Iconic NFL head coach Bill Belichick has been told his New England Patriots ‘deserved’ to miss out on the playoffs for the second time in three seasons since Tom Brady left the team.
On Monday, Belichick - who is the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, said he plans to return for his 24th season in charge of the Patriots in Foxborough. His decision comes after the Pats’ 2022 season ended in a 35-23 loss to the inspired Buffalo Bills, who played with emotion following Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest last week.
Belichick is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, masterminding the Patriots dynasty that spanned two decades and six Super Bowl wins with quarterback Brady. Since Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, Belichick has led the Patriots to the playoffs just once, where they fell to their rival Buffalo Bills at the first hurdle.
Back in March, owner Robert Kraft suggested he wasn’t happy the Pats had not won a playoff game since the Super Bowl LIII triumph over the Los Angeles Rams in February 2019. The pair are reportedly set for a ‘standard operating procedure’ meeting to discuss both Belichick’s and the Patriots’ future after failing to reach the postseason once again.
However, Belichick hardly shrouded himself in glory in 2022. His poor decision-making left the Pats with woeful offensive staff as the unit stagnated and sharply declined after a promising 2021 - and team insider Tom Curran has had enough.
“Sometimes we level hindsight criticism or backseat driving on Bill Belichick on social media - in this instance, so many people locally - whether it be fans, media, national pundits - were smarter,” Curran declared. “Bill did not foresee what was going to happen.
“I’m not a visionary, but I said they would go 8-9. I said Mac Jones’ best strength by the end of the season would be his resilience because they put him in such a bad spot. They regressed, unfortunately.
“The flavour of the season is they got exactly what they asked for by not having a plan - and they need to recoup the faith of their team with the greatest coach of all-time.”
Former NFL star-turned-pundit Ted Johnson added to the Belichick pile-on, claiming: “Bill is not getting any younger and he’s set in his ways so this is going to be a fascinating offseason for the Patriots. This year has been a massive disappointment.”
It was surprising to hear the 70-year-old defiantly declare his intentions to coach the Pats in 2022 considering the tumultuous season as well as his unparalleled achievements. In his career as head coach, Belichick has 329 victories (including playoffs) which places him second for the most in NFL history behind Don Shula’s record of 347.
