The Patriots fortunes this season hinge on several factors where only time will tell if they move in a positive direction.
The mantra around 1 Patriots Place over the last week or so is that preseason football isn’t an accurate indicator of the team’s potential. Due to the addition of game-planning and in-game adjustments, head coach Bill Belichick referred to exhibition games and regular-season planning as “two different worlds.”
Beyond the week-long game-planning process, arguably the biggest turning point for the Patriots is the additional tools that quarterback Mac Jones will have at the line of scrimmage.
The second-year quarterback spoke about his enjoyment of the “X’s and O’s part of it” last week, adding, “it’s all about your tools and problem-solving. That’s the fun part of the game.”
With the understanding that every play and situation is different, New England often gives its quarterbacks leeway at the line to read defenses pre-snap and make adjustments. Sometimes, those are protection-based if they sniff out a blitz. Other times, it might be a single-high or two-high read of the defense’s coverage shell before the snap.
There isn’t always the time or the complete freedom to overhaul each play, but Jones’s strong football mind can help the Patriots even in subtle ways to execute plays effectively.
The slightest change to the MIKE point here, or a quick route adjustment based on film study there, and a play could run much smoother, which is the hope entering the regular season.
Although that’s one potential success-altering change after weeks of running base plays in training camp, other factors could significantly alter the team’s fortunes.
With that in mind, here are five other X Factors that will decide the Patriots success this season:
1. Patriots Revamped Safety and Linebacker Groups Improve Team Speed on Defense
When the Patriots season ended at the hands of the Buffalo Bills last January, losing to their division rivals in back-to-back matchups against…
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