It’s Over
I’m not crying, you’re crying. The nostalgia gets to you man. I still remember being 14 years old. Adam Vinatieri kicks the game winning field goal ton win Super Bowl 47. My father went to the garage and started up his Harley in sub 30 degree weather. Revving it loud over and over in celebration. It was truly unbelievable. And to be able to basically plan for the Patriots Super Bowl Party for the next 20 years is just… well special.
But, that’s how time works. It keeps moving and the things change. The Bill Belichick era in New England is finally over after basically an entire season of speculation. We could all see it coming and the news is still jarring. It was the right choice. It was a Hall of Fame decision for Robert Kraft. Belichick had driven the roster into the ground, isolated the inner circle down to too few, and fueled disfunction through out the football operations. All resulting in the worst season of Kraft’s ownership with a record of 4-13. Even with all of the turmoil if the Pats pulled out even 2 more wins, I think we see Bill sticking around next year. The list of transgressions and poor decision making over the past 2 season was just too much to ignore:
The worst offensive in the league at 13.8 pts per game, and looked worse than that
The head scratching decision to insert Matt Patricia and Joe Judge
The slow painful mental collapse of Mac Jones
Multiple failed drafts
Ineffective free agency pick ups
All with really no end in sight or a way to turn it around.
We can appreciate the greatness and say thank you for such unapparelled success we all were able to enjoy and enrich our lives with as sports fans for 20 years and at the same time recognize it’s time for a change. Really, history won’t even look at these 4 year post Brady as bad as they have felt in the moment. Honestly, on paper it wasn’t that horrible. It wasn’t great. Just look it this way.
2020 - Covid. A dip post Brady. Moments of Respectability fighting for the playoffs late-ish into the season. There were some buildeable characteristics
2021 - Free Agency Spending spree. Mac Jones good rookie season. Make the Playoffs. All signs pointing up
2022- Walking nut sack Patricia and Judge. The beginning of the end. Offense takes many steps back, but they are two plays away from the playoffs. Eliminate “the dumbest play in NFL history” from Raiders game or if Stevenson holds onto the ball against the Bengals. Two potential wins. You’re play off bound. Solution? Hire a real OC. In come Billy O’Brien.
2023 - Completely off the fucking rails.
Really, the consistent depletion on talent specifically offensive talent was too much to over come the disfunction and it just felt like Belichick didn’t really care. Or he couldn’t see it. Or spite won the day in case of Mac Jones and the quarterback room. Bottom line it all came back to Bill and massive change of philosophy and tendencies for a 72 year old man entrenched in power for 24 years with a resume like his… wasn’t happening.
In all this is a bitter sweet day for the Patriots and their fans, but you should all feel good about it. The time to turn the page is here. A new dawn is upon us. It looks like Belichick is going to land on his feet. There are a number of decent openings. There are some playoff teams anticipated to move on from their head coach if their team bails out early in the playoffs. Either way, similar to Brady, we should be celebrating a major achievement for Belichick while he breaks Don Shula’s all time win record another team’s hoodie. The good news for the heir apparent, who ever that may be, is it can’t get much worse than 2023 in New England.
It’s not goodbye, Bill. It’s see ya later. xoxo.
