Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots faced an unceremonious on on Sunday. A snow 17-3 loss to the New York Jets would put their season on ice. Finishing 4-13, last in the AFC East. This was the worst season the Patriots franchise has had under Belichick. But they’ve grown accustomed to coming up short in recent years. Most specifically, since the departure of Tom Brady. They’re 29-38 since 2020, the year Brady had left. 21-37 if you take out the games against the Jets.
As Belichick walked off the sideline on Sunday, masked up in layers, shaking hands, and hugging Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh, it felt like that would be the end. A bitter bookend to an otherwise historic run of 24 years which included six Super Bowl wins, 17 AFC East championships, and so much more. It felt like this was a team in desperate need of a new outlook, and would soon get it in the coming months.
But Bill Belichick in his Monday morning press conference begs to differ. It was once assumed that if Bill Belichick was going to stay, he’d be in total power again. His unquestioned authority and final say, as it pertains to the 53-man roster, coaching staff, and other personnel, has been part of the job since the first run of Super Bowls. Here’s what he had to say specifically:
What I asked Bill Belichick this morning: pic.twitter.com/CHkJFUVYrc
— Josh Brogadir (@JoshBrogadirTV) January 8, 2024
At face value, it’s not Bill Belichick the coach that’s the issue right? It’s “Bill the GM”. Yes, we’ve all heard the radio callers, fans, and even media pundits alike try to have their cake and eat it too with Bill Belichick. If only the Patriots could keep him as the head coach of this football team, but get his hands off personnel and staff. A scenario where he no longer has the final say. It sounds appealing, doesn’t it? It should.
How Did We Get Here?
Embed from Getty ImagesBill Belichick has constantly been able to coach the best out of players on the defensive side of the ball. Jabrill Peppers has finally become the player we all thought he’d be coming out of Michigan in 2017. Christian Barmore had a breakout season in 2023, and will only get better with time. Kyle Dugger became somebody after being selected out of Lenoir-Rhyne in 2020. Players like Jehlani Tavai, Marcus Jones, Jonathan Jones, Anfernee Jennings, and Deatrich Wise might just be regular guys on any other roster. But Belichick and his tutelage created some solid players.
Offensively? A horrific story. The last two years without Josh McDaniels have shown a blind spot for Belichick’s. In 2022, with a second-year, first-round quarterback in Mac Jones, there wasn’t any way that Belichick could’ve managed the situation any worse. Putting Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in charge of calling plays, and being the main coach to Jones. It led to a terrible season for the offense, and a bad season for the Patriots, going 8-9 and missing the playoffs.
You’d think Belichick would recognize his failures and move in a different direction right? Hardly the case. It’s been reported through the Boston Herald and the Athletic that Belichick wanted to run it back in 2023. But owner Robert Kraft had the right mind to put an end to it. He forced Belichick to commit to a search for a new offensive coordinator. Somebody with experience of doing the job. This marked the return of one Bill O’Brien. Adrian Klemm was also brought in as the offensive line coach after some astounding years at Oregon. Another former Patriot was brought into the fold.
The coaching staff on face value has been fixed. Mac Jones gets a do-over. 2023 can not be any worse than 2022, right? Fast forward to now, the team is 4-13. Jones didn’t finish the year active on gameday. He was benched for the final month of the season. The team finished last in scoring across the league and holds the #3 pick in 2024. Ouch.
The Problem
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Patriots cannot split the baby with Bill Belichick. He cannot be “just the coach”. We can’t take what he said in his presser in good faith. Not after how this season went, and what brought us to this point. In 2023, he was tasked to bring in an offensive coordinator. Instead of a genuine and thorough search, he opted for nepotism and got Bill O’Brien. Then, when Bill O’Brien requested to hire his coaching staff, Belichick reportedly denied him. Allowing him to hire just one positional coach, tight end coach Will Lawing. Replacing Nick Caley who signed on with Sean McVay and the Rams in the off-season.
That decision to deny O’Brien caused havoc behind the scenes. Leading to less positional group meetings and everything reportedly running through O’Brien. Sources inside the locker room have correctly characterized the operation as “a lot of bad ****”. It sure does sound like it.
Any time Belichick is forced to do something, he’s shown he’s not willing to bend. There’s no give. If it’s not done how he wants, in his fashion. There’s no point. Belichick has had ultimate authority for most of his tenure here in New England. Changing that now is not only awkward, I don’t think he’ll operate in good faith. How could you trust that after this season? After being forced to hire a real coordinator. Never mind when somebody is hired above him.
What Should Happen?
Embed from Getty ImagesAre we to expect that Belichick has all of a sudden turned a new leaf? That hiring a new general manager, one that he cannot overrule, is something he’s good with? After everything that’s been reported and outlined through this season?
It’s a hard pill to swallow, Patriots fans. It’s hard to close the book on an era of 24 seasons that brought the most dominant football franchise the NFL has ever seen. But this team needs a new perspective. One without Belichick looming over everything. He’s proven in the last four seasons that he’s not capable of rebuilding this team. Through four seasons there’s absolutely nothing to feel good about on this roster. No proven, star players. There aren’t any draft picks that were slam dunks. Christian Gonzalez looked nice before a season-ending injury. But who knows what he is in 2024?
This team cannot build towards the future with a 72-year-old Bill Belichick, who’s known nothing but “my way or the highway” basically his entire tenure here. It could get worse. But the ceiling on Belichick isn’t as high as it used to be. And it’d be wise to do something conventional for once. Like hiring a new general manager, and a new head coach. With a new philosophy on how this team should operate in 2024.
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