The New England Patriots have missed the playoffs two of the past three seasons since Tom Brady left, which is exactly how many seasons they missed the postseason the entire time Brady was there. If QB Mac Jones doesn’t lead New England to extra football this year, he might be gone next winter.

A Closer Look at the New England Patriots 2023 NFL Season

A fresh look at a possible new system.@ezlazar's tight end snapshot: https://t.co/dJP3qNIZoA

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 14, 2023

• NFL Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 3: at New York Jets — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 5: vs. New Orleans Saints — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 6: at Las Vegas Raiders — 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 7: vs. Buffalo Bills — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 8: at Miami Dolphins — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 9: vs. Washington Commanders — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 10: vs. Indianapolis Colts — 9:30 a.m. ET (NFLN)
• NFL Week 11: BYE
• NFL Week 12: at New York Giants — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 16: at Denver Broncos — 8:15 p.m. ET (NFLN)
• NFL Week 17: at Buffalo Bills — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 18: vs. New York Jets — TBD (TBD)

Life After Brady

Who was more important to New England’s six Super Bowl titles: Coach Bill Belichick or QB Tom Brady? That question seems answered as Brady went on to win another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Bucs before retiring, while the Patriots haven’t come close to a title since Brady left and likely won’t come close this year, either.

New England had a shot at making last season’s playoffs as a wild card team but had to win in Week 18 in Buffalo and get help and the Pats didn’t beat the Bills anyway, losing 35-23. Mac Jones finished 26 of 40 for 243 yards and three touchdowns, including two to DeVante Parker, and three interceptions — all coming in the second half. Jones’ final two interceptions came on consecutive drives in the final six minutes. That sums up Jones’ season. Belichick’s 19 playoff appearances remain tied with Don Shula on the NFL coaching list.

Will the Roster Come Through?

No question this is a make-or-break season for Jones in Year 3 as he regressed in 2022 but the entire Patriots offense did with Matt Patricia making calls on that side of the ball. The team has upgraded there with former Texans and Penn State coach Bill O’Brien. New England’s offense ranked 26th in yardage and 23rd in scoring rate in 2022, earning points on only 32.8 percent of last year’s possessions.

O’Brien spent five seasons with the Patriots, from 2007 through the 2011 season, and contributed to five winning seasons, four AFC East Division titles and two AFC Conference Champions during his time with New England. The Patriots finished in the top 10 in offense every year during O’Brien’s time with the Patriots.

While New England did lose top wideout Jakobi Meyers to free agency and lost out on DeAndre Hopkins as he chose to sign with the Titans, the Pats did add Juju Smith-Schuster to help Jones. Smith-Schuster won Super Bowl LVII with Kansas City this past season in a bounce-back year. The former Steelers draft pick was second on the team behind superstar tight end Travis Kelce in targets (101), receptions (78), and receiving yards (933) in a campaign that more resembles his first four seasons in Pittsburgh rather than an injury-plagued 2021.

Smith-Schuster is an upgrade over Meyers in accumulating yards after the catch. He averaged 5.9 yards after the catch and forced nine missed tackles as a ball carrier in 2022. For comparison, Meyers accumulated 3.6 yards after the catch per reception and only forced two missed tackles.

The new featured back is Rhamondre Stevenson with Damien Harris now in Buffalo – although it’s possible New England signs free-agent Dalvin Cook, a four-time Pro Bowl pick recently cut by the Vikings. While Stevenson was 12th in rushing yards among all running backs with 1,040 last year, he was eighth in total yardage for all running backs with 1,461 total yards. Only six players in the top 10 list rushed for more yards than Stevenson and the seven players that had more total yardage than him all made the top 10. In addition to total yardage, Stevenson was fourth among all running backs last season in receptions, recording 69, which was also a team-high.

New England’s defense is always good under Belichick and should be Top 10 again. The Patriots are loaded with defensive playmakers, especially in the secondary with Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Jones, Jabrill Peppers and rookie Christian Gonzalez. Matthew Judon and Josh Uche also give New England a ferocious pass-rushing tandem.

Are the Patriots a Threat?

The Pats are 5-point underdogs Week 1 against Philadelphia and will honor Brady at the game. Brady won one Super Bowl against the Eagles and lost another. New England’s AFC East contests will come in three separate back-to-back two-packs, starting with Miami at home in Week 2 and then at the Jets in Week 3. The Patriots will appear on national television in prime time four times overall. They also have a game in Germany.

Overall, New England has the third-toughest schedule in the league as its opponents had a combined .549 winning percentage in 2022 (156-128-3).

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READ MORE: New England Patriots 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide