The Patriots' season opener is getting closer by the minute. Let's start looking forward by telling you, after watching them in practice all offseason, what we feel good about (today) and what we worry about (Friday).
And, for the record, you should be optimistic, especially after last season.
12. Jakobi Meyers as the old reliable
We really have no idea what the Patriots are going to get at receiver from free agents Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne — Agholor missed a lot this summer and Bourne has had some issues acclimating himself to the post-snap adjustments in this offense — but Meyers has no issues whatsoever. He's always on the field and as a former quarterback, he has the mind to basically be a latter-day Troy Brown in this offense. When in doubt, Meyers could very well be the person Mac Jones looks for to convert a third down. Meyers had a great summer and we could see him growing very close with Jones.
11. Special teams being the best in the league.
Belichick will get kicker figured out — don't rule out Nick Folk being out there on Sunday — making the entire unit just tremendous. It should be. Spend all that money and your 30-something spots for 2.2 percent of plays instead of just playing cheap and younger players with upside, your special teams better be damn good. It will be.
10. Setting the edge
The Patriots were a trainwreck with their run defense last year due to subpar personnel, and the issue was the worst on the edge. Whether it was Chase Winovich or John Simon or Shilique Calhoun or whoever, the Patriots just could not set the edge on a consistent basis, making the Patriots challenged on the inside and outside against the run. Now the Patriots have Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Kyle Van Noy and Ronnie Perkins. Talk about an upgrade. That's like going from Paul Giamatti to Brad Pitt as far as leading men. The Patriots are going to be rough and tumble on the outside. Thank goodness.
9. Jake Bailey
The Leg was just shooting bombs left and right in training camp, and he seemed to add a little weapon to his arsenal. His directional kicking ability on long punts was a big point of emphasis and he routinely had returners running from one side of the field to the other. Bailey could be even better this year.
8. Damien Harris breaking out
We all know he's talented, and has shown glimpses, but I don't think people really understand how good this kid can be. If he stays healthy, he could be a breakout star. I think that's going to happen. I was so mad somebody drafted him in my fantasy league. That's what I get for playing with a bunch of Massholes. They knew.
7. Josh McDaniels making this all work.
Rookie QB. Two new WRs. Two new TEs. For a lot of coordinators, that would be too much change. Things will take a while to really hit on all cylinders, but McDaniels is not going to give any of those players something that they can't handle. They will grow this offense incrementally. McDaniels is the perfect person to manage al of this.
6. Adrian Phillips kicking ass.
With actual NFL defensive linemen up front, fairly confident Phillips won't have to take on 320-pound offensive linemen down after down again. Without that wear and tear, Phillips should be even better in his second season. He's the perfect strong safety in this scheme. Sorry, Patrick Chung 2.0. Phillips is better.
5. Jonnu Smith being consistent.
We have no idea how much Hunter Henry is going to wind up playing this season, and he'll be a great red zone weapon, but Smith is going to be one of the engines in this offense. Look for him to catch a lot of crossers from Jones and making plays after the catch.
4. Josh Uche being impactful.
Last year he wasn't even active early in the season, and this spring, when the Patriots were still trying to figure out whether he was an inside linebacker or edge player, Uche still didn't look settled. Yeah, that's over with. Once the Patriots seemed to settle on Uche as primarily an edge player, he has taken off this summer. Those long arms make him tough to toss around for blockers.
3. Mac Jones managing the game.
Don't think he's going to win a ton of shootouts — maybe a couple — or carry the team on his back, but I know this about Jones: he's going to keep the Patriots out of bad plays at the line, he's going to give the receivers a chance to catch passes and run after the catch, and he's not going to scared of any situation. That's a great start.
2. 2021 rookie class.
Long ways to go, but the Patriots appear to have now or future starters at QB, RB, DT and Edge out of their first four picks in this year's draft. Normally rookies are just role players around here. Those guys will not be just role players by the end of the season.
1. Offensive line.
This might be the No. 1 reason why you feel good about Jones — he gets to be behind this line, which is at least good at every spot and might be just great on the right side with Shaq Mason and Trent Brown. Those guys will have Jones' back and give this offense a great foundation.