The 2023 season is officially underway, and with that comes new twists and turns. For the New England Patriots, that includes a rather unique preseason.
The Patriots went 0-3 throughout the preseason, with seeing little action from most starters like Mac Jones and Matthew Judon. However, this turbulent preseason gave fans a few memorable highs such as undrafted rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham.
While Cunningham quickly rose up the Patriots’ ranks, second year quarterback and fan favorite Bailey Zappe struggled. Throughout preseason practices, Zappe struggled to execute new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s playbook.
On the deadline for roster cuts, the Patriots made a splash by cutting Zappe. This made waves throughout the NFL–showing flashes in his rookie year to being cut on deadline day the following season is pretty rare. What was even more interesting is that Zappe was able to clear waivers, meaning no team had significant interest in the quarterback.
Once Zappe cleared waivers, he was assigned to the practice squad. After a controversial move to sign second year quarterback Matt Corral, the Patriots brought Zappe back to the active roster.
By the time the Patriots opened their season against the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, there were still many unanswered questions about this Patriots team: The first team offense had little playing time throughout the preseason while the defense looked as stout as ever.
Many unanswered questions also revolved around third-year quarterback Mac Jones, who struggled last season with poor coaching and a lack of direction on offense. No one really knew how he would perform with the new system in place and new additions to the offense such as wideout Juju Smith-Shuster and former all-pro running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The Patriots got off to a rather lethargic and awful start. By the halfway point in the first quarter, the Patriots were down 16-0. This was mainly due to a pick six thrown by Mac to wideout Kendrick Bourne and a brutal Ezekiel Elliott fumble.
However, a fire was lit beneath this Patriots team that felt different than in years past. The defense shut down the Eagles offense for the majority of the game. Matthew Judon and Josh Uche picked up right where they left off from last year, getting sacks on Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts.
What really stood out was the Patriots’ offense. Mac Jones torched the Eagles’ defense for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jones seemed to have been in a different zone–he was hitting receivers, and was not making bad decisions or forcing the ball anywhere.
The game ended with the Patriots falling to the Eagles 25-20, but it felt more like a Patriots victory. Outside of the turnovers to start the game, the Patriots locked down the Eagles in every facet of the game: while they did not come out with the win, the game was an extreme moral victory for this Patriots team. They fought throughout and against the deficit, and did not put their heads in the sand.
Looking ahead, the Patriots will host division rival Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. However, this game can easily be a Patriots victory. With the way the offense and defense is looking, it seems the Patriots could hang with the best teams in the NFL. While it may not be easy, it is not out of the picture that the Patriots can beat who many think is the most dangerous team in the NFL.
Following Miami, the Pats will head to the Meadowlands to take on the new look New York Jets led by future hall of fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This is another game that the Patriots could easily pull off.
While the season may still be really young, there is plenty of hope and optimism with the New England Patriots and what they can do as a football team. If they can start to learn how to win games, there is no reason why they should not be considered a playoff team or even a contender in the AFC.
