3 extra bold predictions for the Patriots 2024 season

Since the start of the 2024 offseason, many takes have been shared regarding the Patriots' chances of putting together a decent season under the new regime. From a new head coach and an all new coaching staff to an entirely brand new quarterback room and a roster full of rookies, New England are the definition of a rebuild for the season ahead.

Expectations are incredibly low for most in their position, but given how poorly the Patriots have performed over the last four years, projections for their 2024 season are even lower.

Besides not believing they'll win more than a few games, optimism is sinking regarding the quarterback situation since Jacoby Brissett was named the starter. There's also doubt surrounding the receiving corps since the Patriots' efforts to acquire a top-name player were unsuccessful.

However, although the concerns are warranted, there is plenty of room for bold predictions suggesting the contrary.

3 extra bold predictions for the Patriots 2024 season

The Patriots will not be swept by an AFC East team this season

Perhaps this is the boldest prediction of all, especially since the division has only gotten tougher since last season: The Patriots will not be swept by any of their divisional rivals in 2024.

Since Tom Brady left in 2020, only one of the three divisional teams has swept the Patriots each season, with the Bills and Dolphins alternating who accomplished that every year. Although neither team will be easy to beat, and the Jets will inevitably be more difficult with Aaron Rodgers in the lineup, the Patriots look equipped to not allow a sweep this year from an AFC East opponent.

Splitting the season with each team doesn't seem like a far-fetched idea. The Bills, Dolphins, and Jets have all undergone significant changes this offseason, even if they're not half as drastic as what the Patriots have done.

But that could play a big role in how the teams fare against each other this year, ultimately benefiting the biggest underdog (the Patriots).

The Patriots will win more than 5 games

If the first prediction wasn't bold enough, perhaps this will fit the bill of being extra bold.

There isn't much faith surrounding the Patriots' chances of winning many games during the upcoming season, with most believing they will win less than five and likely be given the first overall pick of next year's draft. Although that's a coveted position that most teams would love to have, but not in the way you earn it, the Patriots look like a team that will surprise people more than do what is expected.

Their defense will inevitably be the more dominant side of the team, much like it has for the last several years. We saw last season how their efforts helped add some wins to their season. That won't change this year, and it's easy to believe they will be the reason the Patriots sneak out with some wins that maybe they shouldn't have gotten.

That will be precisely how they end the year with more than five wins, shocking almost everyone that they played far better than anyone anticipated or projected.

The Patriots offense will have a 1,000 yard receiver

It has been quite the struggle for the Patriots to build a solid receiving corps in the post-Tom Brady era. To be fair, the inability to accomplish that also pre-dates that, but the issues become more apparent when the team doesn't have the greatest of all time to cover up the offensive inadequacies.

Coming into the 2024 season, the offense will be made up of young players, potentially a majority of rookies, especially if Drake Maye gets the start at some point. Regardless, it could be one of their better receiving corps of the last few years, with one of the projected leaders of the group to be 2024 draft pick Ja'Lynn Polk.

He will join DeMario Douglas as the top targets for Jacoby Brissett Week 1, and Kendrick Bourne will eventually return to make the team's top-3 receivers of this year's team. While they all have a chance to reach the 1,000 receiving yard threshold, there's a lot of talk surrounding Polk to be the first one to accomplish that since Julian Edelman in 2019.

Because Douglas and Polk will be the top weapons for the quarterbacks through at least the first four weeks, it seems fair to boldly predict one of them will break 1,000 yards this season. It would be an incredible development for a rebuilding offense and an excellent way for Maye to take over the team in 2025.

More Patriots news and analysis: