Ian Rapoport: Bill Belichick's fate not yet decided, how rest of season goes will determine direction

[Ring 6]

Unfortunately 2021 is an outlier and the results have not built off that season. 2 losing seasons with one netting 4 or 5 wins at best is more than just non linear, its a nosedive. 2021 provided some hope, i was part of the trust in bill group with you after that year,but since then it’s been one terrible move after another from Bill starting with that 2022 draft and letting patricia run the offense. Special teams has been an issue since 21 and he hasn’t done anything to fix the problem(at least not the most important thing hence the continued struggle). The team still loses most of its close games and its not just the qb screwing up in big spots. We are currently ranked 31 in turnover differential. Its the complete structure of a loser and thats all on Bill.

Remove the incompetence at QB and everything changes.

They are losing close games because the qb couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. Losing 6-0, 10-6, 10-7 is absolutely losing because the qb can’t make plays.

With a barely competant qb AT THE VERY LEAST LV, LA, Indy and wash are certain wins. That’s 7-6 at least with anything but basically the worst qb in the nfl. Each of the last 3 years turn out entirely differently with competant qb play.

Now that doesn’t equal success but it defines that it’s not a roster wide, organization wide failure, it’s a rebuilding team that is on the overall right track, except you can’t see it because the QB has held them back.

If that QB were a bizarre pick, that would be one thing but he was widely agreed to be worthy of the pick.
If you stuck with that QB too long, that would be one thing, but QBs take time to develop and you had to stick with him until it was totally clear.

Go get a qb who is competent and fill in the roster with the rest of the 100 mill in cap space and this team is a playoff team next year, find a good qb and it’s a contender.

 

[ralmat55]

I see Rap’s report has prompted Bill worshippers to pull their thumbs out of their mouths to engage in another round of blame casting and scapegoating.

Hope they also take the time to get a good stretch before they again resume the fetal position at the prospect of their god being replaced as HC of the NEP.

Blind hero worship is no way to go through your life folks.

 

[Ring 6]

You lecturing anyone about having an open mind is pure comedic gold.

It’s hilarious that you decided to enter the discussion and this is all you could come up with.
I’m sure you, who are wrong more than anyone sees everyone who points that out to you as closed minded. Pretty funny actually.

 

[Ring 6]

I see Rap’s report has prompted Bill worshippers to pull their thumbs out of their mouths to engage in another round of blame casting and scapegoating.

Hope they also take the time to get a good stretch before they again resume the fetal position at the prospect of their god being replaced as HC of the NEP.

Blind hero worship is no way to go through your life folks.

I’m a Patriots worshipper and you are projecting about your New England Tom Brady’s.

 

[Ring 6]

Is this where the narrator goes "But something else happened...."

Yes #10 happened.

 

[Rob0729]

I am not sure I am taking Ian Rapoport's word on all of this. He is the guy who reported a month or so ago that Belichick signed a lucrative long term deal this past offseason making it difficult to fire Belichick which ended up being just an one year extension so he wasn't a lame duck head coach.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Remove the incompetence at QB and everything changes.

They are losing close games because the qb couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. Losing 6-0, 10-6, 10-7 is absolutely losing because the qb can’t make plays.

Qb is an issue but this isn’t entirely true.
Eagles game - mac put the ball where it had to be and Boutte couldn’t toe tap
Raiders- mac put it right on the money and parker dropped it
Commanders- big drops late by reagor and juju.
In recent years weve lost 2 more games because rbs fumbed inside the 5.
Ryland lost a couple with missed chip shots and st breakdowns in general has led to a few close losses.
The team as a whole is inventing ways to lose games, not just the qb. Its a deep issue

 

[p8ryts]

Qb is an issue but this isn’t entirely true.
Eagles game - mac put the ball where it had to be and Boutte couldn’t toe tap
Raiders- mac put it right on the money and parker dropped it
Commanders- big drops late by reagor and juju.
In recent years weve lost 2 more games because rbs fumbed inside the 5.
Ryland lost a couple with missed chip shots and st breakdowns in general has led to a few close losses.
The team as a whole is inventing ways to lose games, not just the qb. Its a deep issue

I thought and still think it was the QB.

 

[Ring 6]

I understand it well.

"Excellent football coaches" who were complete failures as head coaches. Cool. No point overthinking it or to grasp straws at why Bill made those hires. The simplest explanation is Bill chose those guys out of hubris and nothing more. Wanted to show that he can turn anyone into a great offensive coach. HIs arrogance backfired just like nearly everyone said it would.


The defense and run game won those games, the green rookie QB and those two incompetent offensive coaches were just along for the ride. Nothing more. Nothing less.

You haven’t a clue

Yes they are excellent football coaches. Many excellent football coaches don’t win in their first job as a HC.
Again, where you don’t understand. Why in the world would bill belichick need to prove anything? And what would he be proving? He publicly takes zero credit for anything. If it was a great year and judge went back to special teams and Patricia to the eagles he would have praised THEM not himself.

The green rookie QB put up 33.5 ppg in the offense the other guy couldn’t put up 20, and he had the exact same defense and running game.

 

[Ring 6]

Qb is an issue but this isn’t entirely true.
Eagles game - mac put the ball where it had to be and Boutte couldn’t toe tap
Raiders- mac put it right on the money and parker dropped it
Commanders- big drops late by reagor and juju.
In recent years weve lost 2 more games because rbs fumbed inside the 5.
Ryland lost a couple with missed chip shots and st breakdowns in general has led to a few close losses.
The team as a whole is inventing ways to lose games, not just the qb. Its a deep issue

You are picking out single plays to excuse a day of incompetent qb play.
I’m talking about an offense that struggles to score points. In 11 starts by 10 we scored 15 tds.

Each of those games you mentioned has horrendous interceptions that were decisive.

 

[0818NePa]

That Kraft and his decision makers would base a decision on four meaningless games, and try to pump up the fanbase on a 4-5 win season culminating in beating the Zach Wilson Jets in a meaningless game, tells you everything you need to know about the dysfunctional state of the organization in 2023.

Exactly. By this time of the year, in a year like this, you must already have made up your mind and planned what you have to do the minute after the regular season is over. If this report is true it is just incredible the state of confusion they are in ...

 

[PWRxWLF]

Both stories could have some sort of truth to them. Currans story got rid of all the Krafts leverage. I spoke about it before. If the Pats have already decided to move in from Bill, if you want him, you just wait for the ugly break up. If the Krafts are now unsure, that brings back some leverage. Now if you want him you might have to give something up. Bill holds all the cards still because he can just say no but I really don’t see the Krafts trading him to a ****ty situation and I don’t see BB realistically taking a year off. The really interesting part to me is that the decision may last well into the offseason. This is an awful ****ing prospect. You mean to tell me Kraft is going to let all of the best coaches and front office guys get swooped up, draft and free agency prep get wasted? Come on. That makes no damn sense. UNLESS! Unless you’re confident you already have your guy under contract. I could see a situation play out where Kraft goes after a GM and tells Bill take it or leave it. The GM is getting brought aboard either way. Bill stays, great! Bill leaves, sorry to see you go. Here’s the keys to the kingdom Mayo.

I really like Perrys idea that the future is Mayo and a guy like Adam Peters. Peters will bring some guys from S.F., Mayo will keep some continuity with guys from the current staff. You get an influx of new thoughts and maintain some of the old. Not a bad idea really.

 

[moosekill]

This is why I don't buy Rapp tbh. Nothing about the next 4 games changes what a collosal **** up this season was and the terrible product Bill built up to over 4 years. Which makes me think this is more just another Rapp "I'm going to smooth things over for the team" piece.

And Lancerman knows, he is a football referee

 

[XLIX]

This is just a sad sack smoke and mirrors attempt to get compensation for Belichick.

If your plan is to fire him and everyone knows that's your plan, no one will offer you anything. There would be no reason to since they can just wait out you firing him.

But now pretending you might keep him will incentivize other teams to give up something to get him.

 

[Real fan 02]

Ironically how we finish determines whether we get a shot at a franchise QB or not.

Now this draft scares me at QB, Williams, Maye, Daniels, McCarthy,
Im really warming up to McCarthy.

I don't buy it personally. Like Curran said, and then Diana Russinni reported similar. I believe regardless there will be a mutual parting. 3 meaningless games don't prove anything. Whether we win em, or loose em still need a QB. To much evidence the past few seasons that the team is not heading in the right direction post GOAT. Bill knows is over, ownership knows it's over.

 

[Real fan 02]

Players skills erode with age. Belichick is the same coach today he has always been.

Same coach, eroding GM

 

[Real fan 02]

Has Bill ever paid for that moving forward?
Look I like Belichick ... I am just applying his value method upon himself.

His success is tied to Brady. Some people continually ignore that. I wanted Bill to win post brady I believed in him just like most fans. It just hasn't happened for many reasons.

 

[Ring 6]

Same coach, eroding GM

Same GM. Every GM makes decisions that work out and decisions that don’t. The only real difference is that he chose the wrong QB.

 

[Real fan 02]

Same GM. Every GM makes decisions that work out and decisions that don’t. The only real difference is that he chose the wrong QB.

Choosing the wrong QB is a GM decision, a GM identifies the talent or lack there of on this roster. He's an unquestionably 1st ballot HOF coach the best to ever do it. He's a below average GM.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

This is a misconception not supported by facts.

From Aaron Schatz: "Other very conservative coaches included ... Bill Belichick, whose career has been very strange in this area. As we’ve written about in the past, Belichick was one of the most aggressive coaches in the league year after year back when the league as a whole was much less aggressive. He inexplicably became much less aggressive on fourth downs around 2012, strange timing because it doesn’t fit the two most common explanations for why Belichick became less aggressive. It wasn’t timed to the failed fourth-and-2 against Indianapolis on a big Sunday night game in 2009, and it wasn’t timed to the departure of Tom Brady which of course made it harder for the Patriots to convert in any situation, much less fourth down."

Bill Belichick was one of the NFL’s most conservative coaches in 2022

Football Outsiders ranked New England’s head coach 31st among his peers.

www.patspulpit.com

[I will add that it also roughly corresponded to Gostkowski ascending to God mode and the Patriots finally having a good punter in Mesko/Allen.]