Well, Patriots fans, the season was a complete disaster. The Patriots did not make the playoffs. Many things went wrong for that franchise, and the season went so wrong that Jerod Mayo became a one-and-done coach. He was one of the casualties on NFL Black Monday this year. 

With Mike Vrabel as head coach, it’s time to move on to the next stage of their rebuild. However, this team still has many weaknesses, and five stand out the most.

1). Offensive Tackle

The Patriots had the worst offensive tackle play this season, and it’s not even close. I’ve lost track of how many tackles started for New England. Honestly, it’s a miracle Drake Maye didn’t get injured last year because of the terrible blocking he had to endure all year. At least he showed potential this year and represented the AFC in the Pro Bowl. If they want Maye to improve and develop well, they must protect him. They must get a better offensive tackle and fast this offseason.

2). Offensive Guard

Yep, Guard also makes the list of needs. It’s not number 1 because of the more significant need at tackle, but it’s number 2. Drake Maye received a lot of pressure, and the poor interior blocking had a massive impact on the run game, with more than 70% of their rushing yards coming after contact.

It’s a miracle Rhamdore Stevenson rushed for 801 yards and 7 touchdowns. Imagine him with better blockers last year. That will change next season.

3). Wide Reciever

The Patriots receiver room is one of the worst in football. The only one who impressed me in that core was Demario Douglas, who had 66 receptions for 621 yards and three touchdowns. Kayshon Boutte had flashes and solid statistics: 43 receptions for 589 yards and three touchdowns. However, neither is a true number one or two receiver. That needs to change, and the Patriots need to surround Maye with more receivers to throw to.

4). Defensive End

No joke, before writing this article, I legit couldn’t name anyone on defense who led the team with sacks. Then, looking it up on Bing, I discovered Keion White led the team with five sacks. You can’t win football games, especially on defense, if you can’t rush the passer. New England barely did that, and they have to improve upon that next season.

5). Kicker

The New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye, who held the position last season and is about to become a free agent, is on the list. Slye wasn’t the worst, but he wasn’t great either. At least he made a 63-yard field goal last year, which is a positive, but the Patriots could use an upgrade in consistency when making those kicks. Slye only made 78.8% of his kicks last year.

End Of My Patriots Rant

Those are the five biggest team needs for the New England Patriots. Do you agree? What other needs do you think are better? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our football content.