"So we can agree that those mostly dull and frequently grim years while the Patriots crossed the rickety bridge to get from Tom Brady to Drake Maye were all worth it and then some, right? That probably goes without saying around here, but in an attempt at some humility, Patriots fans must remind themselves that there are at a minimum 25, and probably as many as 31, fan bases in the NFL that don't believe the Patriots suffered nearly enough after two decades of dominance."
"Enduring a year of Cam Newton, the slow meltdown of Mac Jones, and the ridiculous hope that Bailey Zappe was the answer is a very small price to pay while waiting for someone such as Maye to show up and, along with Mike Vrabel, revive the whole operation. That it has worked out this way for the Patriots is a football blessing."
"Here's one: Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels reportedly loved Mayfield coming out of Oklahoma in the 2018 NFL Draft. That's easy to understand - he was the No. 1 overall pick, after all, going to the Browns. Circumstances weren't right for them to trade for him at that point - Brady still had a sixth Super Bowl to win as a Patriot."
The Patriots travel to Tampa to face the Baker Mayfield-led Buccaneers. The franchise endured mostly dull and grim years crossing the rickety bridge from Tom Brady to Drake Maye. The team weathered Cam Newton, the slow meltdown of Mac Jones, and the hope that Bailey Zappe was the answer before Maye and coach Mike Vrabel revived the operation. Many NFL fan bases believe the Patriots did not suffer enough after two decades of dominance. The upcoming matchup with the NFC South-leading Buccaneers presents multiple sliding-doors scenarios. Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels reportedly liked Mayfield in 2018, and Mayfield's December 2022 Panthers release raised questions about a Foxborough revival.
Read at Boston.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]