noooooooooo
hope you win buddy, maybe if Mac Jones tests positive for Covid or something
noooooooooo
hope you win buddy, maybe if Mac Jones tests positive for Covid or something
Mac 14/17 145 yards/no picks yet
Has Bill Belichick lost the room? That’s the only question worth asking at this point.
Protector of tradition that he is, Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn’t about to invite various fans, beat writers and talk-show hosts out for pizza to explain the manner in which he deployed his personnel in New England’s 20-17 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
For years now, decades actually, Belichick has responded to these questions with a glittering array of obtuse non-answers. Nobody should have been surprised, then, when the greatest coach in NFL history (yes, he is) delivered predictable vagueness when asked why, for instance, cornerbacks J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones weren’t used in the early going against Washington.
Were they being benched?
“No,” Belichick said.
Why, then, did Shaun Wade start and then go away after the first two series?
“Everybody played,” Belichick said. “They all played.”
And it went on like that. Someone took a shot at asking a Jack Jones-specific question, to which Belichick replied, “We played all the corners. I think we played all the safeties. I think we played everybody on defense.”
But it’s no longer a question as to if Belichick is meting out small doses of disciplinary action. It’s clear that he is. Let’s start there, and then we can move on to the lightning round and mull these questions: Is Belichick’s message not getting across to his players? Are these players not buying into his philosophy? Are they unimpressed with his resume?
To get right down to it, has Bill Belichick lost the room?
That’s really the only question worth asking at this point, isn’t it?
Belichick has every right to punish players. And punishment by ghosting is a grand way to do the job. The ability to keep a player on the sideline as punishment for some transgression is a powerful cudgel in a coach’s arsenal, and fans are generally in agreement with the process. (The exception being Super Bowl LII, and Belichick’s decision to let Malcolm Butler rust for reasons that remain unexplained, and, no, I don’t want you to tell us you know what reallyhappened.)
What’s troubling now isn’t just the sloppiness and lack of focus the Patriots have displayed on the field, especially against Washington on Sunday. Just as concerning is what is happening off the field, which includes players being off the field because they aren’t playing. Specific to Sunday, there was also a curious selection of words from quarterback Mac Jones when he was asked about other NFL quarterbacks having bigger windows, a chance for “more shot plays, more explosive plays,” and if he feels he needs precision passes because of the windows he’s throwing into.
Given his poor play this season, Jones is probably not someone whose words should be used in a discussion about Belichick possibly losing the room. But while he did accept culpability, saying there are “no excuses,” Jones added this: “We have a standard here. At the end of the day, we need to meet that standard and execute as best we can for me as a quarterback and all that stuff. That’s a great point, but at the same time we’re always going to focus on us and what we can do better and the things we need to improve, what I need to improve and all that stuff. But, yeah, that’s a good question.”
And it’s a rather long quote that under most circumstances could have been watered down for public consumption. That I use all of it here is to make sure there’s context when Jones says, “That’s a great point,” and, “That’s a good question.” He didn’t just roll those sentences out as stand-alones. But he did generally agree with where the question was going.
Lastly, there’s been a lot of buzz, especially in New England, in the aftermath of a camera showing the Kraft family suite at Gillette Stadium Sunday afternoon and apparently catching Patriots president Jonathan Kraft saying, “We’re just not good enough.”
Belichick was asked about that during his Monday morning appearance on WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show.” “Yeah, you’d have to ask them about what they said,” was the coach’s response. “I don’t know. We didn’t do enough yesterday.”
Belichick’s clearly in the right here. He needn’t trifle with decoding a random, offhand comment from the executive suite, even if the players being referenced by Kraft were acquired by Belichick.
But here we are anyway: Belichick’s job security has become a daily talking point. Asked during a video news conference Monday if he has received assurances from ownership that he’ll keep his job for the remainder of the season, the 71-year-old coach replied, “Yeah, my focus is on getting ready for the Colts.”
Does he personally believe he could be coaching for his job when the Patriots play the Colts in Germany on Sunday?
“I’m going to control what I can control and get ready for the Colts,” Belichick said.
The problem is that the players read all this stuff, listen to all this stuff, see all this stuff. Belichick can’t control that, either.
He really is the greatest coach in history, you know. He really did assemble defenses that helped the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, and he really did coach the Tom Brady-quarterbacked Patriots to six Super Bowl championships in nine trips to football’s Big Game.
That’s old stuff. But this seeming disconnect between Belichick and his players, that’s new. And it’s on display every week.
Seems like a hundred years ago now.
Man, when Willy says it took Tom Brady 'till 2007 to come into his own he isn't wrong. For the longest time most had Peyton Manning as the GOAT with a few Joe Montanas and Dan Marinos and John Elways sprinkled into the discussion. Few remember that Tom Brady (and his defense) as 14 point dogs (Wk 3, 2001) smoked Peyton Manning and the Colts 44-13 in Brady's first NFL start! With that score you would NEVER guess Brady's stat line in that 44 point game - 13/23-0-0 168! The debate started there and grew to deafening proportions until Brady finally drew away somewhere around the date Willy cites - 2007. It was a great rivalry - Manning / Brady. Definitely was must watch football every time they hooked up.
You know as Patriot's fans we're sick right now after so many glorious football years. But I don't begrudge any other franchise who is good enough to now wear the crown. It's a great feeling spread from person to person all through the area. Everyone should get to experience it at least once. (Like you did, Chop)
On the bench
Can he do it?
Lol
Mac Jones,Daniel Jones these guys are back up QB's
Scrubs
Scrubs
