For all the attention the New England Patriots offense received this past season for its struggles, the special teams unit also saw a substantial decline under third-year Cam Achord.
The issues with special teams, in coverage especially, came to a head in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills when the Patriots, despite scoring more points on offense than their opponents, still lost after allowing twokickoff returns for touchdowns by Nyheim Hines.
After the game and the regular season, the Patriots finished 2022 dead last in special teams DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average).