For two decades the fans of Patriot Nation have been spoiled by the winningest, most dominant dynasty in football history.
There are legal drinkers throughout New England – not in bars of course, that's not allowed in many places these days -- who can't recall a losing season by their favorite football team.
As such, NBC Sports Boston wondered this week if "Patriots fans have the stomach for a rebuild?"
It's a fair question to pose to a group that's seen six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC Championships, 17 division crowns and 19 winning seasons since 2001 and yet now is dealing with the uncertainty of life without a GOAT QB.
Prognostications about the current Patriots run the gamut from Super Bowl contender to potentially picking in the top 10 of next spring's draft. ESPN ran a season-long 2020 simulation using its proprietary FPI (Football Power Index) that resulted in the Patriots going 5-11, the same mark New England had way back in its pre-dynasty days of 2000.
But it's not just the fans that are entering a brave new world. There is another group that's been equally lulled into the life of a winner during Bill Belichick and Tom Brady's tag-team evisceration of their football foes.
The media.
There's an entire generation of Patriots beat writers – one of if not the largest crew of beat boys and gals in the NFL – that's never been through anything but a competitive, successful, winning season.
I'll pause from typing just moment to raise my hand.
Nationally, NBC's Rodney Harrison, ESPN's Tedy Bruschi and NFL Network's Willie McGinest literally reached the heights of NFL February fame and Super Bowl fortune working under Belichick and with Brady before joining the media corps they'd at times shunned as locker room leaders under the Patriot Way.
Is the media ready to cover a Patriots team that may not be destined to win 11 or more games, as has been the case in 16 of the last 19 seasons?
For years, failure in Foxborough was losing in the playoffs before the Super Bowl. Heading into the offseason in late January rather than early February.
The team won 10 games in its sleep.
Its offense rolled out of bed more often than not and scored 30-plus points.
The defense did its job well enough, at times living off turnovers or bending-but-not-breaking its way to a winning formula.
Belichick and Brady's troops earned and received the benefit of the doubt.
What media member didn't end a weekly game prediction more than a few times by acknowledging the strengths and concerns that a certain opponent brought to the table, only to pick the Patriots to win because "it's hard to bet against Belichick and Brady"?
Sure it was the trite thing to do. It was also the right thing to do.
That was then.
Now? Now Brady is Tampa Bay.
And doubt, questions and uncertainty are the theme in New England as Belichick tries to rebuild on the fly, a litany of veteran offseason departures combining with a significant number of young, unproven newcomers to create the most dubious Patriots roster heading into a regular season opener since Drew Bledsoe led the way into Cincinnati in September of 2001.
This season – and maybe future seasons – could test the support and positivity of Patriots fans everywhere. Certainly. But so, too, will it test a media corps – both locally and nationally – that hasn't had to be overly critical of Belichick and his team very often for 20 years.
Tougher questions may need to be asked of Belichick.
Tougher responses may be coming.
WEEI's own longstanding Patriots postgame show of Glenn Ordway, Steve DeOssie and Fred Smerlas has rarely had the reason or inclination over the years to spend the hours of instant analysis in overly critical fashion. Now?
WEEI's own Nick "Fitzy" Stevens built a character and a brand as a Patriots supahfan, all-in on weekly success with a loyalty that was regularly rewarded. Now?
Legendary Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy likely won't be able to run out his annual "tomato can" playoff preview column this coming January.
The list goes on and on.
In the past, ugly losses were outliers. Poor coaching decisions in the heat of the moment were counted on one hand, many times in big games against other elite teams. Personnel decisions – like trading Jamie Collins at the deadline – were head-scratchers that also happened to work out.
But the times, they have changed in Foxborough.
The margin for error is slimmer if not gone altogether.
Expectations must be tempered.
Reality could be unnerving for some.
Fans aren't supposed to take a reasonable, critical eye to their team. That's not their job.
It's literally the job of the media. And that job is going to be different, tougher and more challenging than ever.
Positive spins on short-term problems may not cut it these days. Optimism may diverge greatly from reality. Picking the Patriots to win simply because they are the Patriots doesn't cut it anymore.
The truth about the 2020 Patriots could very well be hard for fans to swallow and may be even harder for the media to serve up. It may not be worthy of earning the Twitter "Likes" that so many reporters have grown used to in modern times.
If the Patriots aren't good anymore, will writers, radio hosts and TV analysts be ready to make that assessment? Or will we need to pull Trent Dilfer out of exile to say what needs to be said, this time with actual veracity?
The 2020 Patriots season is upon us.
It may be unlike anything any of us – players, coaches, fans and media alike – grew a bit too accustomed to over 20 years of success.
Are you (we) ready for some football????!!!!
Are you (we) really?
