Bill Belichick is the most successful coach in NFL history and led New England to six championship titles. But things have been going downhill since Tom Brady left.
This question would have been unthinkable a few years ago. What’s more, it would have amounted to blasphemy. But now it is no longer just whispered behind closed doors in the Boston area, but is discussed publicly. Is Bill Belichick still the right coach for the New England Patriots?
William Stephen Belichick, who shaped the Foxborough franchise into a dynasty between 2000 and 2019, led them to the finals nine times and won six Super Bowls with them, is no longer undisputed.
Highlight of the opening game: Tom Brady
“Bill Belichick’s chair shakes. The only question is how much”, was the headline in a season preview in the Boston Globe newspaper. The online portal “The Athletic” wrote from “rocky days”, which would be ahead of the Patriots. For the third year in a row, the Patriots started the season with a loss. They lost against runner-up Philadelphia Eagles at home 20:25.
The performance was quite impressive. But it got really loud, especially during the half-time break. Then Tom Brady ran onto the field. In the Patriots jersey with his number 12. Just like he had done at home games for 20 years. “Brady, Brady”, the fans chanted. Tom returned for the first time after his career ended in February.
Tom Brady runs onto the field during halftime
Glorious past meets gray present
It was like a trip into the glorious past. And a stark contrast to the present. Here is Brady, who represents the Patriots dynasty. For an era in which New England was the ultimate in the NFL. And a few minutes later the current Patriots team again. A follower – nothing more.
For most of the Brady years, New England was considered a favorite or title contender. Since the quarterback’s departure in 2020, the Patriots have missed the playoffs twice in three seasons. The only knockout round game ended with a 17:47 debacle at the Buffalo Bills.
What is Belichick without Brady?
So far, it has always been said that Belichick and Brady were equally the pillars of the Patriots’ six championship titles. But it has now become clear how dependent the coach was on his quarterback – and that his role may have been greater than Belichick’s.
“What is he without Brady?”asked Colin Cowherd at the end of June. He has a TV show named after him every weekday on Fox Sports 1. Belichick’s career, according to Cowherd, was “Inextricably linked to one player: Brady.” The expert backed up his statements with a look at Belichick’s stats before and after Brady. Ten seasons, seven of them with a negative record, one playoff win. Belichick is revered by many, concluded Cowherd. But without Brady he wouldn’t be a successful NFL coach.
Patriots barely on national TV anymore
Of course, the question must arise as to whether Brady would have won the six Super Bowls with New England without Belichick. On the other hand, after his departure from the Patriots, he immediately became a champion with the previously insignificant Tampa Bay Buccaneers – and thus showed that he can become a champion even without Belichick.
Belichick still has to prove that he can win a title with another playmaker. That won’t work this season. If things go well, the experts say, a playoff place might be possible. These prospects no longer make the Patriots that interesting. And if you’re not interesting, you won’t get any TV ratings. That’s why New England games are rarely shown on national television anymore.
severity of consequences Personnel decisions
“What have you done for me lately”, is a popular phrase in the USA. When it comes to Belichick, that means: the successes of the past are all well and good. But what did it actually look like recently? The answer: terrifying. And the head coach has his part in that.
For example, through his personnel decisions on the coaching staff. Belichick likes to surround himself with people he knows and has had success with. However, these are often coaches who don’t contradict him. Last season, he promoted two loyal followers, Matt Patricia (offensive coordinator) and Joe Judge (quarterback coach), into positions that they had never held before – and were overwhelmed.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady
Coach outwardly calm
It has always been a trademark of Belichick that he would rather give away players, even top performers, a year too early than a year too late. If he were to apply this standard to himself, someone else would probably have been the Patriots coach long ago. Belichick himself doesn’t show anything – at least publicly. The 71-year-old lives what he always preaches to his team: control the things you can control.
However, he increasingly seems like an aging architect whose planning and development skills have not produced anything magnificent or even unique in recent years.
Coach’s all-time record firmly in sight
He ranks second on the list of NFL coaches with the most games won (329). He is still 18 wins away from the leader, Don Shula. It’s no secret that Belichick has his eyes on the record. “I want him to get the record”said Patriots owner Robert Kraft. However, he also said: “But I don’t pay much attention to statistics for any of our players because for us it’s all about winning – and doing everything we can to achieve it.”
The 2024 season could be a special one for Belichick. It would be his 50th as a coach – and he could break the Shula record. However, whether he gets a chance will depend on how well his Patriots perform this season.