It’s easy here in the New England media bubble to lose sight of the fact that among the various sportsbook sites on this list, the Patriots are still the favorite to win Super Bowl 53. The last 17 years have seen unprecedented success and it’s fascinating to see where we’re at now — a desperate search for why this is when the Patriots begin to finally decline.
The rest of the league’s fans and punditry must shake their heads. If this is what it’s like when Brady and Belichick are still here what will it look like when the next coach-quarterback combination arrives? How do the Jets’ media feel about their receiver group? Yikes.
There are no sports takes without drama and how much real drama is there with the Patriots now? The media have taken their grasping at straws to a new level, peddling narratives that are tired and contrived with the continued desperate hope that they’ll see the crack that sinks the ship first.
The Kraft-Belichick-Brady power struggle. Brady not living at the stadium anymore. Gronk’s contract. Brady’s contract. Belichick not making things fun. The media has seemingly grown more and more desperate, clinging to these stories while failing to see the real football narratives that are actually far more interesting, but require a little bit more of actual thought.
When camp started the new actual football-related target was the wide receivers, that somehow they were worse than the 2013 turnover group with an unproven Julian Edelman, an injury-prone Danny Amendola and a bunch of others who are now all out of the league. Admittedly that offense was overmatched at the end of the season, but how much of that was due to a lack of Rob Gronkowski. But is anyone really worried that this group doesn’t match up to the group that won Super Bowl 49 with Edelman, Amendola, Brandon LaFell and, importantly, a healthy Gronk?
Phillip Dorsett, Kenny Britt and Cordarelle Patterson are all first round picks. That, of course, doesn’t always translate, but stacked against Kenbrell Thompkins, Josh Boyce and Aaron Dobson they look like the 2007 receiver group.
Brady’s team-friendly contract workings are no longer a positive, they’re a slap in the face from the team. Belichick’s annual practice twists are painted as desperate attempts to connect with a team he’s losing. Any personnel group that doesn’t look like an all-star group isn’t good enough.
This has been enough to complete my exodus from nearly all coverage of the team outside of a few select sources who actual report on what happens on the field. Yet the takes still seep through the wall and here I am, forced to write about how stupid they are, while preaching to the faithful to do their best to enjoy every last second of this run.
It’s just not that interesting to be a Super Bowl favorite anymore. The goal posts have been moved and they’re never going back.
Spot on Mike. It took a lot for someone like me to stop listening to sports radio but it is unlistenable. Sox and Celts get same treatment. Bottom line here is all Pats losses were on offense. Are we really worried about that when as you said we have multiple high end athletic types battling for the 5th passing option behind Gronk, Edelmen, Hogan and White. I like the additions on D. Clayborne looks disruptive. Getting High back. Shelton, Rivers, Wise year 2. Let’s go!