The inside story of the Patriots’ fall to rock bottom in the Bill Belichick era

[archstanton543]

Yeah, the FA tackles that were available were overrated. Also, unless they moved up in the draft, they weren't going to get a good one. The real problem was that by ignoring tackle in the draft for the last few years, it left the team in a place where tackle was an absolute need but they weren't able to get one.

Why couldn't they have traded up to get a tackle? Didn't they trade down to F with the Jets? Instead of playing cute games in the draft, they should be going after players aggressively at positions of dire need.

 

[Steve102]

Why couldn't they have traded up to get a tackle? Didn't they trade down to F with the Jets? Instead of playing cute games in the draft, they should be going after players aggressively at positions of dire need.

Do we really believe that they traded down just to eff the Jete? I think it was a nice by product, but not why it was done.

That does not let them off the hook that they messed it up.

 

[lancerman]

Turmoil with offensive coaching staff. BB faking the search for OC. Overruling BoB on bringing in his own staff over his own guys. Cheapening out on the OL and skill players.

This is why Bill can't stay even with someone else at GM. It won't work. Bill is too set in his ways and will sabotage any decision made by others.

This is why I was always skeptical of the "keep Bill as coach but get a GM". There was no way Bill was going to do anything but undermine whoever came in. They were either going to do things his way, or he was going to make sure that their talent didn't work in his system so he could have a guy to blame.

 

[archstanton543]

This is why I was always skeptical of the "keep Bill as coach but get a GM". There was no way Bill was going to do anything but undermine whoever came in. They were either going to do things his way, or he was going to make sure that their talent didn't work in his system so he could have a guy to blame.

I mean, he would even let BoB bring in his own guys. What makes you think he'd be happy with a GM who makes personnel decisions for him?

It looks to me that it's either your a FOB (Friend Of Bill) or you're not even considered for a position.

 

[203Pat]

Over months, sources described an offense undone by a quieter type of dysfunction, a broken quarterback and finger-pointing between the coaching staff and front office.

This to me reads Billy O blaming Bill for the scraps he has to work with on offense. It also mentions Billy O being unsure of his assistants. That never made sense to me to bring Billy O back but not let him hire his own offensive coaches. Always read to me that Kraft told Bill the Patricia experiment is over and this was Bill's way of pouting. The fact this article claims Bill wanted to double down on Patricia is OC solidifies my feelings he should have been canned last January.

an offensive lineman unofficially working as a coach to round out a shorthanded staff; another veteran proclaiming, with four games left, he would play for another team next season.

Definitely sounds like Andrews or Ferentz have been coaching and Trent Brown formally announcing he's checked out. It is also insane to me that after Klemm left with a "medical absence" that Bill decided to go back to the way Dante coached the O-line instead of trying to maintain continuity. What a complete disaster.

Anyone who reads about all this dysfunction and still believes Bill is the guy is nuts. He threw a hissy fit about getting rid of Patricia and hired Billy O only to not let him pick his own staff. He hired Klemm who apparently yelled at the GM then disappeared. The article mentions that the sources don't think Bill can evaluate offensive personnel or hire a staff that can put together an offense. I really hope this time next week we are looking for a new coach.

 

[203Pat]

Good and bad article for BB.

The finale saves his job IMO. Find a rocket arm, great decision maker, mobile QB and the Pats are rolling in the right direction again. I am not impressed with BOB at all. I see why Alabama fans were celebrating BOB moving. What a stale, predictable offense this guy runs.

Josh McDaniel's will help the offense side of the ball for sure.

Lol that was your takeaway from this? All we need to do is find an elite QB and we're back at it? The last 2 sentences save his job because the players haven't given up? The first 1000 words or so about Bill's poor decision making from the get go should be ignored?

 

[lancerman]

Lol that was your takeaway from this? All we need to do is find an elite QB and we're back at it? The last 2 sentences save his job because the players haven't given up? The first 1000 words or so about Bill's poor decision making from the get go should be ignored?

The players haven't given up if you ignore guys like Trent Brown and Jones who had to be taken away from the team.

 

[Rob0729]

If this story is remotely true, it will be the second year the coaching staff has been a cluster f---. That is on Belichick. Whether or not he was pressured into taking O'Brien or not, he didn't help the issue by making it harder and harder for the coaching staff to do their job.

And this article seems to confirm what many of us have been suspecting for a while, no matter how great of a player Troy Brown was, he just isn't a WRs coach. I still think Thornton could have been made into a productive WR with the right coaching. He might not have turned into a legitimate #1, but I think he could have at least become a good deep threat.

 

[Snooky97]

Certainly damming as far as Troy Brown goes.

Agree, very good player for us over the years but can't coach players he's been given. I wonder where they could look at getting a new WR coach from. Then there's the O-line coaching issues too, wonder how that'll change next season too and who they could bring in for that

 

[203Pat]

The players haven't given up if you ignore guys like Trent Brown and Jones who had to be taken away from the team.

Yeah if you ignore Trent Brown who apparently announced to the team he's done here. Jack Jones who lost his sh*t on a coach and had to get cut. JC Jackson who has missed meetings or shown up late or whatever it is and now is having some sort of mental health issues. Bill getting into a Cold War last year with Mac Jones, Brian Hoyer, and Jakobi Meyers. The punter last year getting suspended and filing a grievance. If you ignore all those things then I guess the rest of the island of misfits is really giving it their all.

 

[archstanton543]

If this story is remotely true, it will be the second year the coaching staff has been a cluster f---. That is on Belichick. Whether or not he was pressured into taking O'Brien or not, he didn't help the issue by making it harder and harder for the coaching staff to do their job.

And this article seems to confirm what many of us have been suspecting for a while, no matter how great of a player Troy Brown was, he just isn't a WRs coach. I still think Thornton could have been made into a productive WR with the right coaching. He might not have turned into a legitimate #1, but I think he could have at least become a good deep threat.

Just doing what's best for the football team.

 

[Rob0729]

The players haven't given up if you ignore guys like Trent Brown and Jones who had to be taken away from the team.

The thing is rarely do entire teams give up on the season. It is usually individual players. These players are playing for their jobs and new contracts. Totally giving up and going through the motions could hinder their careers even if they have lost faith in the head coach.

 

[Toofy]

Wow.. this just washes dirty linen completely on bills side of house.


Not sure how Bill can be back . Looks like we are looking at a 3-5 year rebuild. These look nasty . At this point I feel our best bet as a stop gap would be to have Bob/Mayo as the HC and find a new GM who is autonomous .


Should Bill even be allowed to coach the last game when we need a loss to secure our future.

 

[signbabybrady]

Lol that was your takeaway from this? All we need to do is find an elite QB and we're back at it? The last 2 sentences save his job because the players haven't given up? The first 1000 words or so about Bill's poor decision making from the get go should be ignored?

That's where it all starts. Find a QB who the coaches and players can rally around and the pointing fingers goes away and people start headed in the right direction again and then you can start fixing your other issues.

 

[Dr. Mind Flayer]

The fact that Belichick wanted to keep Patricia as OC after what happened last year is baffling. Holy crap he's lost it..

 

[venecol]

an offensive lineman unofficially working as a coach to round out a shorthanded staff; another veteran proclaiming, with four games left, he would play for another team next season.

Definitely sounds like Andrews or Ferentz have been coaching and Trent Brown formally announcing he's checked out. It is also insane to me that after Klemm left with a "medical absence" that Bill decided to go back to the way Dante coached the O-line instead of trying to maintain continuity. What a complete disaster.

I heard it was Ferentz helping Yates. Lol, I wonder what @captain stone has to say about that one. Two straight seasons with an OL coaching cluster****. But yea, Trent is the problem.

This article, similar to last season's one about the dysfunction in the offense (coaches, QB, OL, etc.), gives us an inside look at what most consider the excellent job Bill is doing as a HC. What a joke.

It's abundantly clear that once Bill lost the leadership that Brady gave him in the locker room, the entire model fell apart.

 

[Rob0729]

The coaching staff is probably the most puzzling. After a massive brain drain, it feels like it's a little more about building a circle of trust rather than adding quality coaches who might have questioned / challenged things. Aside from O'Brien, doesn't feel like there's much there on the offensive side of the ball and based on the player comments in the article, they didn't appear happy about it either.

It's funny. I think one of the greatest strengths of the Pats' in the early dynasty was its coaching staff. You had talent up and down the coaching staff. Romeo. Weis. Scar. Fears. McDaniels. Brad Seely. Daboll. You had position coaches who were among the best in the league at their jobs.

Now the coaching staff seems to be mostly Belichick's cronies and family. I will give Steve Belichick credit. He seems like the real deal. But what about the rest of them?

 

[sb1]

This article should put to rest the idea that HC Bill would accept having someone else as GM. That's just not a realistic thought.

Your move Kraft.

 

[Rob0729]

The fact that Belichick wanted to keep Patricia as OC after what happened last year is baffling. Holy crap he's lost it..

Word is that Belichick wants coaches he can feel comfortable with. I don't think there are many coaches he feels more comfortable with than Patricia. It would be a move that was best for Belichick and not necessarily the team. Hence why I want Belichick to be fired no matter how much he meant to this team in the past.

 

[Rob0729]

This article should put to rest the idea that HC Bill would accept having someone else as GM. That's just not a realistic thought.

Your move Kraft.

Belichick might accept Matt Groh or Dave Ziegler as GM. But that is because he is confident that they would just do what Belichick wanted anyway.