3 reasons the New England Patriots can win the AFC East in 2023

Bill Belichick may have some extra motivation

Since Tom Brady left the Patriots in 2020, Bill Belichick has had to work through a rebuilding process for the first time without a guaranteed stud at quarterback.

Over the years, New England's roster wasn't always considered top-notch, but when you have the security blanket of Brady, it wasn't too much of a concern because he could make any receiver look like a superstar.

Since that's no longer the case, we've seen Cam Newton and Mac Jones be put into positions unfavorable to any new quarterback in New England.

Avoiding the Newton debate, Jones has had a lot to overcome in just the first two seasons of his NFL career. His rookie year was more impressive than expected, and last season was too much for the quarterback and the rest of the offense to be even remotely successful, given the circumstances they were dealt.

But the biggest problem that has impacted the organization has been missing the postseason in two of the last three years, to which Robert Kraft has repeatedly expressed his disappointment publicly.

This was rumored to have put Belichick in the hot seat to make the much-needed changes ahead of the 2023 season to drastically improve the chances of accomplishing a successful season, and it seems the head coach has done just that.

From the personnel changes and free agent additions to a new approach to the NFL draft, Belichick's effort to put the Patriots in a better position this year compared to last is apparent. But will it be enough?

Although he's not the type of person to care what others think of him, his legendary career has begun to be questioned by fans and media alike, with some even calling for Kraft to fire him if 2023 ends similarly to last year. Whether or not it's valid, the debate is being had because of how lackluster the team has looked in Brady's absence.

This could become a motivating factor for Belichick, and maybe even for the players, to do everything possible to end this upcoming season positively.