Robert Kraft set the bar high for Bill Belichick on Tuesday. The Patriots owner admitted he's "bothered" by New England's three-year postseason drought and expects Belichick to have the team back in contention in 2022.
But he's also not micro-managing his head coach when it comes to Belichick's staff.
Kraft was asked Tuesday how he felt about the Patriots not hiring a direct replacement for departed offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and still not having an official play-caller for second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
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"I think Bill has a unique way of doing things. It’s worked out pretty well up to now," Kraft said at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. "I know what I don’t know and I try to stay out of the way of things I don’t know.
"I think he’s pretty good; over 40 years of experience doing it. It doesn’t sometimes look (like a) straight line to our fans or myself, but I’m results-oriented."
New England's current setup has turned plenty of heads. Belichick revealed Monday that offensive assistant Joe Judge and senior football advisor Matt Patricia both will have significant roles on the offensive coaching staff, despite neither having much previous experience on that side of the ball.
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"I think Matt and Joe are pretty good coaches," Belichick said. "... We've had a lot of coaches take multiple responsibilities."
Tight ends coach Nick Caley also is a candidate to call plays, but the loss of McDaniels certainly is concerning as Jones enters a crucial second season.
Kraft doesn't seem concerned with how Belichick is constructing his coaching staff, though, and with good reason: The Patriots have gone through three offensive coordinators under Belichick's tenure (Charlie Weis, Bill O'Brien and McDaniels) and went a season without an official offensive coordinator in 2005, maintaining a relatively high level of success despite those changes.
So, Belichick has the freedom to run things the way he wants to. But as Kraft made clear Tuesday, he'd better produce results.