3 Big Questions For Patriots Ahead Of Week 1: Patch Patriots Roundup

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The New England Patriots head into the 2024-2025 NFL season without head coach Bill Belichick at the helm for the first time this millennium.

Yes, you read that right.

Jerod Mayo is the first New England Patriots head coach not named Belichick since the 1990s. While Mayo comes into the year with the usual questions for a first-year head coach, he also faces the unique challenge of replacing the man who is, quite possibly, the greatest coach of all time.

But that's not all.

Mayo must thread the needle of preparing Drake Maye to be the quarterback of the future while also determining when to let him loose.

For the first edition of Patch Patriots Roundup of the new season, we compiled three big questions for the franchise heading into the year:

When Will We See Drake Maye?

Drake Maye was balling in the late preseason, so much so that Jerod Mayo even said he was playing better than veteran Jacoby Brissett as the calendar closed in on September.

Still, when the Patriots take the field against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, it will be Brissett who is under center and not the young gunslinger.

Mayo explained that multiple factors go into when a young quarterback first takes the field. If you'd like to read into that, it seems that Mayo isn't 100 percent confident in the protection the offensive line can bring and, probably, in what the young receiving core will offer in terms of separation and consistency.

But the question remains, when will Maye take the field in the regular season? Will Pats fans seem him at all?

Time will tell.

Will A Number One Receiver Breakout?

Speaking of the supporting cast, two other major questions for the Pats this season come on the offensive side of the ball. Let's address the receivers first.

New England spent two of its draft picks in 2024 on wide receivers, selecting Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round and Javon Baker later. The team also brought in K.J. Osborn from Minnesota.

Kayshon Boutte and Tyquan Thornton return, as does Kendrick Bourne who is injured to start the year. Demario "Pop" Douglas popped in year one as the latest in a line of exciting slot players for the team, too.

That's a set of weapons that are young and potentially promising but are unproven.

Is there a receiver in the bunch that can break out as a potential go-to option for Maye as the team continues to build up the offense?

It'll be important to find one, if not two, options in the receiving core who fill that role as the team will likely look to improve an offensive line that has just as many questions heading into Week 1.

Speaking of...

Are There Any Keystone Offensive Linemen On The Roster?

The answer to this question is technically yes, but with a major caveat. Center David Andrews is still on this roster, but it's clear that he's in the twilight of his career.

Now in his 10th NFL season, the first question on the offensive line the team needed to answer this offseason was whether they'd get Andrews, a team captain, back. New England did, but for how long is a big question.

That brings us to the rest of the line, which is filled with questions at almost every position.

Mike Onwenu signed an extension in the offseason and will play right tackle for the team, but is he a better guard? Caedan Wallace was drafted in the middle rounds of the draft to play right tackle, but will the team trust the rookie to play this year, and will they get starter-level play down the road out of a third-round tackle?

Questions about both offensive line and tackle will likely determine how soon fans see Drake Maye under center, and also the direction this team takes come draft season.

But it's Week 1, so we'll save the draft for a later date.

For now, here's how you can catch the game this weekend:

Kickoff

• 1 p.m.

• CBS / WBZ

How To Listen

• 98.5 The Sports Hub