The New England Patriots often boast about doing things differently than the other teams. However, that has backfired more than once now. But the Patriots are sticking to their guns.

It was probably the biggest surprise of last Tuesday. The day when the final cuts had to be made to NFL teams’ rosters.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe was released by the New England Patriots. Quite a few experts had thought he might even give Mac Jones serious competition for the starter’s job.

After a strong training camp by Jones, the Patriots no longer had the question of the starter. However, no one expected Zappe to fall victim to the cut. Jones was – at least for one day – the last remaining quarterback on the squad.

On Wednesday, the role was reversed: After no team wanted to sign Zappe from the waiver list, the Patriots took him and the also cut quarterback Malik Cunningham for their own practice squad. On the active roster, however, Mac Jones is still the only quarterback practising with the offence.

This means that the Patriots – once again – are going a different way than the other teams. However, this is dangerous – and only backfired last season.

The “Patriot Way” was more the “Tom Brady Way “

Looking on the bright side, you could say the Patriots are expressing complete confidence in the 2021 first-round pick. Confidence they once took away from him when they only let him throw three passes in a game against the Buffalo Bills.

And clearly, the Patriots won’t go into the season with just Mac Jones. Head coach and general manager Bill Belichick probably wouldn’t come up with that idea even in a fever dream.

It’s likely that Zappe will return to the 53-man roster if needed or if a player needs to be placed on the Injured Reserve List. The back and forth on Zappe and Cunningham could also be seen as a typical Belichick move.

Nevertheless: 31 of 32 teams currently start the season with at least two quarterbacks. The Pats are doing everything differently again. The “Patriot Way”.

Or was the “Patriot Way” perhaps just the “Tom Brady Way”? Always New England players were among the hardest workers in the league – because Brady led the way. Always signed contracts for less than they were worth – because Brady led the way. Top receivers were few and far between in the Belichick era in Foxborough – because Tom Brady made the averagely talented receivers better.

That’s because since Brady left the Patriots, they’ve been average at best. 25 wins, 25 losses. You can only dream of Super Bowls in the northeast of the USA at the moment.

Patriots: Nothing learned from Patricia?

Last season, the Patriots caused a stir throughout the league with a move. Matt Patricia was made the playcaller of the offense. As a reminder, Patricia coached successfully for years, albeit on defence.

And his assistant? Joe Judge, who will go down as one of the worst head coaches in NFL history. To make matters worse, he never coached an offence either. As a result, the Patriots offense was dysfunctional and even last in the league when it came to touchdowns per redzone trip.

Belichick corrected this mistake relatively soon after the season ended and fired his friend Patricia. However, in doing so, he hampered Mac Jones’ development for a year and wasted a favourable contract year. That putting a defensive specialist in charge of the offense can’t go well is something anyone with half an understanding of American football can name.

So with the unique quarterback situation, the Patriots are once again going down an idiosyncratic path. Sure, Bill Belichick – the most successful head coach in NFL history – will have had something in mind. And Jones will still have competition.

But whether it will work out in the end is more than written in the stars.