Robert Kraft continues to show the mistake of moving on from Bill Belichick. The New England Patriots franchise is in complete disarray. However, it seems more important to win the press over for those with decision-making powers. It’s one thing to turn a new leaf. But the initial results are telling from the shortsightedness of the current group in charge. They aim to just be different from one of the best to ever do it.
New England Patriots Franchise Sees Dysfunction as a Business Model
This isn’t to say everything that the long-time head coach did was correct, but you don’t achieve sustained levels of success without having a working formula in place. One thing that the multi-time Super Bowl winner did best was eliminate distractions. This allowed the team to focus on preparation, getting better, and winning football games, which is hard enough as it is. Fans may have disliked the short, monotone answers, but press conferences didn’t spiral into NFL headlines. Issues, injuries, and depth chart decisions were handled internally, and the fan base found out more or less at kickoff in a lot of instances.
Take into account the latest news from Monday morning. Police arrested Jabrill Peppers for assault and drug possession. It’s possible that his shoulder would have prevented him from playing, but that seems unlikely. Instead, it looks like the injury designation appears to be a way to soften the blow. According to Ryan Breslin of Boston 25 News, the arrest of the safety occurred Saturday morning. However, the update about Peppers being out didn’t come until the afternoon. And while a lot of attention is on this developing story, an odd number of reports are indicating that Drake Maye is going to start soon.
This looks less like a buttoned-up New England Patriots franchise and more like a group that is scrambling to keep face. Who knows how Belichick would have handled this or the decision to start Jacoby Brissett? But it’s safe to say that the response would have been succinct, and everyone in the building would have moved on to the given task at hand. Instead, fans are witnessing the public spokespeople offer statements that keep narratives alive. The media handling of this organization continues to baffle even the most strong supporters of the team.
The inability to stick to, let alone create a unified vision moving forward, will limit any chance of football success. Instead of having multiple voices share whatever thoughts come to mind or being worried about scraping reporter remarks from the internet, the entire operation needs to desperately undergo a thorough autopsy. Whatever ‘The Patriot Way’ once was, it’s dead.
Little-To-Zero Chance of New England Patriots Franchise Turnaround
Mistakes happen. And winning is hard, even with the best players and the right coaches in place. But the looser standard of attempting to be a player-friendly atmosphere is harming what was once one of the better-run operations in sports. The lack of a cohesive message and standard undermines anything resembling positive progress every week.
For those who are clinging to hope, the Miami Dolphins’ loss assuredly deleted any room for optimism. In a matchup between two bad teams with limited rosters, New England looked far worse. Yet they came close to winning the game at home. But the defeat came down to more than the correct call of being out of bounds while landing backward. Instead, the lack of discipline, mental errors, and inability to display an NFL-caliber offensive product doomed the day.
Even in the worst days of Belichick, the defense was fundamentally solid, and credible arguments were made that they were just one piece away on the other side of the ball. Coach Belichick offered stability and a united approach that could be seen on game day. The Krafts wanted him out more credit for the past. Their choices are now sacrificing the present and future. It’s too soon to say if Jerod Mayo isn’t a good coach. But there are only so many people who could reasonably function in the current mess that is the New England Patriots franchise.
Main Image: Brian Fluharty – USA Today Sports
