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4 Patriots Still on Thin Ice After Their Bye Week

Patriots fans are desperate for their team to show signs of life, which is why these individuals must figure out how to get off thin ice during the bye week.

By Devon Platana

Head coach Bill Belichick is one of four Patriots on thin ice after their Week 11 bye.
Head coach Bill Belichick is one of four Patriots on thin ice after their Week 11 bye. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Bill Belichick, HC

This list isn't exclusive to players who are on thin ice. After all, who better to point the finger at than the captain who's steering the ship?

Let me just start by saying that Bill Belichick deserves every ounce of praise he's gotten throughout his career. You don't just fall into 300 career wins, three NFL Coach of the Year awards and eight Super Bowl rings without being that damn good.

At the same time, the current version of Belichick just hasn't been working this season. Whether it's the roster structure, lineup decisions or coaching staff additions, nothing he's done from the offseason to now suggests that New England will return to prominence any time soon.

It looked like Belichick was on his way to getting fired if the Patriots lost in Germany (which, of course, they did), but that hasn't been the case. Instead, the latest reports indicate that owner Robert Kraft will wait to dismiss the 71-year-old until the end of the season as a sign of respect.

If New England is stuck with Belichick for the rest of the year, he needs to take his game planning to the next level. The Patriots need to be playing with heart and a purpose even if they don't wind up winning. If they keep looking like the same sorry lot for the next seven weeks, this season will be a smudge on his legacy.

For New England players and fans, let's hope Belichick can be better after some rest.

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