Several New England Patriots players haven’t shied away from the issues that led to the 4-13 finish in 2023. Cornerback Jonathan Jones even went as far as revealing there was tension in the locker room.
Jones was a part of a strong defensive unit that held up their end of the deal. They allowed 21 points or less in six losses. The offense struggled, as the quarterback carousel, among other things, was something that hampered New England throughout the course of the year.
Tension began to build, and Jones noticed it.
“I think the division was something you could see was starting to happen,” Jones said, when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Nicole Yang. “Something you never want to happen is offense versus defense, where the defense is like, ‘Well, we’re doing our job,’ because, one, that still doesn’t win us games and two, that doesn’t help the locker room.”
Jones had a solid season for his part, recording 48 tackles on the year. The Patriots’ secondary managed to stay strong, despite injuries to Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones.
The offensive production is something the Patriots want to work on for 2024. That unit holding up its end could drastically change the outlook for the better in the upcoming season.
