Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and NFL writer Frank Schwab discuss why they think the Patriots could be the worst team in the NFL this 2024 season. Listen to the full conversation on the “Zero Blitz” podcast — and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video transcript
Let’s start with the new England Patriots.
Give me, uh, your one big thing for New England that’s on your mind right now.
Well, my one big thing for the Patriots this season is: can they avoid being the worst team in the NFL?
And I hate to start this off on a negative note, but when you look at this roster and everything they’re dealing with, there’s a good chance this team will be picked first in next year’s NFL draft.
You think about the lack of talent they have and you’re not just going to replenish that in a draft and they had to go after that franchise quarterback, which meant they couldn’t trade and add picks to bolster other positions.
This is still a very talented roster.
Most of them were eliminated in free agency and also Jared Mayo is replacing a legend and Bill Belichick.
Look, we could talk all we want about Bill Belichick and the problems he had in his later years, but I still believe that Xs and Os are wise, game by game.
Bill Belichick still had his fastball.
He just didn’t have any talent.
He, Bill Belichick, the GM really screwed up, Bill Belichick, the coach, but coming out of that level of coach, then Jared Mayo, a rookie coach.
II, I just wonder if this will be the worst team in the NFL.
Not a good starting point for the new England Patriots.
But I think if they couldn’t be the worst team in the NFL, they would show some signs of progress.
I think this is the worst result for the New England Patriots this year.
One of the pillars that I live by is the benefit of the doubt in the off-season and you get the benefit of the doubt when people trust your coach and when people trust your quarterback, I would say if you took the logo off the side of the helmet and the expectations for the Patriots we’ve had for a generation and simply thrown away now.
As much as I love Drake May coming out of college, I think he could be great.
You have a rookie quarterback that we don’t know and you have a rookie coach that we don’t know if you put together the same tandem on almost any other team from a team that had as good a selection as this year in the draft.
The presumption would be that they will smell bad.
I think the Patriots are in a new era of football where they’re going to have to get used to losing as much as winning for an entire era, because until you prove you’ve got Brady Belichick, part two.
It is pointless to give them that level of benefit.
I’m out of the Patriots this year.
I will move forward with the Patriots until there is something to believe in.
And now, Frank, for me, there is nothing.
Do they get the first pick?
Yes or no.
Yes.
I mean, I don’t know.
They are, I’ll say that.
They are not number 32 on my countdown.
But the more I look at it, the more I think this could actually be the team picked first in April.
