The New England Patriots made a bold decision during the 2020 offseason, allowing Tom Brady to hit free agency. They ultimately let him leave, as he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led them to the Super Bowl.
The Patriots were nowhere near as successful. They finished the season 7-9, the first losing season since Bill Belichick’s first season as head coach in 2000. Letting Brady leave was ultimately the wrong decision, but the team is looking to bounce back in 2021.
New England did something out of the ordinary and spent lavishly in free agency, bringing in key players to fill holes on the roster. They also selected their quarterback of the future in Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
With an upgraded roster, New England is poised to challenge for a playoff spot once again this season. Here are four keys to the Patriots making the playoffs in 2021.
4. Pass Catchers Improvement
Last season the New England Patriots did not have much when it came to the talent at their skill positions. Jakobi Meyers was the team’s leading receiver with only 729 yards. 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry has not panned out, so the Patriots upgraded at wide receiver and tight end in the offseason.
Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne were signed to upgrade the wide receivers. Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, the two best tight ends available this season, were both signed as well.
With the improvements to the pass catchers, the Patriots’ offense should be more potent this season after having one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL in 2020.
3. Stephon Gilmore Returns To Form
The New England Patriots have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Stephon Gilmore. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, but like many of his teammates, struggled to remain productive in 2020.
Gilmore played in only 11 games last season and he was not as dominant as in years past. He is also currently holding out as he seeks to be paid as one of the top cornerbacks in the game.
Getting him back to the level of play he had in 2019 and buying in once again is key for the New England defense. With J.C. Jackson emerging as a shutdown corner himself, the Patriots could have a dominant secondary this season to help get back into the playoff picture.
2. Players Who Opted Out Returning To Form
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of adjustments for NFL teams to succeed. There are a lot of protocols in place so that the season can go as smoothly as possible, but players were given the chance to opt-out of 2020.
Multiple players did, but no one was hit as hard as the New England Patriots in that regard. New England had an NFL-high eight players opt out of the 2020 season, including key starters in Marcus Cannon, Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung.
All three are expected back this season, which is great news. But, after being away from the game for more than a year, how will they reacclimate themselves to the grind of the NFL season?
1. Quarterback Play
The biggest key to the New England Patriots making it back to the postseason is the play of their quarterback. Allowing Tom Brady to leave in free agency came back to bite them, as they struggled to fill the position adequately.
Cam Newton did well before testing positive for COVID-19 and derailing his season. While he missed only one game, he was never the same upon return. He was brought back for another season, but the team also has rookie Mac Jones waiting in the wings.
Knowing there is a rookie behind him could motivate Newton to bring his game back closer to the heights he saw with the Carolina Panthers. If not, the Patriots will not be afraid to turn to Jones, who is well equipped to handle the NFL game after playing collegiately at Alabama.