Ryan Clark Gives ‘News Flash’ About Patriot Way After Raiders Win

The Raiders looked like a completely different team in their first game after the firing of Josh McDaniels.

Las Vegas played with noticeable joy under interim head coach Antonio Pierce on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. And there was plenty to be happy about for the Raiders, who trounced the New York Giants by 24 points five days after McDaniels was axed.

McDaniels reportedly ruffled feathers in Las Vegas by trying to institute certain principles and strategies that he appeared to have learned in New England. The Raiders also had been referred to as “Patriots West” due to the team’s long list of players and coaches with Foxboro, Mass. roots.

But McDaniels was unsuccessful in trying to bring the “Patriot Way” to the Entertainment Capital of the World. It might have been a fool’s errand to begin with, however, as Ryan Clark believes the structure is misinterpreted.

“It doesn’t have to be all about business. Hey, news flash: The Patriot Way don’t work if you ain’t got Tom Brady. It’s not a real thing. It’s a falsehood,” Clark said Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “It’s called ‘we had the greatest quarterback that ever lived.’ The most competitive, the greatest winner — he showed up.”

There’s no doubt some of the fabric of the Patriots organization changed when Brady left New England in March 2020. And the franchise could be in store for a full-fledged makeover this offseason if ownership decides Mac Jones and Bill Belichick aren’t in its future plans.

These changes might be overdue, too, as the Patriots haven’t come close to meeting their standards in recent years.