ESPN analyst points out one big weakness for Patriots heading into 2023
The New England Patriots were ranked in the middle of the pack in ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s latest team offseason rankings, landing at No. 16 on the list.
New England has had a busy offseason, as they added pieces on both sides of the football. They also changed out some names on their coaching staff as well in hopes of bouncing back from an 8-9 regular season record in 2022. On top of that, the divisional talent around them got even better.
Barnwell cited the Patriots’ coaching moves, as well as the departure of coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Judge within the offense. The additions of tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster were also a big selling point for Barnwell.
The Patriots offense should look different, as offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will now be taking charge. With that said, quarterback Mac Jones needs to have a bounce-back year, and O’Brien could help with that.
As far as weaknesses are concerned, Barnwell pointed out one particular positional group that may be cause for concern this year:
Offensive tackle is going to be a problem. Can the Patriots make it through the entire season with Trent Brown and Riley Reiff? The two combined to play 32 games last season, but Brown had missed 24 contests over the prior three seasons with injuries, while Reiff hadn’t played a full season since 2015 and was mostly a special-teamer for the first six weeks of 2022 with the Bears.
Of course, we won’t know anything until the games are played. Even still, the offensive line group will be one worth watching. A struggling offensive line could make everything else struggle as well.
