12 takeaways from the Patriots’ first half of the season

What to make of the 2020 Patriots.

The New England Patriots are off to the strangest of starts in the strangest of seasons. It was predictable that the Patriots might regress without Tom Brady, especially when looking at New England’s schedule for 2020.

But few could have expected this level of regression. New England is reeling without Brady. Cam Newton is saying the right things and doing what the Patriots need to hold together a listing franchise. Still, he’s missed two opportunities (against the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks) to log crucial wins. They were the kinds of moments that Brady thrived in, which leaves New England wondering: What if?

We won’t dwell in the hypothetical, however. Let’s talk about what we’ve learned from the first half of the 2020 season. Here are our 12 takeaways.