On Tuesday, the NFL canceled the 2020 Preseason to protect everyone involved. The decision was a smart one because it highlights that the league cares about the safety of its players. The Preseason is important for teams who experienced turnover in the off-season. The Patriots are a team that desperately needs the Preseason because of all the changes from last season. The Patriots have new players at important positions that would have greatly benefited from the Preseason. The Patriots have a new quarterback, rookies who will be expected to play an important role, and new coaches. The cancellation of the Preseason hurts the Patriots as they will have to find a way to acclimate their new players.
The signing of Cam Newton late in the off-season changed the focus of the Patriots offense. The Patriots offensive weapons were preparing to play with Jarrett Stidham, and the signing of Cam Newton changed that. The Patriots receivers have been in a hurry to work out with Newton because the season is approaching fast, and they need to develop chemistry. The cancellation of the Preseason hurt the Patriots offense because they are losing time to play together. Training camp is going to be different from normal seasons because the guidelines are going to be changed. The Patriots will not be able to have huddles or their entire offense together because of the pandemic. The Patriots will be forced to have small group sessions that hurt the offense because they need everyone together. The Preseason would have been a great opportunity for the offense to be on the field together, working through plays. This is a major problem for Cam Newton because he needs to develop a connection with his receivers and fully grasp the playbook. I worry that Newton will struggle to learn the playbook because the Patriots will not be able to run their entire offense due to rules and regulations. The Patriots need a Preseason for their offense because it would give them game reps and film to look at. The Patriots offense is going to be behind at the start of the season as the connection will not be there. I expect the Patriots offense to start the season slow because they will still be building chemistry.
The cancellation of the Preseason negatively affects the Patriots rookies as they are losing game reps. The Patriots drafted rookies at positions of need because the tight end position is terrible, and the linebacking core lost key players. Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi are expected to make an impact at tight end for the Patriots because they were both drafted in the third round. However, making an impact is going to be tough as they will be expected to learn the offense during a peculiar off-season. This is going to be challenging because they will have limited time with the quarterbacks due to rules and regulations. Keene and Asiasi would have benefited from the Preseason because they would have played almost every snap. The same is true for Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings because they were drafted to replace Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy. Linebacker is a tough position to learn because you are expected to cover running backs and understand coverages. Uche and Jennings are naturally talented, which will help them, but a lack of Preseason reps will hurt them. They will be missing the opportunity to cover running backs and read the quarterback. I expect the rookies to struggle early in the season because they need to adjust to the high level of play.
The Patriot’s new offensive line coach will be affected by the cancellation of the Preseason. The Patriots previous offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia retired this off-season after a long run with the team. Scarnecchia was important to the Patriots last season as the offensive line was one of the best in football. Pro Football Focus ranks the Patriots offensive line 7th heading into 2020. The Patriots have not named a replacement, meaning assistants of other positions will take over. This is important for the Patriots as the new coaches have to be ready for the job. The Patriots need their offensive line to be great for them to be successful in 2020. The cancellation of the Preseason hurts the coaches as they are losing the experience of making adjustments and watching game film. I expect the Patriots offensive line to start strong this season, but the new coaches are something to watch.
Overall, the Patriots would have benefited from the Preseason this year. Although I agree with the NFL’s decision to cancel the preseason, I think that some teams desperately need to play. The Patriots have new players on their roster that need to gain confidence. The Patriots are going to struggle early in the season and it could cost them the division. The Patriots will have to adapt to the changes if they want to be successful in 2020.
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