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Bill Belichick has unique offensive group. Are Patriots ahead of game?

Bill Belichick has unique offensive group. Are Patriots ahead of game?

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick doesn’t have a supremely talented group, but he has a deep group — particularly on offense. New England seems to be trending the wrong direction headed in 2022. And maybe the general sentiment — that the Patriots got worse — is on point.

But maybe Belichick is up to something.

Maybe the Patriots coach and general manager is altering his roster to prioritize depth over high-end talent to accommodate his young quarterback — and the changes in the NFL schedule. (Or… maybe this team just isn’t very good.) Either way, we dive into a handful of really great questions in this week’s Twitter mailbag.

Here. We. Go!

1
@Jdalt1999: The Patriots have built their offense on depth. Could this lead to more no huddle to tire out defenses?

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

I think you’re onto something.

New England may not have many top-tier players, a point I’ve beaten into the ground this offseason. They do have outstanding depth at just about every position. They’re built to withstand a longer season, with 17 regular-season games. The playoff bye is also allotted to fewer teams. So there’s less time to rest at the end of the year. In that sense, depth should come in handy.
As you mentioned, conditioning could be a factor if the team wants to go up-tempo and hurry-up on offense. The Patriots can rotate their deep group of running backs, tight ends and receivers to stay fresh.
And then schematically, New England will irk opposing defensive coordinators because opponents will have trouble matching the Patriots’ depth. Maybe that’s far-fetched. But on every play, the Patriots will have viable weapons at every skill position in the passing game. A recent data study at Pro Football Focus indicated that quarterbacks thrive when they have multiple receivers that get open — rather than just one. So that means that it’s great to have a WR1, but it’s even better to have four or five options that can get open. That seems to be the way the Patriots are building this team.

The depth should help the Patriots win games late in the season. It should improve Mac Jones’ development. It’s just a question of how much the depth will help — and whether it will be enough to compete in the crowded AFC.

2
@PatsFanKev: How many pro-bowlers are on the Patriots roster this year?

(AP Photo/David…

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