How do the Krafts feel about Patriots being 'just another team'? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
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The New England Patriots ain't what they used to be.
Even if you believe the Patriots will rebound from a Week 1 loss in Miami to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, their ceiling in 2022 isn't very high as the team adjusts to a new offensive coaching staff and scheme.
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That adjustment apparently is already causing friction, as our Tom E. Curran reported that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and offensive play-caller Matt Patricia "haven't exactly jelled," and that it was Patricia's decision to bench Bourne for all but two snaps against the Dolphins.
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Curran added that Patriots owner Robert Kraft "definitely noticed" Bourne's absence Sunday. But is a bigger concern for Kraft not internal strife, but national irrelevance?
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Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer expanded on that topic Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand."
"That's why Curran's report this week gets my attention," Breer said, as seen in the video player above. "Are they antsy? Are the Krafts antsy now? Is it like, 'Oh my god, we're not what we were'?
"You get comfortable being it for 20 years, maybe you think you're going to be it forever. They aren't that anymore. They're just another team. If you turn on the talk shows on Monday morning, nobody's talking about them."
The Patriots had an unprecedented run of success under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, winning six Super Bowls, nine AFC titles and 17 division titles from 2001 to 2019.
Since Brady's departure, however, they're exactly 17-17 with zero playoff wins. And despite Mac Jones showing promise in 2021 as the quarterback of the future, interest in the Patriots appears to be down in 2022, with their Week 1 loss drawing a 23.9 television rating in Boston (compared to a 33.1 rating in their 2021 season opener).
