All NFL teams face something similar to the New England Patriots QB decision at one time or another. It’s the most important position in the sport. Furthermore, it can sink the trajectory of a franchise for a decade when it is wrong. Front offices and the coaching staff tend to have a honeymoon. Owners grant some flexibility for at least a year or two. Having a rookie quarterback in the building further extends this. But either way, the hiring or firing typically stems from the decision for the player under center. This makes the latest comments from those within the organization somewhat puzzling. Unfortunately for the Foxboro faithful, lack of continuity and consistent messaging is something that sticks out like a sore thumb at this point.
New England Patriots QB Decision by Committee Spells Trouble
Fans notice any incongruent slip-up after years of the coach Bill Belichick’s style with the media. Head Coach Jerod Mayo shared with reporters and one of his weekday training camp pressers the ongoing situation. He shared that the final call is in the hands of a platoon of decision-makers. According to him, the Week 1 start comes down to the judgment of many, as stated, “It’s between Alex, myself, Eliott, and the rest of the offensive staff.” There are multiple reasons this sounds alarm bells. Mainly, if multiple people are ‘responsible’ for anything, then ultimately no one is responsible.
This is important to note while team building. Particularly for a first-time head coach, this could prove to be a tough lesson to learn while on the job. Too often, people laud collaboration as the goal in a work environment. Unfortunately, this rarely works out. Instead, what usually happens is the beginning of the end. Things inevitably go south or don’t go according to plan. By spreading the credit among those who gave critical input, two new problems emerge. Firstly, egos often get in the way. The situations end up becoming a battle for praise. What’s arguably worse is when this comes in the form of being passive-aggressive instead of airing things out in the open.
The second possibility is for when the opposite happens. Because too many voices signed off on the initial decision, everyone involved suddenly has plausible deniability. So when an organization doesn’t do as well, the blame can be shifted, and the collective game of who needs to be held accountable results in people defensively shooting arrows from their corners.
Collaborative decision-making sounds good in theory. Unfortunately, the initial goodwill and feeling of a group project tend to work out closer to what can be seen in any high school classroom. Some go along for the ride. Some put in a disproportionate amount of work. And people point the fingers when an ‘F’ is handed out.
Second-guessing Initial New England Patriots QB Decision
Up until the second preseason game, all sides indicated that Jacoby Brissett would be the starter. Head Coach Mayo indicated that there was a competition. But he made sure to have it known that the starter would be the more veteran player at this point. The former third-round pick of the Patriots took the vast majority of first-team snaps. Additionally, the team made their plans for Drake Maye clear. Everyone is high on his potential. But the shift from his timeline and sticking with it should raise eyebrows. This all changed after the week with the Philadelphia Eagles. More importantly, it appears that public pressure may be swaying internal dialogues.
Officially, the New England Patriots QB decision is still in the balance. However, as history indicates, if you have a true quarterback controversy or battle, then you most likely do not have a quarterback. The rookie out of North Carolina could prove himself to be a pro bowler one day. But for now, given the limitations of this team, there is nothing to be gained with steering from the original plan of starting Brissett.
Main Photo: [Brian Fluharty] – USA Today Sports
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