FOXBORO, Mass. — If New England Patriots fans are looking for some perspective on their favorite football team, just listen to veteran running backs coach Ivan Fears.
Fears, 65, has been coaching for 43 years. He’s in his 29th season in the NFL and his 23rd with the Patriots.
And sure, the Patriots’ offense hasn’t been as prolific as it’s been in years past. And the running game is struggling up to this point. So, has this year been frustrating for Fears?
“We’re 9-1. No,” Fears said. “No.”
Winning is all that matters.
“Hell, yeah,” Fears said. “C’mon, guys. What do you think? If we were saying we’re 3-6 right now, what would it be like? Rushing for 2,000 yards at this point. It wouldn’t be worth (expletive), would it? No. No, c’mon. What counts is what happens with the scoreboard when it’s all said and done. The rest of that stuff, yeah, it sounds good, it’s really good, we’d really like it to be there because it’s for the guys, they deserve it. The production, the stats, all of that (expletive)’s great. When you finally walk off that field, what really matters is what the final score is. And that’s all that really matters.”
Obviously, the Patriots will look to improve, but they’re currently producing the only result that actually matters.
“Hell, yeah,” Fears said. “Yes. Yes, we want to come off of there with the win, because we’re going to move on and we finally reached the goal we’re all trying to get to. Everybody knows you run the ball better, you throw the ball, all of the little things, they help you get that W. But when it’s all said and done, you gotta get that W. And that’s where we are. That’s where our mindset is.”
The Patriots take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. They’re expected to have starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn back on their offensive line. That could provide a boost for the offense.
