The New England Patriots without Bill Belichick? Unimaginable for over two decades. And the mastermind will also be on the sidelines again in the new regular season, which doesn’t start until September.
Also in 2023 Bill Belichick will be part of the NFL.
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The playoffs for the New England Patriots in the 2022/23 regular season that ended on Sunday would have been more than possible. For one thing, the Foxborough-based team near Boston would only have had to win at the Buffalo Bills to book a seat in the finals – however, they did end up with a 23:35 this Week 18 at highly prized AFC East rivals. On the other hand, the Pats, who won 8:9, had thrown in many big mistakes in the last few weeks – keyword disaster move in Las Vegas.
Coach Bill Belichick, who will be 71 in April, therefore found clear words when speaking to the US media: “No one is satisfied with that. That was not our goal – and we have to improve that. And that’s where everyone is Mandatory – starting with me, the rest of the coaching staff, the players, everyone. But those are all things that we’re going to address and address. And that process starts today.”
Belichick in the footsteps of Shula
Conversely, this also means that the coach, whose full name is William Stephen “Bill” Belichick, and who has been around in the NFL as an (assistant) coach since 1975, will continue to accompany this process as New England’s head coach.
The coach with Croatian roots also made that clear at a press conference after the regular season ended. He clearly intends to return to the sidelines – which would also be his 24th NFL season with the Patriots.
The mastermind has been in charge of football at the traditional Massachusetts franchise since 2000, having previously been the head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991 to 1995). And even if things haven’t been going so well lately – and especially since Tom Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 – (missed playoffs every time), hardly anyone can imagine the Patriots without Belichick right now. The expert, many of whose assistants have also become head coaches over the years, has brought New England to the finals a total of 17 times – including six Super Bowl victories with Brady.
On top of that, he currently has an impressive 329 wins as head coach in the NFL (playoffs included). Only legend Don Shula (347), who once reached the Super Bowl six times with the former Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins (four losses, two wins with Miami), has more.
Everything comes to the table
With owner and multi-billionaire Robert Kraft (81), Belichick now wants to talk intensively about plans for the near and distant future – and also about how quarterback Mac Jones will continue. The 24-year-old playmaker has deteriorated in stats in his second year in the NFL (say, from 3,801 to 2,997 yards, or from 22 to just 14 touchdowns) and has come under constant criticism. Especially because Jones was often moaning on the sidelines.
“I think Mac has the quality to play in this league,” Belichick said, adding that he’s not averse to change in and around the team. Because every decision that will be made serves the success of the team.