A successful Patriots' season can only mean one thing
Speculation abounds about the upcoming New England Patriots 2024 season in the Boston media. Is this a "rebuilding" season, as some suggest, thereby giving the new regime a pass? Or, alternatively, is it THE season, the only season, the one right in front of you that matters?
Tom Curran (TEC) of NBCsportsboston.com wrote on the topic recently. In his article, he had this to say,
"The bar for the 2024 Patriots isn’t set ridiculously high. Competency. Watchability. Improvement. An offense that can threaten 20 points on a weekly basis. A team that other teams don’t want to play in December. "
As usual, TEC is correct. The bar has indeed been set very low with little expectation. But the essential question is, where should it be set, and what should presumptions be if 2024 is to be viewed as a success? That's what we'll explore here.
Only one thing will connote a "successful" season for the 2024 Patriots
Aside from all the excuse-making made possible since the Patriots have a new personnel director, a new Head Coach, new coordinators, blah, blah, blah, the reality is, that "rebuilding" is just another word for acceptable losing. It's quite helpful for the job security of the losing management structure, but for little else.
The facts are these. First, the Patriots' 2023 offense was a disaster. The quarterback play was awful. The offensive line was sieve-like. And the receivers stunk. All contributed to the team's inability to score points, and the subsequent dismal 4-13 record, their very good defense's efforts notwithstanding. So what has happened since?
New Exec. Vice President of Player Personnel, Eliot Wolf has done some things to try to patch up those deficiencies. He's drafted a top quarterback in Drake Maye. That was his best offseason move by far. He also drafted two promising wide receivers (a rare occurrence in Foxborough) higher up in the draft. And finally, he drafted an offensive tackle.
The remaining huge issues are the lack of a true offensive left tackle and a No. One wide receiver. Those are two issues of consequence that should have been remedied in the offseason. They weren't. Now they provide a convenient excuse for a losing team. They aren't an excuse because, in reality, there are no excuses.
Only making the playoffs will make the 2024 Patriots a success
The only measurement that has any validity whatsoever in evaluating a season, is whether the team made the playoffs or not. Buying into the "rebuilding" myth is sheer folly. Eliot Wolf had the opportunity to fill the two key positions on offense that needed it in addition to quarterback to give his team a better chance to win. Unfortunately, he punted.
With the very good defense the team had in 2023, and the return of two of its top players, Matt Judon and Christian Gonzalez, the Pats' defense can be elite. As such, even a decent offense can get them to a playoff berth in the highly competitive AFC East. These good teams will knock off each other leaving an opportunity for a team like the Patriots.
All that means is that with a better quarterback (if Drake Maye isn't he shouldn't have been drafted at pick No. Three in the first place), the Pats can and should be in contention for the playoffs. That's why Wolf's omissions are so potentially damaging. If Mac Jones and the 2021 team could make the playoffs, Drake Maye and this team can do the same and better.
So the definitive answer to what connotes a successful season is the same every year. It's making the playoffs and earning a chance to get to the Super Bowl and win it. If that's not the goal of the team's management, there needs to be an attitude adjustment. Any other attitude is just plain unacceptable.