New England Patriots Gameday: Bill Belichick questioned like never before
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has seen it all over his NFL career as a head coach. While he has had some failures along the way, often he has proved critics wrong when it came to spontaneous roster moves or some draft selections that were mind-boggling.
Through it all, he has earned trust because of his greatness as an NFL head coach. A mastermind when it comes to the game of football, fans of the Patriots and of the game have come to give Belichick the benefit of the doubt when it comes to roster decisions. But, after letting Tom Brady walk out the door when he had some good football years left has turned Belichick’s fate in a different direction.
Despite draft the potential next guy in Mac Jones and getting the team to the playoffs in 2021, some of those roster decisions and bad drafts are coming back to haunt the Patriots head coach. Prior to the 2021 NFL season he had to go on an uncharacteristic spending spree to make up for some of that talent.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is depending on unproven players to do their job
That spending spree led to him not spending in 2022 and not adding the type of talent in free agency at some key positions like linebacker, wide receiver and the secondary. After letting J.C. Jackson walk in free agency, Belichick is depending on younger players to make the next step and some of those 2021 free agents like tight end Jonnu Smith and wide receiver Nelson Agholor to make that money worth it.
If there is ever a season Belichick needs to prove players can be coached up and that their success if more about the system than individual success, it is the 2022 NFL season.
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A new offensive scheme that looked awful in execution in the preseason and position-less football on the defense are two elements where Belichick can prove the game hasn’t passed him by.
While the rest of the AFC was entrenched in an arms race, Belichick and the New England Patriots decided the maturation of Mac Jones and players like Rhamondre Stevenson, Christian Barmore, Josh Uche and Kyle Dugger is their path to renewed glory in Foxborough.
But drafts and roster moves have been talked about since Brady left it exposed back in 2020. That criticism will continue until some of those players named above emerge as superstars. What NFL critics and even Patriots fans are bashing Belichick about is his decisions with the coaching staff.
Does the New England Patriots head coach have the right staff around him?
While former players like Jerod Mayo and Troy Brown are establishing themselves as coaches, Belichick’s fascination with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as offensive play callers is going to be either proof of his genius or his arrogance.
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After losing offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the one thing Mac Jones needed in Year 2 was a proven offensive coordinator to take his place. Bill O’Brien was that obvious replacement, but for whatever reason Bill Belichick has taken on that responsibility with Patricia and Judge as his sidekicks. There is something he is out to prove and if it fails, at least he is prepared to take ownership.
"“I think they’re both good coaches,” Belichick told the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy. “Ultimately, it’s my responsibility, like it always is. So, if it doesn’t go well, blame me.”"
There’s a potential that Belichick’s vision can be the type of colossal failure that has the rest of the NFL laughing. But, if the offense turns into something and the New England Patriots morph into a playoff team with a mix of free agents and younger players proving to be hits, Bill Belichick will answer those questions and criticism with one big smirk.
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That’s a lot of “What if’s” but doubting Belichick often leads to motivation for the coach, the organization, and the players. Maybe this time the Patriot Way has faded, but it all starts in Miami. It will either be more questioning, or the New England Patriots may be something more than expected on both sides of the ball.
It’s gameday.