Patriots Question of the Day: What's the biggest concern with 2022 Patriots?
FOXBORO -- With the 2022 Patriots season inching closer and closer, the WBZ-TV/CBS Boston sports team will tackle a new question surrounding the team each day leading up to Sunday's opener in Miami.
There is a lengthy laundry list of concerns heading into the new season. There were wholesale changes on the coaching staff following Josh McDaniels' departure (plus his coach poaching), leaving a lot of coaches in unfamiliar positions. The offensive line was a mess in the preseason and the run game -- and Mac Jones -- suffered. Jones himself has a lot on his shoulders heading into his second NFL season.
And that is just the offense. On defense, we're going to see if Jalen Mills can be a top corner -- because the Patriots don't have anyone else following J.C. Jackson's free agent exodus. The linebacking corps has been completely remade, and we still don't know if the defense can stop the run.
There are a lot of question marks surrounding the team, and that has led to a lot of concerns about the team. Which one is the biggest heading into the new season? Our sports team breaks them down.
Steve Burton, WBZ-TV Sports
The linebackers are small but they're an extremely fast group. But my biggest concern is stopping the run, something the Patriots haven't been able to do for a few years now.
Dan Roche, WBZ-TV Sports
My biggest concern is with the offensive line. Brown-Strange-Andrews-Owenu-Wynn all had trouble throughout camp and the preseason. Whether it be adding zone blocking and/or a lack of chemistry, this group has had Mac running for his life too many times. The run game has struggled too. Things will need to get right quickly in order for the Pats to put up points.
Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
It's been stated three million times by now, but the offensive coaching operation is concerning. At this point, we'll just have to see if Matt Patricia and Joe Judge can serve as suitable replacements for Josh McDaniels, Ivan Fears, and three other offensive assistants. Their lack of experience on that side of the ball and the results throughout the summer have me feeling a hefty level of doubt.
Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
I am terrified by the offensive line heading into the season. There are a lot of folks in this camp, it would seem.
Mac Jones is one of them, apparently, because the quarterback was in full escape mode throughout the preseason -- even when he was gifted a fairly clean pocket. The New England run game was non-existent when the starters were out there, and they mostly went backwards whenever they tried outside runs.
The two starting tackles -- Trent Brown on the left and Isaiah Wynn on the right -- are reportedly grumpy over their side switch. Wynn may not even be able to go to start the season, sidelined with an unknown injury over the last week, which could leave Yodny Cajuste and/or Justin Herron at RT down in Miami. Meanwhile, Shaq Mason is gone, and the Patriots have tasked rookie Cole Strange with taking his place right out of the gate.
Matt Patricia is coaching the line, which he has never done before, in addition to calling offensive plays, which he also has never done before. This has a chance to go south realllllllllll quick.
Good luck out there, Mac. He was sacked 28 times last season, and that number could go up significantly this season.
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