Bold prediction for Patriots' 2024 season would be great start to Jerod Mayo era

Because the Patriots have struggled in the years since Tom Brady left, and they had their worst season under Bill Belichick in 2023, there isn't much optimism that they will be much of a competitive team this season.

Other than the significant changes made to the coaching staff, the roster is considered less than optimal, even more so for a rookie quarterback, leading many analysts and fans to predict New England will finish not only last in their division but close to the bottom of the league by season's end.

Most win/loss projections show that the team will maybe win four games, meaning they didn't make enough positive progress from just one year ago. Much of that can be blamed on a rebuilding roster, especially offensively, which is a necessity to compete in today's NFL.

However, not everyone feels that the worst is yet to come for the Patriots, as Pro Football Network and former Patriots reporter Dakota Randall made a bold prediction regarding the team's chances this fall, which is far better than almost anyone anticipates.

Pro Football Network boldly predicts the Patriots to have a winning record in 2024

Maybe it could be considered the boldest of all bold takes this offseason, but Randall details why he believes the Patriots could end with a winning record, despite everyone else projecting they'll have an equal to or worse 2024 than last year.

He points out that there are certainly concerns on offense, like left tackle, quarterback, and wide receiver, and expecting a first-time head coach to come out swinging might be asking a lot. But Randall insists the Patriots' defense will lead the way to success, along with improved quarterback play and some better weapon options offensively.

"The Patriots have a very good defense, one that should give them the floor of last year’s team, which was in nearly every game despite receiving historically abysmal quarterback play. They also have a more responsible QB in Jacoby Brissett and a more talented — but still underwhelming — offense. And there simply is no way the offensive coaching will be worse in 2024 than it was the last two seasons.

If New England receives even average QB play and the defense meets expectations, it stands to reason the Patriots could jump from four victories to six or seven.

From there, I’m predicting the Patriots get lucky a couple of times and other AFC teams regress — because stuff happens in the NFL. And when the dust settles, New England will be 9-8 and in contention for a playoff spot."

So, after all the explanation, Randall boldly predicts that the Patriots will end with a 9-8 record, winning five more games than the last season under Belichick. Although it might be an unpopular opinion, it seems plausible despite the overwhelmingly loud narrative that New England has no chance of being a good team.

Brissett might not be the quarterback of the future nor has he a noteworthy career, but he should be an upgrade over Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, both of whom struggled throughout the 2023 season. The same could be said about the receiving corps, even if most would consider the roster to be less than ideal.

The return of Kendrick Bourne is significant, the expected rise of DeMario Douglas will make a big difference, the additions of rookies Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk are expected to yield winning results, and Antonio Gibson's dual-threat skillset will ultimately benefit the offense's success as well.

More help in the tight end room will also be significant, as Austin Hooper and rookie Jaheim Bell are expected to be solid partners for Hunter Henry.

On top of it all, the defense barely changed during the offseason, with only a few players signing elsewhere and the major contributors still under contract. A few loose ends need to be dealt with, like Davon Godchaux and Matthew Judon's contracts.

But if that can get sorted out, there's no reason to believe the defense won't be a dominant force again, making the job of a young, developing offense much easier to stay afloat.

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