ESPN’s Marcus Spears has wild take on 2022 Patriots season

The New England Patriots are a year removed from a postseason appearance, as Mac Jones was able to prove that he was the top rookie quarterback of his class while Bill Belichick’s defense rolled to one of the best rankings in the league.

Things aren’t starting on as rosy a foot in 2022. New England failed to replace some big names in free agency while the division around them got much better. The rival Buffalo Bills are Super Bowl favorites, but the Patriots shouldn’t necessarily count on second place being guaranteed.

ESPN analyst Marcus Spears is not buying the Patriots as a playoff team this year. With JC Jackson in Los Angeles and what was regarded as a generally underwhelming draft class led by Cole Strange, some talking heads seem to think that 2022 could be a lean year for the Pats.

Spears said that the Patriots are in danger of finishing in last place in the AFC East. While this might sound like an alarming statement considering that New England is fresh off of making the postseason, Spears is taking note of how much better the division has gotten around them.

Will the New England Patriots finish second?

Even the biggest Patriots fan has to realize the gap in talent between themselves and the Bills. As long as Josh Allen is the quarterback and the defense can shut down opposing passing games, Buffalo will remain one of the more robust contenders in the game.

Even with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins will be contending for a playoff spot thanks to a solid defense. The Jets were widely considered to have nailed it in the draft, and they could easily leapfrog New England if Zach Wilson takes the leap many expect him to make.

With Josh McDaniels now in Vegas, Jones doesn’t have a coordinator to work with. Belichick might be calling plays before their Week 1 duel against Miami. That lack of structure, which is unusual for Belichick, is such a detriment to New England’s operation that Spears knocked them down a few pegs in the division.

The Patriots weren’t expected to make it to the playoffs last year, but they might not be able to sneak up on teams now that Jones is in his second season. If the Jackson replacements start to struggle and Mac takes a step back, crashing further down the division could be a possibility.

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