Patriots heading down other side of mountain
The Post and Action Network will be previewing gambling picks and futures for all 32 NFL teams ahead of the 2022 regular season.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Super Bowl odds: 40/1
2021 record: 10-7, 2nd in NFC East After missing the postseason in 2020, the Patriots returned to the playoffs last season, thanks to the play of their rookie quarterback, Mac Jones.
A 47-17 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round, however, revealed the Patriots still have quite a bit of work to get back to the top of the AFC. It should be intriguing as Jones enters his second NFL season.
This will be a big season in New England because it is Year 3 AB (After Brady). Will the Patriots have enough talent to compete in an improving division? Let’s find out.
Win total
The Patriots won 10 games a year ago, but oddsmakers set their win total at 8.5 for this season. Jones will work under a different offensive coordinator following Josh McDaniels’ departure to take the Raiders’ head-coaching job. And in true Bill Belichick fashion, the Patriots are noncommittal as to who will take over play-calling duties for McDaniels.
Instead, the Patriots are said to be taking a more collaborative approach, with the pairing of Matt Patricia, as senior football adviser and offensive line coach, and Joe Judge, as offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach.
What’s interesting is that though Judge and Patricia are former head
Mac Jones coaches, neither has much experience on the offensive side of the ball. Patricia’s background was as a defensive coordinator with the Patriots from 2012-17, while Judge was their special teams coordinator from 2015-19.
If the Patriots struggle early, you can be sure that discussions about who is in charge of the offense will continue throughout the season.
New England is in a much more competitive division, given the strides that the Dolphins made in the offseason. When all is said and done, the Patriots might be the third-best team in the AFC East behind the Bills and the Dolphins.
Lean: Under 8.5 wins
Season prop
Despite the questions surrounding who will run the Patriots’ offense, I still like Jones to go over his passing-touchdown prop.
My reasoning is based on Jones’ character and competitiveness, and the fact he returned for his second year in tremendous shape.
Jones’s girlfriend, Sophie Scott, shared the quarterback’s physical transformation on her Instagram. When he was at the Pro Bowl, Jones commented on his plans to improve his diet, and he has done precisely that.
Jones’ accomplishment of his offseason goal shows the commitment of a quarterback looking to improve. The addition of DeVante Parker at wide receiver should also provide a boost to the offense.
I expect the Patriots to let Jones air it out more as they continue their evaluation of whether he indeed is their quarterback of their future. He should eclipse his modest touchdown total.
Pick: Jones Over 23.5 passing touchdowns (-115, FanDuel) Michael Arinze handicaps the NFL for Action Network. Coming Tuesday: Vikings