New England Patriots
Record: 4-13-0 (Last in AFC East)
Head Coach: Jerod Mayo (1st Year – Fired Post Week 18)
Preseason Expectations:
In their first season without Bill Belichick since 1999, the New England Patriots turned to de-facto Defensive Coordinator Jerod Mayo as the handpicked Head Coach for Robert Kraft’s 6-time Super Bowl Champions. After the 2023 season that saw the Patriots field one of the worst offenses in the league, the Patriots selected 7 offensive players in the NFL Draft, including rookie quarterback Drake Maye with the 3rd overall pick.
The quarterback controversy started early, as journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett was expected to be the starter, and multiple Patriots fans and beat writers reported that 6th round pick Joe Milton was performing better than Drake Maye in training camp. Regardless of who started for the Patriots, expectations for the offense were low. However, fans were excited to see second year cornerback Christian Gonzalez play in his first full season after the Patriots were one of the top 16 defenses in the league in 2023-24.
Regular Season:
Fans had reason to be hopeful in the first few weeks of the season. Starting in week 1, the Patriots defense continued their high level of play from last season, holding Joe Burrow to 164 passing yards and forcing three fumbles in the contest. While Jacoby Brissett wasn’t inspiring, posting 121 yards, running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, with the only blemish for the 2021 4th round pick being a fumble.
The woes of the Patriots season started in week 2, as Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled for the second time in two weeks. While the fumble didn’t lose the game for the Patriots, it started a trend as Stevenson would record 7 fumbles in 2024-25—the most by a running back this season. The 23-20 loss to Seattle would mark the first of a six-game losing streak.
After falling to 1-4, the Patriots would turn to rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who gave the Patriots their first 200 yard passing game since Bailey Zappe threw 230 on Christmas Eve 2023 against the Denver Broncos. Maye finished the afternoon with 243 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans.
In some ways, New England succeeded in the goal of matching their offensive play to their play defensively, as the Patriots defense allowed over 350 yards for the fifth straight game, something they’d do 11 times over the course of the 2024-25 season. While the Patriots defense had a league-worst 28 sacks during the season, the Patriots offense allowed 51 sacks, the fifth most in the NFL. While expectations were low on the field this season, 2023 6th round pick Kayshon Boutte broke out in a way, recording 589 yards on 43 receptions, with 3 touchdowns. While Boutte’s breakout should have been the biggest takeaway from the Patriots season, many fans and journalists were occupied with the news coming out of the Patriots head coach.
Jerod Mayo’s Comments
On multiple occasions throughout the season, the Patriots were in the news not for their on-the-field play, but for head coach Jerod Mayo’s soundbites in postgame press conferences.
After the Patriots blew a 10-0 lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in Week 6, Jerod Mayo called the Patriots “Soft.” (ESPN). The first of many quotes of the season that raised eyebrows, the players relayed the same message to the media following the loss. However, the soundbites did not stop there.
Undoubtedly the most damning of these quotes came after the team’s 34-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 12. Following the loss, Mayo was quoted as saying, “Once those guys cross the [sideline] there’s nothing I can do for them. There’s nothing any coach can do for them once they cross the [sideline].” (LosTalkPats on X).
Following the Patriots 30-17 loss to the Cardinals, Mayo was asked why Drake Maye didn’t carry the ball on two consecutive snaps needing just 1 yard for a first down. His response: “You said it, I didn’t” (CBS).
With the Patriots win in Week 18 versus the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots dropped from having the first overall pick to fourth overall.
An Eye Toward the Future
After the Patriots loss, Robert Kraft announced that Jerod Mayo would not return as the Patriots head coach in 2024, citing the team’s “performances did not ascend as [Kraft] had hoped” (Patriots on X).
Just one day after the Patriots season came to an end, owner Robert Kraft spoke to the media to address the direction of the Patriots moving forward. Kraft said, “In the end, I’m a fan of this team first, and now I have to go out and find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully championships” (ESPN). while admitting that it was his fault for putting Mayo in that position. With Mayo gone, a new head coach needed, Kraft speaks of his commitment to making the Patriots great again, but what does that look like entering 2025?
First off, (the night before posting), The Patriots announced the hiring of Mike Vrabel to be the team’s next head coach. Vrabel has a career 54-45 record and led the Tennessee Titans to the 1. Seed in 2022. The Patriots new head coach was fired after a dispute with former Titans GM Ran Carthon, and spent the last season as a consultant to the Cleveland Browns.
The Patriots will have $131,000,000 in cap space entering the 2025 offseason, according to Spotrac. This puts the Patriots in a great position to make some moves in free agency, with the most needed reinforcements being on the offensive line. The O-Line combined for 48 of the offense’s 73 penalties this season, while allowing 51 sacks. With free agency looming, keep an eye on veteran offensive linemen Zack Martin and Ryan Kelly, who are both expected to earn big contracts on the open market.
Another huge need for the Patriots comes in the wide receiver room. Rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk was virtually nonexistent, while Javon Baker was nonexistent this season. While the Patriots have talented weapons like Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, fans are still calling for the team to spend money for a veteran wide receiver, with the biggest name associated with the Patriots so far being Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Currently with the 4th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Patriots find themselves in an interesting position. With Drake Maye as the future face of the franchise, New England’s fall to four puts them at a chance of missing out on Heisman winner Travis Hunter. Should the Patriots draft a wide receiver, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan is the most likely candidate at number four, or should they go for an offensive tackle, LSU’s Will Campbell is the top lineman in the NFL draft.
The 2025 New England Patriots have a chance to start over. With a new head coach, a new system, and new players, the Patriots will look to return to their winning ways after having two consecutive top-5 picks.
