By Colin McDonough
The New England Patriots offseason saw more organizational changes than it had in 25 years. After a 4-13 record in 2023, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft “mutually agreed” to part ways after six Super Bowls and the greatest coach/owner run in NFL history.
Kraft tabbed former Patriot and then-assistant coach Jerod Mayo as Belichick’s successor.
Eliot Wolf eventually took the GM reins from Belichick as well, and a new era dawned in Foxboro.
The Patriots drafted quarterback Drake Maye number three overall, and extended most of the key defensive cogs, with the notable exception of trading Matthew Judon.
All the upheaval led to the lowest expectations of a Patriots team since perhaps Belichick’s first season as head coach, when New England went 5-11 and had a rookie on the roster named Tom Brady.
The Patriots came into the season with the lowest Super Bowl odds and were picked by some pundits to have the worst record in the NFL. The only evidence of how Mayo would act as head coach came through when speaking with the media. Although his press conferences may have been more jovial than Belichick’s, they also exposed him as a rookie head coach.
There seemed to be confusion in Foxboro on how and when to name a starting quarterback. The offensive line looked like a Pop Warner team in training camp, preseason games, and joint practices. And Mayo not sticking to Belichick’s “On to Cincinnati” style led him to talk out of both sides of his mouth.
But then came Cincinnati, actually, and of course, Coach Mayo and the Patriots won their season opener, 16-10, over the heavily favored Bengals. The Pats won with a stout defense that forced turnovers, an offense that didn’t turn it over, and milked the clock led by a deliberate rushing attack. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards on 25 carries and New England’s only touchdown.
The upset opening win may feel great for Patriots Nation, and it should, but that doesn’t mean that “Mayo Magic” will last all autumn. The home opener at Gillette Stadium comes against a 1-0 Seahawks team, followed by a Thursday night trip to New Jersey to take on the Jets. After that, the NFC champion 49ers are on the slate. The Patriots could easily be 1-3 at the end of the month. One win or a September without a victory was a reasonable expectation before the win against the Bengals.
Every team will still circle the Patriots as the easiest win on their schedule. If they surpass the four win total from last year, the season could be seen as a success. Mayo should be congratulated with the same tempered expectations the team had a week ago. The Krafts, and fans, should not get too high or low this season and let Mayo develop this team as well as himself as a head coach.
If you’re a Boston sports fan, the Red Sox have stayed in contention past Labor Day, the NBA world champion Boston Celtics tip off next month, and the Bruins are always in the playoffs. If the Patriots have another listless fall, by Halloween you can focus on the C’s and B’s.
The Patriots have given their fans every win, experience, and emotion that any NFL fan would want their team to give them.
The saying “In Belichick We Trust,” is no longer applicable in New England, but Pats fans should have trust, and hope, in Mayo.
That doesn’t mean a surprising start will lead to a shocking winning season in Mayo’s first year.
Because it’s time for Patriots fans to give the team the one thing it hasn’t asked for in a generation: patience.
