As 98.5 the Sports Hub’s night show radio host Joe Murray asked it, what is the New England Patriots identity?
If you watch NFL games on Sundays, you’ll see Patrick Mahomes scrambling out of the pocket and/or finding the right guys open that’ll gain the yards they need, even if it’s a check down pass or an underhand throw. Making the right plays for positive gains that lead to points.
Maybe you’ll catch footage of Matthew Stafford slinging the ball down the field to receivers who find a way to get open – a staple of LA Rams head coach Sean McVay’s system. And that guy who finds a way to get open happens to be a fifth round pick, not a second round overreach?
Or perhaps Josh Allen & the Buffalo Bills will pop up on the screen and highlight their comeback win versus an elite opponent, making plays on both sides of the ball with key third down conversions and forcing turnovers on defense. AKA, he’s leading the Bills to find a way to win.
Do the Patriots do any of those things?
Do Patriots receivers run the right routes and find ways to get open? Do they draft well or know how to accumulate talent in them? Do they make consistent stops on defense? How many meaningful wins have the Patriots had since Tom Brady left? Do they know how to win?
Because when the Patriots play on Sundays, they don’t do any of those things. And that’s their identity – they don’t know how to operate in nearly any aspect of football consistently enough to provide hope. It comes across as harsh, but just take a look at how far they’ve fallen.
Once upon a time the Patriots were the model organization. A franchise that many teams, players, coaches, and executives tried to emulate. They had an elite coach on the sideline in Bill Belichick. They drafted effective playmakers – even if they weren’t worthy enough to be labeled a star or even pro-bowler. They came up clutch on defense. And of course, they had Brady, who taught them how to win.
Nearly all of what’s left of the Brady-Belichick era is gone. Players have retired, left for different teams, or aren’t effective enough to make serious contributions on the field anymore. All good things must come to an end, and as Belichick and Brady aged, it only made sense for the New England Patriots – the model organization, to come up with a serious succession plan and figure it out. And yet, they shockingly failed at it.
The successor to Tom Brady was a year of Cam Newton, three years of Mac Jones, and the short lived Bailey Zappe “Zappe Fever” era. Not much of a serious enough plan when you consider that the team surrounded those quarterbacks with three different offensive coordinators, weak offensive lines, and unproven receivers. And even when Jones took the time to figure his play out in the offseason, Belichick wouldn’t speak to him, let alone say his name in interviews and press conferences because Jones sought out help at Alabama to better his play.
A 33-51 record is what the team has to show since Brady walked out the door. Then once Belichick left, the succession plan was Jerod Mayo, who lasted one year as head coach before he was fired.
It’s been year after year of dysfunction for a while now. It’s who the Patriots have been. Questionable hirings in the personnel department, lacking talent on the field in multiple areas, off the field distractions, little-to-no leadership from the players or coaches, and making mistakes in games in what should be routine plays. That’s been the Patriots identity for years. It’s who they’ve been.
So what exactly have they shown fans and the rest of the league that they’re ready to compete? Once could argue it was their large offseason spending spree where they spent $361.1 million dollars per overthecap.com, bringing in notable players such as Milton Williams, Harold Landry III, Carlton Davis, and Stefon Diggs. They addressed their biggest need on the roster through the draft by selecting Will Campbell with the fourth pick. They brought in Mike Vrabel, a culture setter who made the most out of Tennessee Titans teams known for their toughness and ability to win based on smart, fundamental football. Due to the team’s struggles over the years it makes sense to bring in a guy like Vrabel to change the DNA of the present core. With all the changes that have happened, it looked as if the Patriots were finally ready to compete.
And yet, last week they looked scaringly similar to Patriots teams of late in their 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
It could just be week one jitters. It’s known that rebuilding a team takes time and that Vrabel isn’t going to fix everything. Progress takes time, it’s seen everywhere in sports. However, for the Patriots, they cannot afford to start 0-2 versus the Miami Dolphins. Starting 0-2 versus a team that looked lifeless on Sunday will be disastrous, and the finger pointing will start there.
The Dolphins have had their way with the Patriots for years, even if they’re dealing with their own team turmoil. No matter the case, the Dolphins always show up against the Patriots. Maybe it’s from years of trauma from the Brady years that they know they need to bring their A game?
Regardless of what has transpired to the Patriots, they can quickly steer the ship straight with a win on Sunday. Mike Vrabel earning his first career win as head coach of the team can certainly boost morale. A meaningful win could strengthen Drake Maye’s confidence. So many positives can come out of a win versus their division rival.
Do New England a favor, and win this one Patriots.
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