FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Challenging change: One of the reasons Bill Belichick has traditionally promoted from within on his coaching staff is valuing continuity, and players not having to learn a new system with every change.
Offensively, that resulted in Charlie Weis (2000-04) passing the torch to Josh McDaniels (2005-08), who then handed it to Bill O'Brien (2009-11), before McDaniels took it back (2012-21).
This promoted healthy player development, and it's what many assumed (this reporter included) was at the core of Belichick's decision to turn to Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as leading offensive coaches in 2022.