Patriots Rumors: Members Of Franchise Share Factors Behind Struggles

Members of the New England Patriots organization don’t believe the team’s struggles are rooted in one specific thing.

It’s a combination of deficiencies that have caused the Patriots to struggle, members of the franchise told the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. Kyed spoke to multiple people inside the organization for a story on New England’s biggest issues.

“One team source believes the issues stem from a lack of talent and a lack of leadership, and that goes for players and coaches,” Kyed wrote.

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The Patriots certainly don’t have a roster oozing with talent. The offensive line, which has started seven different combinations in seven weeks, features multiple players who are practice squad elevations and waiver claims. The wide receiver room is without a true No. 1 weapon.

Injuries on both sides of the ball forced depth pieces to replace captains like center David Andrews and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. And an off-field incident has prevented captain and starting safety Jabrill Peppers from contributing in recent weeks.

“A team source believes that some of the team’s issues stem from a lack of experience on staff,” Kyed wrote.

New England certainly has an inexperienced staff, too. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is in his first season at the helm while defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington is calling defensive plays for the first time. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has held the title previously but came to New England without a ton of play-calling experience.

“Ultimately, a team source believes the Patriots are going through ‘typical transition year problems,'” Kyed wrote.

The Patriots weren’t expected to compete for a division title or a playoff spot. They had the third overall pick in last year’s draft and were replacing a legendary head coach in Bill Belichick. The rebuild was well-known.

But it is worse than expected. It’s clear those inside the organization feel the same way and know there are multiple reasons for it.