A shark can smell blood from a quarter mile away.
A hunting lion is more than happy to pounce on a fading, slowing would-be meal in a pack of prey.
And, apparently, team personnel from across the NFL will take their shots at Patriots head coach Bill Belichick when they see the slightest opening to do so, an opportunity that has apparently presented itself this offseason.
Maybe it’s all very natural, just a part of the circle of life whether in the wild or the wild world of football.
Recall that earlier this month at the NFL Scouting Combine NBC Sports Boston reported that after talking to “folks around the league” that people are “flabbergasted” as to how the Patriots coaching staff has come together this offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball in the wake of coordinator Josh McDaniels moving on to become the head coach of the Raiders.
NBC Sports Boston added a layer of critique from afar this week, passing along word that coaches at the Combine were “not threatened” by the Patriots offense last season and that it was “easy to plan for” a matchup with Mac Jones and his somewhat suspect squad of pass-catchers.
Those coaches may not have mentioned that the Patriots finished sixth in the NFL in points scored, put up a couple 50-burgers on foes and were productive enough to win 10 games to qualify for the postseason with a rookie QB at the helm. Details, details.
Are there legitimate questions about the Patriots coaching staff, given that former special teams coach Joe Judge and former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will reportedly be working on that side of the ball and the fact that no one with offensive play calling experienced is in the mix?
Sure as fresh puppy poo there are?
Are there legitimate questions about the Patriots offensive weapons and how they measure up in an AFC that’s growing more talented and explosive by the day? Russell Wilson’s arrival in Denver adds the Broncos to the talented mix that already includes the potential-filled likes of the Bills, Chiefs, Bengals, Titans and Chargers.
Off course there are questions! There are significant questions in most NFL locales in February, March and April.
All of it is, thankfully, fuel for talk radio fire.
Topics for limitless internet blogs and the endless time that NFL Network reporters must fill out on our collective TVs.
But the barbs from other NFL organizations, whether there are names and logos attached to them or not, those are a bit more curious. And maybe even short-sighted.
Over the years we’ve learned that it’s not always smart to talk about Belichick’s Patriots when they are seemingly down. It was a long time ago, but Tom Brady’s response to Marty Schottenheimer back in 2005 when the then-Chargers coach got a little loose with his comments regarding the state of a New England team dealing with injuries, might be appropriate for some of the unnamed slings and unattributed arrows finding their way to Foxborough this offseason.
“You don't talk about our team,” Brady famously said. “If people want to write us off, that's fine by us. Go for it. But I don't think that's the wisest thing to do.”
Maybe the Patriots are a debacle on their coaching staff, Belichick losing his grip on things as his 70th birthday approaches.
Maybe the lack of weapons on their offense has made them a layup for opposing defenses to prepare for.
Or maybe these outspoken sources from other teams are just hoping that’s the case, piling on the seemingly wounded Patriots while they feel like they can after decades of frustrating inferiority.
Or maybe, to keep our animal theme going, maybe these critical comments from afar are just ill-advised messing with the bull that is Belichick.
And we all know what happens when you mess with a bull, even an aging one.
