There was a time when New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was considered the consensus best coach in NFL history. However, when his GOAT quarterback Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the HC’s winning streak witnessed a major fall, as he is 27-35 in the past four years.
With a 2-9 record, the Patriots are sitting in the last spot in the AFC East. The Week 12 defeat against the New York Giants is their fourth straight loss. As their losing streak gets stronger, the sacking rumor of Belichick is also getting stronger. However, the veteran is famous for his short reply with a poker face, and he did so in response to the rumor following the Giants loss.
Belichick’s blunt reply to Patriots coaching future
With the loss to the New York Giants, Bill Belichick’s 174 losses now trail only Tom Landry’s 178, including playoffs. As the Patriots owner Robert Kraft sounded less committed to the HC, many speculated that his coaching job in New England might be over.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky sparked the rumor, saying he heard the coach’s next team is likely already determined during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show two weeks ago. During Monday morning on WEEI-FM in Boston, he was asked about getting enrolled in another team next season, and his reply was “yeah that’s ridiculous”, per FOX59.
The 71-year-old has already been known for not detailing on every topic, and unsurprisingly, he followed his regular side by not giving a direct answer when asked if he could potentially imagine himself with another franchise. He, instead, turned his focus to the task at hand, saying “I’m just trying to do the best job I can right now. Obviously need to do better.”
The Patriots coach has been slammed by former players, fans, and analysts alike following the team’s recent downfall. However, he said he has heard it all, and “don’t worry about what everybody else is saying.” The vet said every week brings a new ” challenge” for him, and his focus right now is to secure a win in the upcoming games.
Patriots grapple with QB controversy in Bill Belichick era
The Patriots last two losses came against the last-place teams, the Washington Commanders and the NY Giants. What is not working for them is their offensive side, as Bill Belichick’s O-line strategy has been scrutinized lately.
The HC could not draw a final picture about Mac Jones as he has now been benched four times this season, including the last two games, and Bailey Zappe came in for the start of the third quarter in the recent loss. Zappe went 6 for 6 and ensured the only touchdown for the team but he completed only three of his next eight passes while recording an interception.
Belichick has been keeping suspense about starting quarterback before the last few games. On Monday, he was asked if he would consider bringing another quarterback in as both Jones and Zappe failed to change the situation on the offensive side. The coach said he would be unlikely to do so shortly, albeit he told if the Pats’ pro scouting department finds someone capable, he might think for a change.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out, anything that would help our team. You never know what’s going to happen. If I think there’s somebody, if our pro scouting department thinks there is somebody that would help us, we’ll certainly listen to it and take a look at it, at any position. … Nobody that comes to mind, but we’ll see.”
The Patriots next challenge will be to secure a win against the Los Angeles Chargers. Meanwhile, Belichick might be thinking about a major change in his offensive strategy, especially after being slammed for deviating from the “Patriot Way” philosophy of winning.
