Is this too much for Bill Belichick to handle?

That was the first question that came to mind after digesting today's news that the Patriots won't name a defensive coordinator in 2010, that the defensive staff is set, and that Belichick himself plans to be more involved with the defense.

"This is the best course for us to move forward in 2010," Belichick said.

Belichick already has a lot on his plate as a head coach, such as meeting with quarterback Tom Brady every Tuesday, or spending one on one time with running back Laurence Maroney breaking down each of his runs. Putting more on his already crowded weekly calendar seems like a risk, especially when the Patriots already have one of the smallest coaching staffs in the NFL.

While no official defensive coordinator has been named, it doesn't mean those responsibilities disappear. So the next domino to fall -- and what surely will be one of the first questions asked to Belichick -- is who will be the coach standing in front of the defense when it meets each day?

Clearly defining that chain of command will be important for players so there are no mixed messages.

As for the offense, where there is also no coordinator, Belichick's comments today were decisive in one regard -- quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien is the leader of that part of the staff, title or not.