Joe Mazzulla May Have Just Saved The Patriots Season Before It Even Started

Elsa. Getty Images.

No matter where you look, the general consensus on the upcoming Patriots season is that they're going to stink. You don't need me to go into all the details as to why, that's why we have the GOAT in Old Balls who has every inch of this team covered and is really the only person you need to read when it comes to the Pats. You can find his latest breakdown over the QB1 announcement here if you're interested.

So instead, I would like to talk about something that came across my timeline today that as a Pats fan has given me a newfound level of hope and comfort heading into this NFL season

Listen, it wasn't too long ago that MANY people (wrongly) believed that Joe Mazzulla was way over his head as a head coach of the Boston Celtics when he was first given the job after Ime Udoka couldn't stop being a creep at work. That he had no idea what he was doing, they hated how he talked to the media and thought his press conferences were a disaster every time he opened his mouth. That he had no say in what went on with the team and was just a fill-in until the real head coach was hired. 

Sound familiar?

Fast forward to today and guess what? Joe Mazzulla is a champion with an all-time record of 121-43 in the regular season and 27-12 in the postseason. As it turned out, he wasn't only the right choice as the head coach, he was the perfect choice. Now, I know what you're probably thinking. That he got to benefit from arguably one of the greatest collections of talent in NBA history and the Patriots well….let's just say their roster is a bit different. I could understand that angle, but I think it misses the point.

If anyone knows what Jerod Mayo is currently up against and how to navigate it while getting the best out of his team, it's NBA Champion Joe Mazzulla. While the Celtics' talent was one part of the equation, it was not the only reason for their success. The culture, the system, and most importantly the collective buy-in from every player on the roster which was all established by Joe is what ultimately brought Banner 18. Mazzulla Ball changed everything, despite the reluctance of many to accept it. As a reminder, this is what it accomplished

So yeah, it can only help that Mayo is picking Joe's brain ahead of the season. Find a way to adapt Mazzulla Ball to football and your entire season can change, we know that to be true. I'm not sure what that looks like on the football field, but I do know following the Mazzulla Ball gospel ends in championships. That is an indisputable fact. 

I can't lie, after reading Jerry's blogs and seeing what the Pats look like on the field so far, the vibe around this season wasn't exactly all that great. But now? Now that I know Mayo is tapping into Psycho Joe's brain? I feel 100000x better about what's on the horizon. It may take until Year 2 to fully materialize like what we saw with the Celts, but people forget the 2023 Celts were pretty damn good too in Joe's first season. At the very least, this photo allows us the opportunity to spinzone our brains into something positive and presents a delusional level of hope entering the NFL season which at this point feels like a win. 

When the Pats now somehow surprise the world and win like 6+ games, just remember where it all started.