The Patriots are in a multi-year hole - here's why

The New England Patriots both overperformed and underperformed in 2021. Heading into the season, most wrote off the team since it was expected to be a rookie transition year. The team blew those expectations out of the water. By Week 12, comparisons between Mac Jones and Tom Brady were flying around the country more than the south-migrating birds.

Why the New England Patriots are stumbling into a new era

AFC Wild Card Playoffs - New England v Buffalo

Many expected the team to make a deep run in the playoffs and put Mac Jones on another level. Instead, Bill Belichick's team folded in January in epic fashion. They lost in Week 18 to the Miami Dolphins and in truly epic fashion in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Mac Jones both matched Brady and didn't come close in the same season.

Had the Patriots lost a tight game, Jones would still have been held in high regard in terms of what he accomplished this season. Instead, after losing 47-17, serious long-term doubts about the quarterback have been hard to keep in check. While Jones proved he could get the team to the playoffs, he gave a strong reason to doubt his eventual ability to take the team all the way.

At the helm, Bill Belichick has the power to shape the team. Does he reload on defense, therefore pointing the finger at himself? On the other hand, is he thinking about upgrading at quarterback? Put simply, Jones was too good to move on from after a rookie year in which he helped the team to the playoffs. That said, he wasn't good enough to make an impression that he could do much more.

As such, the Patriots are stuck in purgatory at quarterback. Of course, there remains hope that Jones will make a jump next season. Having said that, it is far from guaranteed that they will do much better in the playoffs or even in the division. For a team and a fanbase expecting Super Bowls on a consistent basis, Mac Jones doesn't cut it, but the other options are not much better.

Basically, the team is stuck with Jones for 2022. If 2022 goes the way some are expecting with a short stint in the playoffs, the Patriots will have another choice to make. Do they keep what they have with Jones or do they go back to the NFL Draft to get someone who they hope is better? If they elect to go with another quarterback, they would then need to wait about two years for him to fully mature.

Basically, the next clean hope to land Brady's heir could come at the start of the 2023 NFL Draft. If one takes into account a developmental rookie season, it could be until the start of 2024 that the Patriots have their next true shot at repeating Brady.

By then, it will have been five years since Brady left the team. Put simply, that is long enough to be an era. The age of Patriots' dominance will be renamed the age of Brady's dominance, with the 2019-2024 period being a distinct epoch on its own.