The Patriots only have logged a sub-.500 regular-season record twice dating back to the 2000 NFL season, including the campaign prior to Tom Brady taking over for Drew Bledsoe under center.
Peter King sees New England adding to that total in the upcoming campaign.
After a down season in 2020 that saw the Patriots go 7-9 and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008, New England quickly bounced back and returned to the postseason. The Patriots went 10-7 in Mac Jones’ rookie season, which suggested the future was bright in Foxboro. However, King sees Bill Belichick’s team regressing in 2022 to the tune of a 7-10 mark.
To put King’s prediction into perspective, DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday morning has the Patriots’ season win total situated at 8.5 with a +105 price to the Under.
When you consider all factors at play, King’s take really isn’t a bold one. New England didn’t make marked improvements over the offseason while virtually all of its AFC counterparts leveled up in some capacity. Jones, meanwhile, will try to avoid the sophomore slump while working with a brand-new, oddly constructed offensive coaching staff. And as if the Patriots didn’t already have enough working against them, their schedule figures to be one of the more difficult in football this season.
New England very well could tack on its first loss of the campaign this Sunday in Miami, where the Patriots historically have struggled throughout the Belichick era. Jones and company enter the Week 1 matchup with the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium as a 3-point underdog.
