Former NFL Quarterback and current ESPN personality, Robert Griffin III, believes that the New England Patriots are “playing chess, not checkers” when it comes to their lack of an official Offensive Coordinator. So the question is, do Felger, Mazz, and Murray agree with Griffin when it comes to the Patriots offensive coaches?
Transcript:
TV Host: Robert, I admit. That, you know, the Patriots, they seem to find a way to get it done no matter what they’re doing. But how worried are you about this coaching structure in New. England, if at all?
Robert Griffin III: Oh, no, I’m not worried at all. A lot of people have said, well, you don’t know who’s calling the plays and you don’t know this. So it makes them uncomfortable because they don’t know what the offense is going to run. But guess what? That’s exactly what Bill Belichick wants. It’s going to give them a little advantage early in the year because every offensive coordinator has a stick, you know, massive tendencies, things they like to do. So by the Patriots not saying who their coordinators are going to be, defenses are not going to know how to game plan against them early in the year. And I think this really speaks to the confidence that they have in Mac Jones. They moved on from an MVP in Cam Newton at the beginning of the year last year because Mac Jones showed them that that he was ready. So I think he’s also showing them, listen, I can take more ownership of the offense. It doesn’t matter who the coordinator is going to be. So I think the Patriots are actually playing chess, not checkers.
Mike Felger: Griffin’s given that take before in a tweet about the chess checkers thing that is.
Jim Murray: That really puts it over the top.
Mike Felger: Exposing yourself there.
Tony Mazz: Did he say stick? instead. Of shtick?
Jim Murray: Yeah.
Mike Felger: I thought he was using terminology like that. The stick represents the game plan we have on. You were the scouting report on you. I don’t know what he meant by that.
Tony Mazz: Oh, no, no. I think he meant that they have, you know, behavioral tendencies. And he said he meant to say schtick and he said, yeah, they have a stick. Yeah, they carry a big stick.
Mike Felger: I didn’t know what the hell he was really referring to there, but there you have it.
Robert Griffin III: Are actually playing chess, not checkers.
Mike Felger: I mean, again. Is Jerry Thornton writing your copy? I mean, when you talk like that advantage Patriots, they’re playing chess. You’re like. I again, who talks like that? Oh, yeah. You know.
Tony Mazz: Hashtag Bill wins.
Mike Felger: I mean, Jesus, buy a t-shirt, Griffin. But that is that is some of the top ten dumbest commentary I’ve ever heard that the opponents won’t be able to get a game plan or scouting report on you because they don’t know who’s calling the plays. So here’s an idea. In the immortal words, words of Massarotti, why don’t we pull the effing homeless guy from underneath the bridge and have him call the plays because no one’s going to know where he’s going either?
Jim Murray: I forgot about that.
Tony Mazz: And the other thing is, like you mentioned, he’s the Tight Ends coach Nick Caley. Nick Caley’s never been a coordinator. He’s been on the offensive side of the ball. If he were the coach, no one would know the tendencies. Right. So, like, no matter who the new coordinator would be, you’re not going to know the tendencies.
Mike Felger: There’s another reason we’ve been leaving out, which is Bill wanted to go with these two because he doesn’t want to turn the offense over to someone who’s at risk of leaving after a year. So Bill O’Brien comes back, runs the offense, has success, maybe he’ll get a head coaching job. There’s Nick Caley has one year left on his contract. Wanted to leave anyway, has one year as coordinator, now Bill’s got to start all over again next year. So he wants to give it to guys who we all know are going nowhere, because they blow. Right. So, it seems like once again, just to make sure you don’t lose a guy after year, why don’t you pull the frickin homeless guy from under the bridge and put him in there because he ain’t going anywhere either.
Tony Mazz: The best plan is to promote a suck-bag coach.
Mike Felger: So it’s like all the wrong reasons. They don’t want to pay the guy. They don’t want to go through the Rooney Rule. They don’t want to put pressure on him and have him be criticized. They don’t want to have him to leave after a year. I mean, you whatever reason you’re given me for these guys being in charge and not having the title, they’re all the wrong reasons. At no point is someone telling me that they’re qualified.
Tony Mazz: Correct. Who’s the most capable guy? Who is the most capable guy? Which is the first question or person? It’s the first question you ask any time to the job opening. Who’s the most qualified? Who’s most capable?