The New England Patriots set out this offseason to overhaul their offense around quarterback Mac Jones after he took a step back in Year 2. While some of the shortcomings were self-inflicted, the Patriots need to shoulder some of the blame themselves.
Having Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, with defensive and special teams backgrounds, running the offense was a poor decision. This year, it will be Bill O’Brien leading things as the offensive coordinator, which is a huge upgrade.
The supporting cast around Jones has also been adjusted. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki were both signed in free agency to upgrade their weapons. Draft picks were used on Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas as well.
While the New England offense could be more explosive in 2023, one NFL analyst isn’t sold on it. Patriots reporter Mike Giardi ripped apart the team’s wide receiver group with a brutal assessment of what he has seen thus far.
“Stink, stant an stunk,” is how Giardi described the Patriots’ current group of wide receivers. He added, “None of them are 1s, none of them are 2s, and maybe, just maybe, none of them are 3s.”
That is certainly a hot take from the Patriots reporter, who was not shy about sharing his opinion on the players. It certainly wasn’t from a lack of trying, as the Patriots were in the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes right to the very end before the Tennessee Titans nabbed him.
While many people would agree that New England is lacking a true No. 1 receiver, they have shown in the past that they can succeed without one. But, most of that past also included having Tom Brady under center, not Jones.
With Bill Belichick’s job reportedly on the line, he is going to have to figure out a way to whip these receivers into shape and perform better on the field. If things are as dire as Giardi has painted them out to be, 2023 could be a rough season for the Patriots’ offense.
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