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The purpose of [my published] papers was to say that the public roles we are asked to play are filled with fraudulence, McIntosh said. People in high places, even the president, are fraudulent. We must not let other people make us feel like frauds. Let us continue to spot fraudulence in the public roles we are asked to play.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_7403-scaled-e1714358061368.jpg)
![WSPN’s Annika Martins and Maddie Zajac explore the athletic life of senior Annabelle Zhang through her badminton career. “This [photo] is me and my former partner after we won the 2022 junior nationals mixed doubles category,” Zhang said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_6629-1200x900.jpg)
The New England Patriots have been breaking records this football season, and not in a good way. I no longer look forward to watching the Patriots play on Sundays because of their repeatedly crumbling offense.
Exiting week 10, the Patriots have a 2-8 record, putting the team at the bottom of the AFC East, and ranked No. 28 in the NFL. This is one of the worst starts to a season the Patriots have faced in the 24 years that Bill Belichick has been the head coach. Patriots fans are frustrated, and I can’t help but wonder what the future of the team will look like.
Ever since former quarterback Tom Brady left the Patriots in 2020, the team has struggled to find a replacement that is able to get the job done. From former quarterback Cam Newton, to current starting quarterback Mac Jones, no quarterback has been able to click for the offense. Honestly, it wouldn’t shock me if Jones had as many completed passes as interceptions since it seems that every other possession is a turnover. In fact, in the two games that have been won this season, he didn’t throw an interception. It’s evident that turnovers have been a big issue for this season’s offense.
As someone who grew up during the peak of New England football, watching the Patriots jump from being at the top of the league in prior to years, to now being at the bottom of the league, has been rough. Enjoying Patriots Super Bowl watch parties is now a thing of the past. Being able to watch Brady and Belicheck win six Super Bowl’s together was something I took for granted. I have turned to watching other NFL teams play rather than suffering through the four quarters of a Patriots game. Not surprisingly, it isn’t very fun to watch the Patriots lose almost every week to teams that we once dominated.
There has been lots of talk about the role that the coaches have played in this awful start of a season. Specifically, Bellchick’s future with the Patriots has been questioned. There has been speculation that Belichick may take up a coaching position on another team, or even be fired before the end of the season.
One single person cannot be blamed for the humiliating quality of play that the Patriots have displayed, but something needs to be done to turn this season around. The future of the Patriots organization is at risk, and New England, an area that is known for its success in competitive sports, can’t become the joke of the NFL. The Patriots were once talked about as one of the greatest franchises in the NFL, but all of that hard work has been put to shame this season.
The only possible good outcome of this awful season is a high draft pick. Being able to pick a top prospect entering the league could help give the Patriots new talent and energy. Currently, the Patriots are expected to have a top 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. What worries me is that Jones was also a very high draft pick for the Patriots, as he was the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and he hasn’t proven much in the NFL. His inability to complete passes and handle pressure is significantly harming the Patriots’s offense, and Jones has yet to impress me.
I miss the days when watching the Patriots was an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, I don’t think that much will change this season, but I do have hope that in the coming seasons, the Patriots will be able to figure a way out of this slump.
