The New England Patriots aren’t getting much love at Touchdown Wire, where editor Doug Farrar listed Bill Belichick’s squad as the 17th best team in the NFL after the departure of Tom Brady.
It’s not exactly a generous listing, and with Farrar placing the Buffalo Bills at fifth, it seems he thinks New England would in the mix for — but probably out of — the playoffs. With so much uncertainty at quarterback, it’s easy to understand why there’s skepticism about the Patriots. That said, Belichick has a history of overcoming just about every obstacle — including not having Brady in 2008 for 15 games and in 2016 for four games.
Here’s what Farrar wrote about the Patriots on Touchdown Wire:
“It’s been one of the NFL’s primary questions over the last two decades: Who’s really responsible for the Patriots’ radical success: Bill Belichick or Tom Brady? We’re about to find out. The Patriots managed a 12-4 mark in 2019 despite a highly limited passing game because Belichick and his staff had the NFL’s best defenses, and perhaps one of the greatest secondaries in NFL history. That defense is back for the most part, but putting Jarrett Stidham — whose primary play in 2019 was a pick-six by Jets safety Jamal Adams — is a highly questionable move, even for someone of Belichick’s undeniable football genius. Perhaps a veteran like Cam Newton (whose schematic history actually merges quite well with what the Patriots do) could augment the quarterback room; or maybe Stidham will advance as a player as the team believes is possible. If not, this is a team that will have to make chicken salad out of something else on offense, and Brady is in Tampa with all the chicken salad.”
Considering the Patriots did very little to upgrade on offense — while losing the greatest quarterback of all time — Farrar’s worries about Belichick’s ability to make something from nothing are legit. New England’s season will likely be determined by whether Stidham’s supporting cast can elevate to a level which they couldn’t find in 2019.
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