, this is an entirely different team from 2023, with Jerod Mayo installed as coach in place of Bill Belichick and Drake Maye in at quarterback over Mac Jones.
So far, this new regime has been a mixed bag. On a macro level, they are one of the worst teams in the league and, if the season were to end today, would have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That’s due to a lack of talent but also due to some questionable coaching throughout the midway point. Arguably, the low point of the season to this point came in London in a 32-16 defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7 when Mayo called out his team, telling reporters after the loss that “we are a soft football team across the board.”
With that in mind, as you comb through these midseason grades, you shouldn’t expect any marks to be hanging on the fridge.
However, if you were looking for a silver lining to this rough first half, you’d find it with Maye. The No. 3 overall pick has flashed his potential on more than one occasion, and it appears that he has the makings of being a franchise quarterback. That said, the limited talent around him needs to improve to fully see his potential, but that’s a conversation for the offseason.
In the here and now, let’s take a snapshot of where New England stands with nine weeks in the books and hand out our midseason grades.
Offense: D
Want to start with the positive news? What keeps the offense out of the ‘F’ category is almost exclusively Drake Maye. The moment hasn’t seemed too big for him throughout his first four starts, and he has flashed elite potential over that stretch. The arm talent is obvious, and mobility has been a stellar weapon for the offense through his first four starts. In fact, he’s led the team in rushing in three of his four starts, and the lone time he did not was when he left with a concussion. While Maye’s rushing ability is a strength, that head injury is a reminder that it shouldn’t be the center of his game. Instead, that mobility is better served keeping plays alive to pass, as he did with the game-tying touchdown last week against Tennessee.
Outside of Maye, there isn’t much to like about this offense.
The offensive line has been a storyline dating to OTAs, as there didn’t seem to be enough talent there to keep whoever is under center upright. That has largely held throughout the first nine weeks. New England has given up the second-most sacks (31) this season and has allowed the second-highest pressure rate (41.2%). Mayo has mixed and matched a number of different combinations, but it’s clear that this unit isn’t built for the long term.
The line’s issues have also reared its head in the running game, but the backs aren’t doing the team any favors either. Rhamondre Stevenson was plagued with fumbles to begin the year and has averaged 3.6 yards per attempt. So far, the team ranks 24th in rushing yards per game (111.0).
While Hunter Henry has provided a solid outlet for Maye through the air, the pass-catching unit — particularly the wide receivers — has been a major disappointment. Rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have made little to no impact, while veteran addition K.J. Osborn has also registered just seven catches on the year. Kayshon Boutte has been somewhat of a bright spot, and DeMario Douglas has caught 72.9% of his targets, but New England still is glaringly missing a game-breaking skill-position player.
Defense: D
Injuries and departures have taken a toll on the Patriots defense. Before the year, the team traded away pass rusher Matthew Judon and lost defensive tackle Christian Barmore — arguably their best player — indefinitely due to blood clots. As the year went along, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley went down with a torn pec in Week 2, while safety Jabrill Peppers has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List due to assault and drug possession charges. That’s a serious drain in talent for what statistically was a strong unit a season again, but even as we account for that, this unit has struggled mightily.
They can’t stop the run, as the unit is surrendering the sixth-most rushing yards on the season. They are allowing opposing quarterbacks to register a 97.5 passer rating against them, which ranks in the bottom half of the league as well. They also can’t get off the field, allowing opponents to convert 45.5% of their third-down opportunities (fifth-highest).
If you ask what this unit does well, it’s hard to find a concrete answer.
Special teams: C
When special teams is your highest-graded area, that’s not a good thing. That said, that’s where New England finds itself in 2024. Joey Slye has had his ups and downs. While he’s netted 12 of his 15 field goal opportunities, those three misses have come in one-score games. That topsy-turvy play can be expanded across the entire special teams unit, as there have been highs but also some lows. For instance, Marcus Jones has been arguably the team’s most electrifying player in the return game. On the flip side, however, there have also been some breakdowns covering returns this season, most notably a 96-yard punt return touchdown by the Jaguars in Week 7. That lands this unit squarely in the ‘C’ range.
Coaching: D-
Even if Belichick had lost his fastball over the last few years, it’s a tough situation Mayo finds himself in replacing a franchise icon. To make the job even harder, the roster that has been given to him is in rough shape. While all that is true, Mayo hasn’t exactly endeared himself in this new role. At times, he’s looked like a first-time head coach, whether it’s sending conflicting messages to the media regarding the quarterback situation with Maye and Jacoby Brissett or walking back his “soft” comments less than 24 hours after making them in London.
There’s also been some questions over this first half of Mayo’s grip on the locker room. The word “mutiny” was murmured about in early October, and various off-the-field issues have painted the team in a negative light. To Mayo’s credit, the team did respond after being called out in London with a Week 8 win over the Jets, but there are still questions about the buy-in that need to be fully fleshed out.
Meanwhile, the play on the field has also been puzzling. Mayo ascended to coach after being an All-Pro middle linebacker in the league and de facto defensive coordinator in New England under Belichick. Given that background, it’s troubling to see how poorly the defense has played under his watch, particularly against the run. That should be an area of expertise for Mayo, and the fact that it’s a glaring weakness isn’t a good sign.
While the offense under coordinator Alex Van Pelt isn’t exactly high-flying, the team’s development of Maye through nine weeks is what keeps them out of the ‘F’ range in my grading book.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
November 6, 2024 | 1:45 pm
