The New England Patriots will head into the 2023 NFL season looking to forget what happened in 2022, as the offense for Bill Belichick and company was about as bad as it gets, with quarterback Mac Jones getting the bulk of the blame for its struggles.
For some reason, Belichick and the Patriots brass thought it would be a good idea or at least doable for the team to move forward without an offensive coordinator to replace Josh McDaniels, who chose to take the job as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Even though few doubt Belichick’s decision-making capability, this was arguably one of the worst moves the team had ever made, as the offense was atrocious, with a young quarterback left to shoulder the blame.
In 2023, the Patriots have fixed the issue with the team bringing in a familiar face to call the shots offensively, with Bill O’Brien getting the job, which many believe will solve the problem.
So far, it appears Jones may be returning to his Pro Bowl form, with Patriots newcomer JuJu Smith-Schuster singing the praises of the 24-year-old quarterback, via NBC Sports Boston.
"When he's having fun, we're having fun. The confidence level is through the roof."
Juju Smith-Schuster calls Mac Jones the 'spark' for the Patriots offense 👏 pic.twitter.com/VDDq7plOBr
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 2, 2023
If Jones can get back to how he was playing during this rookie season in New England, the Patriots may have a chance to be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC during the 2023 campaign.
Unfortunately, the AFC is as competitive as it has ever been, especially the AFC East division, which doesn’t bode well for New England, but there may be a chance this team surprises some people and makes its way into the NFL playoffs.
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