Top 5 Players to Play Astounding Boosting The Pats And Their Playoff Hopes
Although there weren’t super high expectations for the Patriots last season, it was still a huge upset to get wiped out in the wild card game. The Patriots are now looking to bounce back in their third year without Brady.
Unfortunately, this won’t come too easy considering they must beat the reigning Buffalo Bills and now dangerous Miami Dolphins.
Although last year was a good run for the rookie Mac Jones, a lot needs to be done to improve the team and I would like to present five key players who, if they step up, could drastically affect our playoff chances/hopes.
Player Number Five: Cole Strange, Left Guard
This is a bold addition to the list, considering Cole Strange hasn’t even started in an NFL game yet. however, he has some big shoes to fill in the offensive line.
Many people speculated that he would go into the middle of the draft but he was picked 29th overall in the first round, setting him up for high expectations.
Strange, In his six years in Chattanooga, made the senior bowl in 2022 and two years prior to that won the Socon Jacobs Blocking Award, making him an elite college lineman.
It’s also worth noting that Mac Jones could use the protection while in the pocket, considering last season he got sacked 28 times In total.
Keep in mind it is Strange’s rookie year, and saying he needs to step up is a lot to ask for a rookie. First-round players need to impact right away, so it is possible that he can break out in a big way. Potentially giving Mac the time he needs to throw the ball to other players.
Player Number Four: Devin McCourty, Free Safety
It feels odd having such a superstar on the patriots on this list, but it’s because he’s one of the few players left on the team.
Devin McCourty remains one of our few star defensive players, after losing Gilmore, Jackson, and Van Noy in a matter of two seasons.
McCourty has had an incredible career, making it to the pro bowl twice, the NFL second-pro team three times, and got 60 tackles last season.
He is a key part of our defense, but now he must work even harder to accommodate the lost players. Granted, we still have key prices such as Lawrence Guy and Matthew Judon, but McCourty has always been a defensive leader.
Especially being in a division with such a big offensive powerhouse as the Buffalo Bills, Devin McCourty is one of the few veteran players on the field and he has the wisdom and skill to carry this defense.
Player Number Three: Mac Jones, Quarterback
Mac Jones had the best rookie start out of all the 2021 quarterbacks and arguably one of the best rookies starts in a long time, but work still needs to be done.
Mac last year had a 67.6% completion rate, throwing for 3801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He did fall short in the wild card game blowout, only getting 232 yards with two interceptions and two touchdowns.
He’s still young, and there’s a lot of weight on his shoulders in his second year for two big reasons: the Patriots’ legacy and the schedule.
It’s no surprise that once Tom Brady left, the next quarterback would have some big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, Cam Newton couldn’t get it done and it seems Belichick trusts in Mac to fill those shoes.
The schedule for the patriots is also considered very tough this season, with many of the teams Mac facing having top 10 defenses.
Not to mention, most of these high defensive teams will be on the road (Green Bay, Cleveland, Buffalo, Arizona, etc.)
This isn’t to say Mac is not our answer for quarterback, but in order for the patriots to make a playoff push, it all starts with one of the most important players leading our offense.
Player Number Two: Jakobi Meyers, Wide Receiver
Jakobi Meyers came to the patriots as a bit of a steal, as an undrafted free agent. Picked up in 2019, his career seems to be promising.
As the years go by, he starts to get better and better, going from 26 catches and 359 yards in 2019 to 83 catches and 886 yards from last season (with two touchdowns to show for it).
However, Mac needs all the help he can get on that field, and while Davante Parker is a great addition when defenses double cover him, a receiver has to step up.
It’s safe to say that from last year, he was our best and most consistent receiver (compared to Bourne and Agholor) and he is very useful for short passes.
Meyers needs to take on the role of wide Receiver two with aggression and competitiveness. If he can manage to finish with a 1000-yard, 100 reception season it may boost the Patriots’ offense.
It would also help to get some more touchdowns, so he can be more of a red zone threat to defenses, keep the cornerbacks on their toes.
There is room for Meyers to get better and better each season, and he slowly is but having a breakout year from him this season may be able to help them get past the toughest defenses in the league.
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Jakobi Meyers college highlights
Player Number One: Jalen Mills, Cornerback
This one may be a bit of a wild card, But Jalen Mills has a big role to play in this iteration of the Patriots’ defense.
One point to make is the Patriots have lost some key cornerbacks in the last few years (Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson, Jason McCourty) so someone needs to embrace the role as the main cornerback. Although Mills allowed 35 receptions and had zero picks, there is potential in him, and he has gotten some key stops in the game.
He needs to be one of the players to step up and play some good man or zone defense to not allow touchdowns or big gains. It’s especially needed this season, with so many Wide Receiver threats within the division (Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Corey Davis, etc.)
Patriots had 23 interceptions last year, eight of them coming from JC Jackson. If Jalen Mills doesn’t get the key stops on defense, then New England may be in trouble.
Also, many of the opponents the team faces this year gain lots of yards and have offensive powerhouses (Bills, Packers, Cardinals, Ravens, Bengals, etc.)
Conclusion
This isn’t to say that all of these players need to improve or are terrible players, rather they are X factors.
These are players who if they break out or step up and improve their stats in a big way, they can be dangerous on the field.
It’s hard to tell where the patriots will be this year, considering there’s a whole new coaching staff, more players to worry about division-wise, and a tougher schedule.
Either way, it’s a step in the right direction for the Patriots so far and having these players that could potentially have game-altering seasons may result in another deep playoff run.
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