The New England Patriots just wrapped up their second straight 4-13 season. The last time the franchise won four or fewer games in consecutive years was back in 1967-70
The team's performance in all three phases was so bad that it ultimately cost head coach Jerod Mayo his job after only one year.
That said, there were a few positives for the Patriots, most notably the development of rookie quarterback Drake Maye. He showed great potential. Now it's up to the front office to surround him with better talent on offense going into next season. There were plenty of negatives from the campaign, too, including the play of the wide receivers and offensive line.
What should we take away from the 2024 season in Foxboro? Our Patriots insiders Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry reveal their Stock Up and Stock Down picks below.
Stock Up
Drake Maye, Quarterback
Maye was one of the few players on the Patriots offense who exceeded expectations. He played very well despite having a lackluster offensive line and no dependable wide receivers. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games.
Perry: "The reasons are obvious. The physical talent is there in a way that I think a lot of people were not expecting it to be, quite frankly, coming out of college. You saw the flashes on tape at North Carolina, but I don't think anybody expected to see the types of plays that we saw, specifically the down the field accuracy and fundamentals like footwork. ... Credit to him and Alex Van Pelt and T.C. McCartney for developing him the way they did. The toughness, poise, intangibles stuff is maybe just as much a reason as any other to be encouraged about Maye's ability to lead this team and eventually become an elite quarterback."
Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, Tight end
Henry led the Patriots in receptions (66) and receiving yards (674). He's one of only two Patriots pass-catchers to tally 100 receiving yards in a game this season. Hooper averaged 3.6 receptions and 42.3 receiving yards over the final eight games of the season. He also tallied receiving touchdowns in Week 12 and 13.
Curran: "The tight ends are self-explanatory. Austin Hooper as an addition was outstanding all year long. Both guys the Patriots will want to have back. Henry is under contract, Hooper will need to be re-signed. They were great staples for Drake Maye in 2024."
Christian Gonzalez, Cornerback
Gonzalez gave an All-Pro caliber performance this season and established himself as one of the league's top cornerbacks. It was a very encouraging development for New England.
Curran: "There was so much conversation at the beginning of the year about whether people who thought Gonzalez was a top-tier shutdown corner were out of their minds or not. There was a lot of nitpicking on Gonzalez. We heard it during camp and the preseason. And then the season began and we saw that he is elite. He got an All-Pro vote from me this week."
Brenden Schooler, Special teams
Schooler had a fantastic season on special teams, and he even saw snaps on defense. His energy was contagious.
Perry: "He was voted in as a Pro Bowler. He is one of the best special teams players in the league. I do want to note he improved, not just in the level of his play -- he was elite last year as well -- but the number of penalties he was picking up last year and the attitude and the losing of his temper on the field, it seemed to be almost weekly occurrence for Schooler, but not so much this year. I give him credit for the maturity he showed, on top of the play he brought to the field on a weekly basis."
Stock Down
Pass rush
The Patriots tallied just 28 sacks in 18 games, which was the lowest total in the league. Drafting an edge rusher in April needs to be a priority.
Curran: "Quite simply, the pass rush was non-existent. Yes, Matthew Judon' exit to the Atlanta Falcons played a role, and perhaps Josh Uche's exit did, too. But to me, there is not enough pass rush to help guys on the back end like Christian Gonzalez, like the safeties. That's one spot that really was glaringly weak."
Sidy Sow, Offensive lineman
The offensive line was a glaring weakness for the Patriots, and Sow's inability to be a consistently good player in that group was a huge reason why.
Curran: "An offensive lineman who the Patriots actually felt would be a starter going into 2024. But by the end of the year, he was a DNP-CD way too often. He becomes the standard bearer for a lack of development."
Ja'Lynn Polk, Wide receiver
Polk performed well below expectations. In addition to his poor stats -- 12 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games -- he also committed way too many penalties.
Perry: "Polk is a player who looked like he'd be able to come right in and contribute immediately as a second-round pick. Somebody who could play a lot of different positions. Someone I know the coaching staff thought had the playbook down from the time he entered into the building in the spring and all the studying he was doing away from the field. These are all the things that really impressed the Patriots and intrigued them, and gave them hope for not just Polk's long-term future but near-term future. Ultimately what happens is he's unusable."
Javon Baker, Wide receiver
Baker was another huge disappointment at wide receiver. He contributed almost nothing until Week 18 against the Bills' backups and third-string defensive players.
Perry: "Expectations clearly weren't as high for him as a fourth-round pick, but they got nothing from him until the final game of the season when he made his first catch as a pro. You need so much more from this position group across the board and you can't depend on either rookie from 2024 to be dependable contributors going forward."
Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, Safety
Outside of Gonzalez, there wasn't much to like about the performance of the Patriots secondary this season. Dugger was re-signed last offseason to a four-year, $58 million contract. It's not looking like a good deal for New England.
Perry: "Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers were expected to be core guys for this season, and they weren't. With Peppers, obviously off-field issues kept him off the field for a long period of time, and when he came back, he just didn't look ready. That, to me, throws the expectations for him into doubt for 2025. What exactly will he be? Will he be able to bounce back and be that guy he was in 2023 when he was one of, if not their best defensive player?
"Kyle Dugger played on a bad ankle all year long, you give him credit for that. I actually really like the effort and gumption he showed in playing through injury because it was a significant ankle injury that he was dealing with. But the level of play just wasn't there, and so again, is that something that's going to linger and impact him going into next season? We'll have to wait and see."
