The Patriots’ latest debacle in Miami didn’t just erase a month of progress – it exposed how far this franchise has fallen since Bill Belichick’s departure. Sure, they managed to stay competitive against similarly struggling teams like the Jets, Titans, Bears, and Rams, but Sunday’s complete failure painted a stark picture of a team lacking direction at every level.

The numbers tell a brutal story. Since December 2021’s wind game in Buffalo, the Patriots are a staggering 16-35. Their defense, once the backbone of their success, has been carved up by everyone from seasoned veterans like Aaron Rodgers to rookies like C.J. Stroud. The running defense? Teams from the Jets to the 49ers have treated it like a turnstile.

Personnel decisions have been equally concerning. Of 11 wide receivers taken in the first two rounds of the 2024 draft, only Ricky Pearsall (11 catches in five games after an August shooting) has fewer receptions than Ja’Lynn Polk’s 12. Fourth-rounder Javon Baker is still searching for his first NFL catch.

“I think it would be a disservice to get to the end of the year and not know exactly what we have from a player or coaching perspective, and that has to be our focus,” head coach Jerod Mayo said Monday, but the evidence is already mounting.

Robert Kraft’s attempt to thread the post-Belichick needle by promoting from within – primarily Eliot Wolf and Mayo – came a year earlier than planned. But after two decades of success followed by four years of decline, perhaps a more dramatic overhaul was needed. The Patriots haven’t shown real urgency since 2017, maintaining a “we’re still the Patriots” mentality through Brady’s departure, questionable drafts, free agent missteps, and Mac Jones’s exile.

With another top-five pick looming and significant cap space available, the Patriots have the tools for a rapid rebuild around Maye. But first, they need to acknowledge what Sunday’s performance made clear: being badly staffed, poorly coached, and lacking focus isn’t a recipe for developing a franchise quarterback – it’s a blueprint for wasting one.

The Patriots find themselves in an unenviable group alongside eight other struggling franchises: the Jets, Browns, Titans, Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, Bears, and Panthers. Among these teams, New England has one of the three worst rosters – but ironically, the best quarterback still on a rookie deal.

At 3-9 with five games remaining, the Patriots can only point to one clear upgrade over last season: Drake Maye at quarterback. While that’s significant – especially considering they were trotting out Bailey Zappe by choice at the end of 2023 – it only heightens the urgency surrounding the next six weeks.