NFL futures, 2 New England Patriots bets: Can Mac lead the attack?

The hope is the firing of Matt Patricia as offensive coordinator and the return of Bill O'Brien will reignite what was a stagnant group, and the development of Mac Jones is at the forefront. Jones struggled last year, with fans at one point calling for Bailey Zappe to take over the QB job permanently. Jones remains as the starter in 2023, and has a solid if not unspectacular offensive line and an average supporting cast at the skill-positions.

Defensively, New England thrived off forcing turnovers in 2022, and if they can recreate the magic that led to seven defensive touchdowns, they should remain competitive in 2023. The Patriots opted to draft one of the best cornerback prospects in the first round this season in Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez is penciled in as a starter from Day One and could make a strength even better. We don't hate looking his way as a long-shot to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at +950.

Two futures bets to make on the New England Patriots

Rhamondre Stevenson over 1000.5 rushing yards (+100 DK)

Found under 'Player Totals'
Gone is Damien Harris, moving Rhamondre Stevenson up to the unquestioned top running back spot in New England. In 2022, Harris missed six games, opening the door for Stevenson to take on 210 carries, work that he turned into 1,040 yards on 5.0 yards per rush.

Harris had 106 carries in his last season as a Patriot, and while Pierre Strong feels likely to take on some rushing work (he averaged 10.0 yards per carry on extremely limited work last season), Stevenson is well-positioned to be the bell-cow back in this offense.

The sentiment I've seen out of New England is that there's a level of optimism that Mac Jones can get back to his rookie season success with a competent offensive coordinator in the building. That season, the Patriots averaged the ninth-most rushing attempts per game.

This is a massive year for Jones, and his wide receiver group doesn't suggest an all-out aerial attack is coming down the runway. New England feels likely to lean on the ground game, and that figures to benefit Stevenson in his third season.

To finish last in AFC East (-120 DK)

Found under 'Division Specials'
While I do think the Patriots are the worst of the four teams in the AFC East, I still don't want to bet on their under 7.5 wins. This feels like the better approach.

New England finished in third last year at 8-9, one game above the New York Jets. One has to imagine the Jets improve on that 7-10 mark with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, and I'm not seeing that same improvement coming from the Patriots. The Bills and Dolphins are both viable Super Bowl contenders, making this arguably one of the toughest divisions in football.

New England's defense will be a strength, but unfortunately their offense leaves much to be desired, as we already touched on.

The Patriots haven't finished in last in their division since 2000, which without even checking I'm going to say is the longest active streak in the NFL. It seems about that time for them to jump into the basement for a change.