Edelman sees improvement with Patriots, but isn’t sure if they’re a playoff team yet

The Patriots actually aren’t taking part in on the degree they performed for a lot of Julian Edelman’s profession. However the franchise icon thinks that’s OK, at the very least for now.

Forward of his induction into the Patriots Corridor of Fame on Saturday, Edelman burdened that followers ought to be affected person via the workforce’s rebuild.

“[My] impressions are, they undoubtedly seemed like they improved from Week 1 to Week 2,” Edelman informed reporters on Friday, (via MassLive’s Karen Guregian). “I feel it’s going to be a protracted course of. Rome wasn’t constructed in a single day.”

In a follow-up, Edelman was requested if he thought his former workforce was on monitor to make he postseason in 2025.

“I don’t know,” Edelman replied. “However I don’t assume it’s a nasty 12 months in the event that they don’t.”

Coming into the 12 months, the Patriots have been a preferred decide by a superb variety of analysts to be a shock workforce and make the postseason. Actually, their implied betting odds urged that they’d a close to 50/50 probability of constructing the playoffs, whereas most oddsmakers set their win whole at 8.5.

Week 1 wasn’t a superb displaying from the Patriots, shedding 20-13 at residence to the Raiders. After all, the season isn’t decided in Week 1, and the Patriots obtained again on monitor in Week 2, defeating the Dolphins 33-27 in Miami.

Drake Maye was arguably the most important motive for the swing within the Patriots’ offensive performances from Week 1 to Week 2. Edelman famous that as he likes the route the quarterback and the offense are heading in.

“It’s very powerful to win on this recreation. I’m excited with the place the offense goes,” Edelman mentioned. “You have a look at their numbers final week, in contrast with the week earlier than and I feel they have been 7-for-13 or 12 on third down, 3 of 4 within the purple space. So these are the important thing issues I like to take a look at to see if a workforce is bettering, at the very least offensively.”

Maye had extra whole yards in Week 1 towards the Raiders, throwing for 287 yards. However he was erratic at instances, throwing an interception at a nasty time early within the second half of that recreation and New England transformed simply 4 of 14 third-down makes an attempt.

In Week 2, Maye was extra environment friendly and higher on essential downs, like Edelman mentioned. Along with serving to the Patriots convert on 7 of 12 third-down makes an attempt, Maye accomplished 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns to go together with 31 speeding yards and a speeding rating.

So, whereas Maye won’t be taking part in on the degree of the quarterback Edelman caught passes from for many of his profession, it’s actually good progress for the Yr 2 quarterback.

The present iteration of the Patriots additionally confirmed some love towards Edelman forward of his large day on Saturday.

“Only a pure competitor, only a pure warrior out on the sector, simply toughness, nice play demeanor and actually prepared to do something to assist the soccer workforce,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel informed reporters of Edelman on Friday. “So, excited for him this weekend, his household and his journey. We discuss all people’s journey to the NFL and it appears somewhat totally different for everyone, however very worthy to be within the Corridor of Fame right here.”