Patriot Maven Notebook: Patriots ‘Dynasty’ Docuseries, Door Still Open for O’Brien and More

With Super Bowl LVI now in the books, the New England Patriots are squarely focused on 2022. As the Pats continue to restock both their front office and coaching staff, the process of roster building is about to begin. From the potential return of an old friend to the coaching staff to yet another Patriots-centric docuseries in the works, here are the latest Pats news and notes, courtesy of the Patriot Maven Notebook

“The Dynasty” Gets a Documentary

The story of the New England Patriots dynasty years is about to be told on screen

On Tuesday, Apple announced that it has ordered "The Dynasty," a 10-part docuseries based on the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestselling book by author Jeff Benedict. The documentary event series will be produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's Imagine Documentaries, in association with NFL Films, and is set to be directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Matthew Hamachek.

Having been granted unprecedented access to the Patriots organization, Benedict spent two years chronicling the rise and historic 20-year run of one of the most successful franchises in professional sports. However, this documentary series will take an even deeper dive into the Pats’ inner workings. “The Dynasty” will incorporate thousands of hours of never-before-seen video footage and audio files from the organization's archive. The filmmakers were also given access to the team during the 2021 season, conducting interviews with past and present Patriots players, coaches and executives; as well as league officials and the arch rivals of the most dominant sports dynasty of the 21st century.

The docuseries is expected to air on AppleTV+ while the release date has yet to be disclosed.

Still Bill?

Despite the recent addition of former New York Giants’ head coach Joe Judge to their offensive coaching staff, the Patriots may be in store for the return of another old friend. In fact, one Patriots insider believes that there may be an aura of inevitability surrounding his comeback to Foxboro.

During a recent appearance on WEEI’s Gresh and Keefe, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran said former Pats’ assistant, and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is still expected to return to New England at some point.

“There’s just a presumption that it will eventually be Bill O’Brien,” Curran said. “I don’t know how well-founded that is. I think over the course of time there’s plenty of people in the media who have gotten close to Bill O’Brien during his time in Houston and during his time in Alabama, and some of those folks who I think might be piped in to Bill better than I am have indicated, ‘Don’t panic yet.’”

With Josh McDaniels taking his talents to the Nevada desert, O'Brien once again appeared to be the most logical choice to succeed him. Despite the blemishes on his head coaching resume, O’Brien helped navigate a Patriots offense, which featured ball protection, efficient running and spreading the ball to multiple pass catchers, including a fearsome two-tight-end-set of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. O’Brien might be able to find similar success with New England’s current tight-end-tandem of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. He also has familiarity with an offensive system designed to accentuate the ability of current Patriots’ quarterback Mac Jones. Having spent the past season as Alabama’s offensive coordinator under head coach Nick Saban, O’Brien ran a similar scheme for the Crimson Tide in 2021. This, combined with his previous experience working under Belichick, would lessen his initiation period with New England.

Though the move makes a great deal of sense to both parties, Curran was cautious to mention that the team has yet to tip its hand on O’Brien’s possible return.

“It’s the best case scenario: Bill O’Brien comes back here,” Curran said. “I would say folks could probably let out a sigh of relief. But until it’s done, it’s not. We don’t even have smoke, much less fire.”

Pats in the Top Ten for ‘22?

The Patriots experienced a resurgence of sorts in 2021, finishing with a 10-7 record and a trip to the playoffs. However, the team’s stumbling down the stretch seemed to indicate that the Pats have a ways to go before returning to league prominence.

Or, does it?

In their latest “way-too-early” power ranking for the upcoming season, ESPN pegged the Patriots to be a top-10 team heading into 2022. The rankings, published on Tuesday, included both Super Bowl LVU participants, the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. Still, the champion-Rams and the Bengals find themselves outside the top two spots. Those positions are held by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, respectively.

The Pats, meanwhile, come in at No. 9. ESPN’s Mike Reiss pointed out the areas in which the team may look to improve as the new season approaches.

“The Patriots need to build around rookie quarterback Mac Jones — possibly by giving him a No. 1 option like the Bengals did for Joe Burrow with Ja’Marr Chase — and fix the defense that didn’t force the Bills to punt in each of the last two games against them in 2021,” Reiss wrote. “Oh, and get their special teams back to its usual dominant standing.”