Whether consulting NFL experts, weighing DVOA, reading tarot cards or using a psychic, the outlook for the Patriots heading into the 2024 season was the same on every scorecard.
They weren’t expected to be good. They weren’t expected to win many games. In that regard, Jerod Mayo’s team didn’t disappoint. Every predictive measure was spot on.
The Patriots finished 4-13. They were one of the worst teams in the league.
In between all of the losing, the hope was that Drake Maye, the team’s third overall pick in the 2024 draft, would be the real deal and assume the mantle as the Patriots next franchise quarterback.
That also proved true.
So why all of the angst and agita? Why all the booing from fans if the season played out the way everyone expected? Why did Mayo ultimately get fired a few hours after the season finale? And, why are the Patriots moving on – with Mike Vrabel the favorite on everyone’s scorecard – with a new coach?
Basically, it came down to how the team actually looked in games, and whether there were any signs of progression throughout the year. Aside from the play of the quarterback, there wasn’t much to lead anyone to believe the Patriots were headed in the right direction.
During his press conference Monday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft pointed toward the team’s “regression” after Week 1′s upset win over Cincinnati. In short, the season was an endless replay of mistakes and poor execution by the players. It was an endless stream of walk backs from Mayo, who would say one thing one day, and then change his tune the next.
It came across as one chaotic mess.
Something happened along the way to Mayo growing into the role, and the team showing signs of progress for the future.
“I don’t like losing. I don’t like losing the way we lost,” Kraft said of his team. “Things were not developing the way we would have liked. It was time to move on.”
The lack of roster talent also played a significant role. Even the players admitted as much to MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
Beyond Mayo, there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Here’s one last report card on what transpired in 2024 before the curtain came down on the Mayo era.
QUARTERBACK: A-minus.
Previous grades – C-minus, B, A-minus
After Jacoby Brissett ran the show Weeks 1-through-5, Drake Maye started the final 12 games.
While he didn’t produce wins, he produced something even better: hope.
Maye showed enough to inspire visions of being the team’s franchise quarterback for many years to come. His talent is obvious. It’s now up to the Patriots to surround him with a better cast.
In 12 starts, he threw 15 touchdown passes.
The only element keeping this from a better grade was his turnovers. His 10 interceptions and five lost fumbles accounted for 15 turnovers.
Brissett made a few appearances when Maye suffered a concussion against the Jets and was evaluated for another against the Chargers. With a one-year deal, it’s not likely Brissett will be back. He proved an excellent resource and mentor for Maye.
As for Joe Milton III, he made his debut in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills, and impressed enough to reportedly have teams calling to inquire about the possibility of a trade. He should be the backup next year, unless the Patriots are presented with a deal they can’t refuse.
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) reacts to being defeated by the Miami Dolphins 15-10 in an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)AP
RUNNING BACK: D
Previous grades – B, C-minus, C-minus
Rhamondre Stevenson had a base case of butter fingers during the year. His seven fumbles were the most by a running back this season – and they were costly. The lead back, who signed a four-year, $36 million extension in June, was expected to be a key figure in Alex Van Pelt’s offense.
He finished with 801 yards on 207 carries and a disappointing 3.9 yards per carry. On the plus side, he had seven touchdowns.
Antonio Gibson, meanwhile, was the better back during the year. He rushed for 538 yards with a 4.5 yards per carry average. He was one of the better free agent additions from the offseason. It was expected that he’d have more of a third-down back role, but really wasn’t utilized in that capacity.
Ja’Mycal Hasty was used sparingly. Kevin Harris and Terrell Jennings spent most of the season on the practice squad.
WIDE RECEIVER: D
Previous grades – C-minus, D, C-minus
What does it say if about the receivers if one of the team’s tight ends finishes with the most catches and receiving yards, and the other has the most touchdowns?
Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper led the team in most receiving categories. That is one of the bigger indictments on the Patriots receiving corps. The tight ends were Maye’s go-to-guys mostly because the receivers struggled to get open.
Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, the Patriots 2024 second and fourth round picks respectively, disappointed. It’s pretty damning to see offensive tackle Vederian Lowe finish with more touchdown catches than Baker.
On the plus side, Kayshon Boutte (three touchdowns) was a bright spot, making a significant Year 2 leap. DeMario Douglas led the group with 66 catches for 621 yards and three touchdowns.
Kendrick Bourne returned from last season’s ACL repair, but never really got into a groove once he was activated.
Free agent acquisition KJ Osborn and 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton were released.
TIGHT END: A-minus
Previous grades – C, A-minus, A
Can’t be too upset with the production of Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. They were dependable targets for Maye, especially on third down.
Toward the end of the year, teams did their best to take away Henry, who was Maye’s go-to-guy throughout. His production stalled a bit because of that. But when that happened, Hooper picked up the slack. Henry finished as the team’s top producer with 66 catches for 674 yards and two touchdowns. Hooper caught 45 balls for 476 yards and three touchdowns.
Rookie Jaheim Bell, meanwhile, barely registered.
OFFENSIVE LINE: F
Previous grades – D-minus, D, D
Cover to cover, it wasn’t pretty.
Whether it was Drake Maye, Jacoby Brissett or Joe Milton III, they were constantly scrambling to try and avoid the rush.
The unit allowed 52 sacks. That placed them 27th out of 32 teams.
Maybe it’s not fair to flunk overmatched players, or players playing out-of-position, but the group was rated among the worst in the league in both pass and run blocking.
Of course, it didn’t help losing center David Andrews in October, and having Michael Onwenu, the team’s best lineman, underperform much of the year.
Bottom line: The front office cannot once again try to put bandaids on the problem. They need legitimate tackle help on both wings.
New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)AP
DEFENSIVE LINE: D-minus
Previous grades – C-minus, D-minus, D
The Patriots couldn’t generate pressure up front, and they couldn’t stop the run.
Game-to-game, they consistently lost the trench war, especially during crucial times in games.
Keion White spoke out, talking about his frustration with his play, while intimating the coaching staff couldn’t fix the problem, or put them in positions to succeed.
“I operate in black and white. So if it is, it is. If it ain’t, it ain’t,” White said. “And I feel like I’m not playing good run defense. It’s a multitude of reasons why. It’s an internal thing we need to figure out.
“I don’t think it’s just one thing. I think it’s a lot of things. First and foremost, it’s me,” he went on. “I need to improve me, and being on the same page with what the coaches want. But I think it’s a lot of other things as well. Without going too much into details, that’s how I feel.”
The 28 sacks generated by the Patriots defense was the worst mark in the league. White led the crew with five sacks, four of those coming the first two weeks. After White, Anfernee Jennings was next with 2.5 sacks. The Patriots signed for Pro Bowl pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue but he didn’t do much before being turned loose.
Not what you’re looking for to win football games.
LINEBACKER: F
Previous grades – C, D, C-minus
This group wasn’t the same without Ja’Whaun Bentley, especially when it came to stopping the run. There were too many missed tackles and bad angles taken.
The season was filled with lowlights of watching linebackers caught out of place, whether it was stopping the run, or attempting to cover backs or tight ends in the pass game.
The front seven was a problem throughout.
Jahlani Tavai wasn’t nearly as good without Bentley riding shotgun, but he did finish as the team’s leading tackler (115 tackles). Of course, Tavai will most be remembered by getting into some hot water dissing the fans.
Christian Elliss, who was primarily used on special teams last season, saw substantial time due to Bentley’s injury and Raekwon McMillan being let go. He made some plays, but also allowed his share. He finished third behind Tavai in tackes (80).
Sione Takitaki was expected to be more of a presence at linebacker, taking over the Mack Wilson role, but never really caught on. His contributions came on special teams.
SECONDARY: C
Previous grades – B-minus, B-minus, B-minus
Christian Gonzalez didn’t get Pro Bowl honors but that didn’t diminish the fact he was one of the better corners in the game. His second-team All-Pro nod offered some validation of how well he played.
Gonzalez excelled in man-coverage and was the team’s best player defensively.
Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones were a mixed bag, although Jones led the team with 10 passes defensed.
Alex Austin flashed at times.
As for the safeties, starter Kyle Dugger really struggled. His play was affected by an ankle injury he fought through most of the season. Still, he proved a liability, especially in pass coverage.
Marte Mapu, who was a healthy scratch over a stretch of games, played pretty well toward the end of the season. Jaylinn Hawkins and Dell Pettus had their moments both good and bad.
Jabrill Peppers returned to action after being removed from the Commissioner’s exempt list in late November. He wasn’t particularly good after coming back. He didn’t play the last few games due to an injury.
Brenden Schooler was largely used to blitz or spy the quarterback.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-plus
Previous grades – A-minus, B-minus, B-minus
Kicker Joey Slye (26 of 33, 78%) was an improvement over the 2023 version of Chad Ryland (16 of 25, 64%). But he wasn’t better than Ryland (28 of 32, 87.5%) in Arizona this year.
Slye started out fine, but grew less dependable as the season wore on. He was a mixed bag, making a 63-yarder, but also missed an extra point.
Punter Bryce Baringer registered 31 punts inside the 20. He had 38 the previous year.
Marcus Jones made his mark as a punt returner. He was a threat with every kick. Brenden Schooler earned Pro Bowl honors for the second year in a row, along with first-team All-Pro honors for the first time for his excellent work on the return units.
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt talks with Drake Maye during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP
COACHING: D-minus
Previous grades – D, D, D
While Mayo & Co. didn’t have much to work with, there’s only so much slack that cuts.
There were clock management issues all year. The conservative play calls and cautious approach also grew tiresome.
What did the Patriots have to lose being a little more aggressive?
Specifically when it comes to Mayo, who was fired shortly after the final game, he was clearly in over his head. He wasn’t ready for the job, and that was obvious in so many areas.
As for his staff, offensively, the numbers for Alex Van Pelt’s unit were among the worst in the league. Whether it was overall offense (31st), passing offense (32nd), scoring offense (30th) red zone offense (30th), and third down offense (29th) the numbers were grim.
But, those numbers pretty much fit with expectations.
The play of DeMarcus Covington’s defense, however, didn’t live up to expectations. That unit was a disappointment. It finished 22nd in scoring defense (24.5 ppg) and 23rd in rush defense (131.6 ypg). There were key injuries (Ja’Whaun Bentley) and absences (Christian Barmore, Jabrill Peppers) but that doesn’t totally excuse the performance.
The one feather in the coaching cap belongs to Van Pelt and his development of Drake Maye. That saves this from being a complete failure.
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