1. When it comes to the Patriots replacing Josh McDaniels at offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien is the No. 1 name that comes to mind with Adam Gase gaining some steam this week if that doesn’t work out. With that being said, Bill Belichick prefers to promote from within, which would be either tight ends coach Nick Caley or wide receivers coach Mick Lombardi. What if Belichick doesn’t hire name an offensive coordinator, and instead he himself spends more time on that side of the ball grooming either Caley or Lombardi for the official title in 2023? While he’s focused his attention on the defense lately, with Jerod Mayo, Steve Belichick and Matt Patricia all on the staff, Belichick could shift to offense and leave the defense to those three. After all, Belichick already meets with the quarterbacks every week. It’s certainly not the most likely option, but it’s worth considering outside-the-box options with replacing McDaniels.
2. When it comes to Tom Brady’s retirement, there’s no way around it, he completely botched it. From the ESPN report last Saturday, immediate denials from his inner circle, going on his Let’s Go! Podcast Monday night saying he’s going through the process of deciding, to then announcing his retirement just over 12 hours later Tuesday morning on his Instagram, which included a statement that did not include a single line about the Patriots, it was a bad look all the way around. For a player who is so good on the field, over the years he hasn’t been able to match it off the field when it comes to his own PR.
3. Looking ahead, the Patriots will obviously do something special for Brady. Whether it’s having a Tom Brady Day, waiving the process for the Patriots Hall of Fame and putting him in this year, it’s going to be something unique. With that being said, whatever they do for Brady, they likely need to do the same for Belichick when his time comes. So, if there’s going to be a statue somewhere at Gillette Stadium, there likely will be a spot next to it reserved for Belichick.
4. McDaniels has been extremely selective with taking head-coaching interviews the last few seasons so many have wondered why did he take the Raiders job going into a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert? Stability and money. For all his faults, Mark Davis is a very loyal owner who isn’t afraid to spend money and invest in his organization. McDaniels will be given the chance to succeed and is joining a team with a lot of talent already in place. Look for an offense mirroring the Patriots’ when they had Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, as Vegas has Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller.
5. Give McDaniels credit for owning his mistakes and failures in Denver during his introductory press conference this week. He seemed genuine and was himself, unlike some other press conferences with new head coaches this week like Matt Eberflus in Chicago. The former Patriots offensive coordinator has come a long way since he was a head coach over a decade ago.
6. A popular destination road trip for Patriots fans in 2022 will be in Las Vegas whenever they play the Raiders. Allegiant Stadium is a destination in itself and then it allows fans to see McDaniels coach against his former team. The schedule typically is released in early May.
7. There hasn’t been a lot of buzz surrounding the Super Bowl, especially in these parts, but that should pick up this week. Also, while it won’t be anything like in the past, there will be a radio row at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles where Merloni & Fauria will be broadcasting from Tuesday-Friday. There should be some great interviews with former players, media members, etc.