Super Bowl LII: Is The Patriots Era Ending or Reloading?

Published on 5-Feb-2018 by Alan Adamsson

Football - NFL    NFL Daily Opinion

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Super Bowl LII: Is The Patriots Era Ending or Reloading?

So, is this moment for the NFL's greatest dynasty a crossroads or a docking platform?

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have been a duo for 17 years now. They've been to eight Super Bowls and won five of them.

Clearly, over that span, dudes have adapted to change. Quite smoothly, in fact.

 

This time, though, it just feels different.

There's the obvious fact that Belichick loses both of his coordinators:

  • OC Josh McDaniels is keeping his commitment to the Indianopolis Colts, and
  • DC Matt Patricia is moving on to take charge of the Detroit Lions.

Current Ohio State DC Greg Schiano is slated to fill that role for the Patriots, but his signature's not on the contract yet.

 

It's probable that Belichick will replace McDaniels from within, or he could just go without one or both for a while, like he did in 2009 and 2010.

The big question, though, will be whether Brady himself returns.

 

Dude said he'd return, but that was still in the wake of a loss that he was still certain the Pats would win, right up to the last pass.

His wife is beyond concerned over concussions, and now that a study's been published that indicates players only need to be dinged up to suffer from CTE, expect her to up the pressure for Brady to call it a career.

 

Gisele might have a point or two.

If rumors at the time were true and Brady had something to do with persuading owner Robert Kraft to order a Jimmy Garoppolo trade, it'd be über-slimy for him to say sayonara now.

Either way, expect 2018 to be a transition season in Foxboro. How much of one is the only question.