The Kansas City Chiefs will begin the homestretch of their 2023 schedule with a visit to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots on “Monday Night Football.”
The Patriots’ offseason began with the return of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, having previously served in that role with the team back in 2011. New England then signed former Chief JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million contract and he is expected to be the Patriots’ top wide receiver this season.
To boost their pass-catching group even more, the Pats signed tight end Mike Gesicki, who has 18 touchdown receptions since 2019. To cap off their offensive additions, the Pats recently signed former All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is still a dangerous goal line back that has scored double-digit touchdowns in three of his last four seasons.
The Patriots also added some key pieces to their defense, including bringing back linebacker Trey Flowers, who played for them from 2015-2018. The Pats spent their first three draft picks on defense, selecting cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive end Keion White, and safety Marte Mapu. Gonzalez has a chance to be a very good NFL cornerback instantly.
New England took a step backward last season, finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs after a 10-7 campaign in 2021. It finished 26th overall in total offense and committed the sixth-most turnovers in the league. The Pats were strong defensively, however, ranking sixth against the run and fourth in sacks.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the Patriots’ top players and their outlooks heading into the 2023 NFL season:
Quarterback Mac Jones
Jones’ upcoming third NFL season will be pivotal to his career. He regressed last year after a solid rookie campaign in 2021. In Jones’ defense, however, he missed three games in 2022 due to a high ankle sprain, which plagued him throughout the remainder of the season.
If Jones can’t take the next step in his development his time as a starter for the Pats could come to an end. He threw for just 14 touchdowns last season and his completion percentage dropped from 67.6 to 65.2. The Pats are hopeful that Bill O’Brien can unlock some more potential out of Jones, and the additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ezekiel Elliott should also help.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson proved that he can be a workhorse running back in 2022, rushing for 1,040 at five yards per carry. He also exploded as a pass catcher, leading the team with 69 receptions after only catching 14 the year before. Stevenson is a power back who runs with a punishing demeanor and is next to impossible to tackle once he gets downhill with a head of steam.
Despite coming off such a productive season, the Pats added Ezekiel Elliott to their backfield. Stevenson should remain the starter, but Elliott will certainly cut into his workload, especially near the goal line. Fantasy owners may not love it, but Stevenson and Elliott should make for an excellent combo while keeping each other rested and healthy.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster was a bit hit-or-miss with the Chiefs in 2022. He averaged a solid five receptions per game but only eclipsed 100 yards twice. There were a handful of games where he seemed to disappear, but he came up big in the second half of Super Bowl LVII.
Smith-Schuster has recorded at least 800 receiving yards in four of his six NFL seasons. He is a big target with reliable hands and good after-the-catch ability. He has the size to overpower slot cornerbacks and enough speed to beat bigger outside cornerbacks. Health is somewhat of a concern for Smith- Schuster, having missed 17 games over the past four years.
Outside linebacker Matthew Judon
Judon has elevated his game since joining the Patriots in 2021. He has double-digit sacks in each of his last two seasons, including a career-high 15.5 in 2022, which was good for second-most in the AFC. Judon also does a great job of setting the edge against the run, recording at least 50 tackles five times in his career.
Judon was a bit disrespected by Pro Football Focus, missing the cut on their top 101 players list. He was also put in the third tier of their edge rankings despite having significantly more sacks than the other players in that tier. Regardless, Judon has shown no signs of slowing down and should be a cornerstone piece for the Pats for the foreseeable future.
Safety Jabrill Peppers
Peppers was coming into his own and establishing himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL until he tore his ACL in 2021. He signed with the Pats last season and appeared in all 17 games, and while he had a solid year, Peppers still wasn’t quite himself. Despite that, he was the seventh-highest-graded safety against the run per Pro Football Focus.
Peppers is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the league, able to play deep, in the box, in the slot, and even on the boundary at cornerback. His best season came in 2020 with the New York Giants where he recorded 91 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Now two years removed from the ACL injury, Peppers could get back into the top safety discussion.
