Couple overlooked issues (?):
Current 70+ age range, per medical/insurance actuarial stats, not an indicator of mental decline, if physical health (+ intangibles like stress vs life satisfactions, etc.) are overall positive.
BB's personal motivation is unknowable, but for time being seems unchanged as to winning football games.
Btw isn't Pete Carroll older than BB? No one seems to be harping on his age, or any incompetence, given Geno Smith's renewal at QB.
As mentioned elsewhere + previously in this thread, rebuilding any organization as competitive & complex as a pro football team is as difficult an undertaking as any in modern society.
Actually imho more difficult than forming & sustaining a winning organization in the 1st place.
Why?
Because the very strengths, personnel & competitive conditions one started with embed habits & expectations that one has to "uproot" from one's new decisionmaking.
Note that the OC failure of MP & JJ came from BB's experiment, an attempt to innovate, not do the conventional thing.
Also (?) a response to the repetitive troll-call that BB wasn't collaborative enough; now, too collaborative, etc.
Clearly, as an earlier post noted, the failed OC experiment is acknowledged, corrective action has been taken in a non-disruptive way (not blowing things up mid-season).
Mockery of failure by the uninvolved, & after the fact?
Puny minds do that, no?
Also -"nepotism?"
Perhaps we're too resigned to the politics of our glorious Commonwealth to look at BB's sons as anything but no-show gov't "workers?"
Both sons seem to be entirely competent; SB's comment that if not, they'd be doing something else, kinship or no, seems consistent w/ the Patriots Way.
So, even w/ the MP/JJ OC failure, does anyone think BB is unique in choosing to work w/ really smart subordinates whom he knows well?
And has given many young unknowns coaching opportunities, outside their previous roles, not so?
For that matter, is Robt. Kraft unique in recognizing a potentially unique subordinate in BB, giving him his 2nd chance, then riding w/ their joint success, after BB, in his turn, gave Brady his 1st chance?
Top executives, military commanders, scientists, make great personnel decisions; & seem to know when to persevere thru tough times w/ proven subordinates.
Also note re "friction" (totally unknowable) betw RK & BB also comes from statements that RK as Owner must make to public, press & especially season tkt. holders & advertiser/sponsors about commitment to winning (again).
I think that BB passing Shula is probable.
Allowing the Patriots to do so via mediocre season W/L records seems highly unlikely.
Which, in turn, affects Mac Jones' future - like that of every other Pats player, over the next 2-3 yrs.
RK firing BB?
Replaced by whom?
Guaranteeing a real i.e. prolonged rebuild? Seems foolish; & RK is no fool.
2023 is Mac's prove-it year; 2024 offers cap resources, as required for QB & any other weaknesses.
Show me - hmm... show RK - what GM has a better batting average w/ personnel decisions, in last 24 yrs.
I vote for guarded optimism - partly because all our vaunted AFC opponents will also be knocking each other off thru the next 2-3 seasons.
Altho low probability at this point, even a Pats SB by 2028 would not surprise me - & even w/ BB still as HC/GM.
We're on to the Draft!
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