New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is having a rough go of things this season. The team currently sits with a 3-10 record and holds the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Rumors have been swirling for the past couple of months in regards to Belichick’s future in New England. However, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes the legendary coach is still a Super Bowl-caliber coach.
The Patriots have played well in some aspects this season and have sharpened up defensively. The defensive side of the ball has been Belichick’s calling card throughout the course of his coaching career, and this year has been no different. The unit has been particularly strong against the run, only allowing 88.2 yards per game.
The defensive consistency is one of the main reasons Orlovsky believes Belichick is still a high-caliber coach. He elaborated on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego”.
“I think coach-wise, he’s a coach that you can win a Super Bowl with still,” Orlovsky said. “Just watch the defense play. I thought the defense was going to fall off this year after the [Christian] Gonzalez injury and Matt Judon, and they’re still playing at a pretty darn high level.
“The offensive stuff obviously hasn’t gone well, and I don’t know how much of that is lack of talent and how much of that is Bill’s plan. But I still sit here and say that he’s one of those handful of coaches that you without a doubt can win a Super Bowl with as your leader.”
Is Bill Belichick still a top 5 coach? @danorlovsky7 says Bill Belichick can still lead a team to a Super Bowl! pic.twitter.com/6MdDthaMTK
— Jones & Mego with Arcand (@JonesandMego) December 13, 2023
Orlovsky certainly has a point about New England’s defensive prowess. The offensive side of the football is a bit of a different story.
The Patriots are currently ranked 28th in total offense with 291.4 yards per game. It will be interesting to see what happens to Belichick after the season with the team continuing to freefall.