By Steve Viner
Special to BostonSportsJournal.com
Hello again to my former readers! How I’ve missed you. Greg occasionally lets me chime in from a fan's perspective, and even though this article contradicts my prediction for this season, because I’m actually higher on the Patriots than most (playoffs, and a competitive first-round loss) I feel like it’s time to accept the inevitable.
With the return of the Chosen One Tom Brady only hours away, the Emperor awaits with a fully armed battle station.
Except this isn’t Science Fiction. And the Emperor isn’t who you think.
Bill Belichick may still wear the occasional hoodie, but he is now an old Obi Wan Kenobi at best. Brittle, easy to defeat. So who is this new powerful, dark force in the Boston Galaxy?
The Media Strikes Back.
For 20 years writers from Dan Shaughnessy to talk show hosts like Michael Felger were mocked and laughed at by fans like myself (undoubtedly by a few players and coaches inside the walls of Gillette as well.) Questioning the GM/Coach and his brilliance, only to eat their words and take another “L” year after year at the expense of the greatest Dynasty in modern sports history and the mastermind behind it all, Bill Belichick.
And hey. He was right most of the time.
Now? Everything the media predicts adds to twenty-one. A Straight Flush. A four-year heater that keeps avoiding snake eyes while raking in the we-were-right chips. Media: “Are you sure, Bill, about Cam Newton?” Win Media. “Are you sure, Bill, about these draft picks that were projected to go several rounds later while elite wide receiver prospects were still on the board?” Win Media. “Can a former defensive coordinator with no offensive experience and a former special teams coach who single handedly almost destroyed Daniel Jones possibly work?” Win Media.
There are countless other examples. But I have a life and football to watch.
Doesn’t hurt to bring on actual experts like Greg Bedard to educate powerful Boston media talk show hosts. Now everything Felger, Mazz, and Jim says is hot-take jackpot. The inability to change and adapt has doomed many in history. It’s a staple of getting up there in age. The old are set in their ways. But it’s not impossible. Andy Reid did it. Unfortunately Belichick—Still the coaching G.O.A.T. in my opinion—just can’t.
Danny Ainge was a victim of this as well. Got older. Became so used to robbing other GMs, he never learned that you actually have to change, take a risk of losing big, to gain big. Instead he hoarded draft picks, striking down every trade he did not foresee winning in a landslide. Probably cost the Celtics a championship in recent years. Shame.
Did Belichick show change by firing Patricia and bringing in O’Brien? I think most of us know that was Robert Kraft. The only Emperor Belichick is now is the one with no clothes. Everyone else sees what’s wrong, but him.
So does the once-great Belichick have one, possibly two good years left? A resurgence, perhaps? I see what he’s doing this year. Trying to replicate 2018. Everyone goes small and fast to stop the pass? Belichick bulks up the offensive line (at least he tried with Cole Strange and all of the recent O-line draft picks) and brings in Zeke Elliot to go with Rhamondre Stevenson to bully smaller front sevens. Add that with what I think will be a top 3 defense like they had that Championship year and could the Patriots possibly pull a 2018 repeat?
No.
Even though Belichick was more responsible for winning the Patriots that Super Bowl, they are still not there if Brady doesn’t have what I think was his greatest stretch of football in his career: 4th quarter and overtime against the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, in Arrowhead.
Even the great Tom Brady’s return can not save us this year and produce Ring 7, but that doesn’t mean hope isn’t on the horizon. Like the team coming into Foxboro this Sunday, it wasn’t long ago that they went from Super Bowl Champs, to a disastrous Carson Wentz contract, back to a Super Bowl that they were robbed (sorry, that pass interference should not have been called. Little Philly Karma for all of those replays that showed their receivers were out of bounds or juggling balls that weren’t overturned against the Patriots in Super Bowl 52). Yup. Damn right I’m still sour grapes and bitter.
There are plenty of brilliant offensive minds out there now. Once Jerod Mayo becomes the next head coach, and O’Brien moves on, the key is to bring in the right offensive coordinator. By then, the Patriots should know if Mac is good enough, and if he isn’t? You don’t need the first overall pick anymore to get “the guy.” You just need to know what to look for in a quarterback, a little luck, and we will be back. But probably not for another two to four years.
Hopeful back to the Media losing, and us fans having the last, evil Emperor-like laugh.