The New England Patriots have far from the most talented roster in the NFL, but that doesn't mean that they don't have good players who can be real difference-makers in 2024.
Pro Football Focus recently went through every team and predicted someone to be the X-factor for their upcoming season. For New England, they chose quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is returning to the Patriots after spending time with four other teams.
Here's what PFF said about Brissett:
"While Brissett has largely been an NFL backup, he has had starting opportunities with varying degrees of success. His best performance came with the Browns in 2022 when he kept the team competitive while awaiting the end of Deshaun Watson’s suspension. Across 786 snaps that year, Brissett posted an 82.6 PFF grade, which included an elite 91.5 rushing grade as a runner.
There is perhaps no better bridge quarterback in football for Drake Maye to learn from than Brissett, and if he has the same type of success under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt that he did in Cleveland, the Patriots could surprise some people."
Brissett could be better than people think in New England, but that would likely mean that the team got surprise performances from some of his weapons.
Guys like Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker could be real X-factors, and obviously, if Maye is to play at some point in the season, he can be a game-changer the second he steps on the field.
