11 October 2023 , 20:36
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The New England Patriots' miserable start to the NFL season could cost Bill Belichick his job, with the head coach under increasing pressure after a pair of embarrassing losses over the past two weeks.
The Pats – six-time Super Bowl winners across Belichick's two decades in charge – have slumped to 1-4, with their postseason hopes hanging by a threat after two of the worst defeats in franchise history. In Week 4, Belichick suffered the worst beating of his coaching career, thrashed 38-3 on the road at the Dallas Cowboys.
But perhaps more shockingly, when it was presumed the Patriots would bounce back on home turf against the middling New Orleans Saints seven days later, New England suffered the worst shutout defeat in franchise history, losing 34-0 at Gillette Stadium.
The Pats' woes have been brewing for several years. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady was able to cover up deficiencies in the personnel around him until he departed for Tampa Bay in 2020, but numerous poor draft classes have come back to haunt Belichick.
Offensively, the Patriots are the worst team in the NFL through five weeks, averaging less than 11 points per game. There is a glaring lack of playmakers on the roster and third-year quarterback Mac Jones is floundering, being benched during his last two outings and he faces a make-or-break game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
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According to The Athletic, owner Robert Kraft is losing patience with the man who has led his team for 23 years. Belichick is also the team's de facto general manager, meaning he is responsible for both building and coaching the roster. And in both aspects, the past three years have been a dramatic slide from the lofty standards he once set.
Belichick and is coaching staff have failed to develop Mac Jones since a promising rookie year. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Belichick is closing in on Don Shula's NFL record for wins as a coach, sitting 17 behind the Miami Dolphins legend's 347. But sentiment will not be entertained by Kraft, despite the glories that Belichick has brought to Foxborough.
The fanbase is beleaguered, not just by losing but by the manner in which the Patriots are playing. In an era of explosive offenses where dynamism is essential in the receiving positions, New England resembles a team from a bygone age.
Brady was great enough to plot his way down the field over and over again regardless of who was catching his passes. Former first-round pick Jones, however, is not and a lack of development from the Alabama prospect and a gloomy future for the franchise with few crumbs of comfort for the fanbase, the curtain could finally be coming down on Belichick's remarkable run in New England.
Sunday's trip to Allegiant Stadium will be crucial to his job security. Sin City was the site of the Pats' most embarrassing performance last season, when wide receiver Jakobi Meyers – who coincidentally now plays for the Silver and Black – made a shocking decision to lateral the ball with the score tied as time expired. Former Pats pass rusher Chandler Jones hauled in the loose ball, flattened his namesake as he attempted to tackle and scored the most improbable of game-winning touchdowns, wrecking New England's playoff hopes in the process.