The New England Patriots will open their 2024 season Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Most NFL experts and fans expect it to be a long year for the rebuilding Pats, who are entering Year 1 of the post-Bill Belichick era. But win-loss record aside, how will Jerod Mayo's group look? Which players will establish themselves as key pieces of the franchise's future?
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Ahead of the Week 1 showdown in Cincinnati, Phil Perry shared his big-picture predictions for the 2024 Patriots season on a new episode of the Next Pats Podcast.
"Controlled chaos" on defense
"I'm going to predict that the Patriots have a top-five blitz rate in 2024 with (defensive coordinator) DeMarcus Covington," Perry said. "How do you try to generate a pass rush when you're missing those studs in terms of the talent? You throw numbers at the problem. ... I also think they trust their secondary so much that it's not going to bother them to throw extra pieces at the pass rush."
Big year for Keion White
"Keion White will lead this team in sacks," Perry said. "In terms of physical talent, there is nobody better. ... Going from Year 1 to Year 2, we should only see more consistent flashes of that physical talent. We saw it all throughout camp. This guy is powerful, he is long, and I think when he gets between the white lines he has that mindset that you're looking for from those types of bull-rush pass rushers that could lead to big numbers from Keion White."
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Christian Gonzalez: Pro Bowler
"I'm high on Christian Gonzalez," Perry said. "He did not have an amazing training camp. I still have heard nothing but optimism about Christian Gonzalez heading into Year 2. ... They think he's a really good player, and they're gonna need him to be a really good player in order for them to keep these games close and keep this season relatively competitive from week to week. ...
"My prediction is, in his second year, Christian Gonzalez will make a Pro Bowl. ... I think that is a realistic -- maybe lofty, but a realistic expectation for Christian Gonzalez based on where he was drafted, what we saw from him in flashes against excellent competition, and basing it off what I know of how people in the building who are around him every day feel about him as a player and his upside."
Listen to the full episode for all of Perry's predictions, including when rookie quarterback Drake Maye will see the field.
Also in the episode: An in-depth conversation with Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.