The Patriots are a shadow of what they were, the ship wanders at the mercy of events and the old Captain Belichick seems to have lost his way
YESTERDAY
You know everything about what the Patriots were from 2000 to three years ago. 6 Superbowls won, another 3 lost in the final, an infinite dynasty that dominated the NFL almost without interruption. All based on two names: Bill Belichick e Tom Brady. One magician on the bench with his defensive tactics and organisation, the other leading the attack with a relentlessly high level of performance.
New England has represented excellence for many years and we can argue about many things but when in a hard-salary-cap league like the NFL (unlike the NBA or MLB for example where it is allowed to exceed parity) we remain at summit for so long, the merits are still higher. Then in 2020 Brady leaves the Patriots (we could write an ad hoc article on this) goes to Tampa Bay where he wins another ring, comes close to two more and then retires. The Patriots begin their decline: three years with only one playoff appearance and criticism that begins to pour in.
TODAY
After three dark seasons, today’s Patriots are 1-4 after a disastrous start to the season. The last two games saw the heaviest defeats of the Belichick era (38-3 against the Cowboys and a shameful 0-34 at home against the Saints) and what remains before our eyes is the cosmic nothingness that is produced offensively. Here old knots that probably come to the comb come to the comb Brady has covered for many years. Belichick, who has also held the role of de facto GM for a long time in the Patriots, hasn’t had a good offensive player in the draft in forever and while his eye for defensive talent is undisputed, for WR, QB, RB we are at minimum wage . As long as you have the greatest QB in history to compensate for your shortcomings and shortcomings, you’ll get by (also because the Patriots’ defenses have always been up to par), when he gives up on you (or you give up on him) then problems arise.
The poor Mac JonesQB drafted three years ago by Alabama, had a good first season, then in the second, thanks to Belichick’s suicidal choice to entrust the role of Offensive Coordinator to a combo made up of a former Defensive Coordinator (Matt PatriciaHC fired by Detroit) and a former Special Team Coach (Joe Judge, HC fired by the Giants), went haywire. This season, after a ridiculous market in terms of attack, poor Jones found himself with a worthy Offensive Coordinator (Bill O’Brien) but without any kind of help on the field. If your top WR is Ju-Ju Smith Schuster then you are in trouble.
TOMORROW
The season is going to hell and the only positive note is that many top-level potential QBs will be available in the next draft. Will Belichick still be there to steer the ship? At a coaching level, the same cannot be discussed (assuming he no longer makes ridiculous choices regarding “attack”) but at a GM level he will probably have to take some responsibility away from old Bill.
Will he accept what, in effect, would be a downsizing? Will Kraft want to entrust a new QB and the future of the franchise to Belichick or will he focus on the young and rampant Jared Mayo, Patriots LB coach and former New England star?
Mayo (or another young coach) would perhaps bring a breath of fresh air into an environment, that of the Patriots, which has always been defined as ultra-professional and almost robotic, which, in 2020, is increasingly less available to players who have to choose where to play.
What Belichick certainly cannot afford, in my opinion, is to finish a 1-16 or 2-15 season which would partially tarnish an incredible career by definitively closing the “which came first, the chicken or the egg” argument on who deserves more credit for those successes between him and his ex #12.
2023-10-13 16:06:06
#mess #Bridget…er #Bill #Bellichick
