The football world was shocked this past March, when Tom Brady took his talents to Tampa. The New England Patriots will now have to move on without Tom Brady after two decades of dominance. Finding a successor to a man who has won 6 Super Bowls in 20 years, is not an easy task.
In comes another MVP with Super Bowl experience. Cam Newton comes into Foxborough with a huge chip on his shoulder. Not only being cut from a team that picked him first overall in 2011. But add on the fact that he was unemployed for nearly 4 months and you get a motivated talent who may still be in his prime.
Defensively, the Patriots were the most dominant unit in the league in 2019. They did lose many key players such as Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Danny Shelton to free agency.
The defense was also the most affected unit by the opt outs for 2020, losing key players such as Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung. This will not be the same defense from 2019, but it will have the same genius running the show.
With all the turnover in New England, let’s take a deeper look at the Patriots 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 15th (5664 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 8th (3961 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 18th (1703 yards) |
| Total Defense | 1st (4441 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 2nd (2886 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 6th (1528 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 26.3 |
| PPG Allowed | 14.1 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 10th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 9th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 5th |
Coaching Staff Changes
Lost Joe Judge (WR/ST) and Bret Bielema (DL) to NYG
Offseason Additions
| Cam Newton QB |
| Adrian Phillips FS |
| Brandon Copeland OLB |
| Damiere Byrd WR |
| Brian Hoyer QB |
| Marquise Lee WR |
| Beau Allen DT |
Offseason Losses
| Tom Brady QB |
| Rob Gronkowski TE |
| Kyle Van Noy LB |
| Jamie Collins LB |
| Danny Shelton DT |
| Ted Karras C |
| Nate Ebner FS |
| Elandon Roberts OLB |
| Phillip Dorsett WR |
| Duron Harmon SS |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 2 (37) – Kyle Dugger S Lenoir-Rhyne |
| Round 2 (60) – Josh Uche LB Michigan |
| Round 3 (87) – Anfernee Jennings Edge Alabama |
| Round 3 (91) – Devin Asiasi TE UCLA |
| Round 3 (101) – Dalton Keene TE Virginia Tech |
| Round 5 (159) – Justin Rohrwasser K Marshall |
| Round 6 (182) – Mike Onwenu G Michigan |
| Round 6 (195) – Justin Herron G Wake Forest |
| Round 6 (204) – Cassh Muluia LB Wyoming |
| Round 7 (230) – Dustin Woodard C Memphis |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – vs Miami Dolphins 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 2 – at Seattle Seahawks 8:20 PM ET NBC (SNF) | 0-0 |
| Week 3 – vs Las Vegas Raiders 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 4 – at Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 PM ET CBS | 2-2 |
| Week 5 – vs Denver Broncos 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 6- BYE | |
| Week 7 – vs San Francisco 49ers 4:25 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 8 – at Buffalo Bills 1 PM ET CBS | 6-0 |
| Week 9 – at New York Jets 8:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 6-0 |
| Week 10 – vs Baltimore Ravens 8:20 PM ET NBC (SNF) | 0-1 |
| Week 11 – at Houston Texans 1 PM ET CBS | 2-1 |
| Week 12 – vs Arizona Cardinals 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 13 – at Los Angeles Chargers 4:25 PM ET CBS | 2-0 |
| Week 14- at Los Angeles Rams 8:20 PM ET FOX (TNF) | 1-0 |
| Week 15 – at Miami Dolphins 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 16 – vs Buffalo Bills 8:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 6-0 |
| Week 17 – vs New York Jets 1 PM ET CBS | 6-0 |
Miscellaneous Notes
| First season without Tom Brady on the roster since 1999 |
| David Andrews returns after missing all of 2019 |
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Stephon Gilmore tied for league lead in INT’s in 2019 (6) and was named Defensive Player of the Year
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| NE had best turnover differential in 2019 (+21) |
| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 59.2% |
| Rush – 40.8% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. Stephon Gilmore CB 82.7 |
| 2. Devin McCourty FS 80.8 |
| 3. Joe Thuney LG 79.2 |
| 4. James White RB 76.5 |
| 5. Shaq Mason RG 75.1 |
| Players who opted out of 2020 season |
| Marcus Cannon RT |
| Danny Vitale FB |
| Dont’a Hightower LB |
| Brandon Bolden RB |
| Najee Toran RG |
| Marqise Lee WR |
| Patrick Chung SS |
| Matt LaCosse TE |
Burning Question: How will the defense respond to losing many key players from the front 7?
Bottom Line: No team had to deal with more opt outs and turnover than the Patriots did. They still have strengths that most teams do not. In my opinion they bring in the best secondary in the league led by Stephon Gilmore. The offensive line is still a strong unit, with David Andrews back in the fold.
Cam Newton has something to prove and he will do it with the greatest coach of all time. I think they will compete throughout the season, finish with a winning record and sneak into the playoffs as a 7 seed.
Predicted Win Range: 8-10
