Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots ended their five-game losing streak by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. The AFC East squad played a fantastic game as Bailey Zappe threw three touchdowns, and their defense limited the Steelers to 18 points.
However, that victory is a slight relief from the misery they’ve suffered all season. After Week 14, they’ve won only three games and lost ten. Unfortunately, that result has team owner Robert Kraft leaning towards firing his long-time tactician.
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Patriots insider revealed that Robert Kraft has decided to fire Bill Belichick weeks ago
In his recent appearance on NBC Boston’s Arbella Early Edition, insider Tom E. Curran said:
“When they came out of Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made and they were gonna play out the string and at the end of the year, there would be a parting of ways for a variety of reasons.
I think, and I wasn’t told this specifically, but the main one being you don’t fire Bill Belichick during the season. It’s just not going to happen. Additionally, though, he’s an asset. He’s under contract for another year, which we reported after ESPN or NFL media reported there was a long-term extension.”
Curran added:
“That would not be an impediment to them changing course, and it had gone too far: the Germany game, the Commanders game, the Saints game. All huge marquee games, and then there was a Chargers game after that.”
Curran referred to Germany twice, wherein the New England Patriots lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 10-6. It started a three-game stretch wherein they gave up only 26 points but still lost all matches.
That miserable outcome made them the first NFL team since 1938 to lose three consecutive games despite allowing just ten points or less.
Meanwhile, Curran also mentioned the Patriots’ game versus the New Orleans Saints, resulting in a 34-0 humiliation at home. These results contributed to New England being the worst team in terms of points per game (13) through Week 14. They also rank 28th in total yards per game (291.4).
Bill Belichick leaving the Patriots ends a successful era
The Patriots have been the kings of the NFL since Robert Kraft hired Bill Belichick as their head coach in 2000. The long-time Bill Parcells deputy resigned from his head coaching post with the New York Jets one day after getting hired, allowing Kraft to hire him.
Since then, the Patriots have won six Super Bowl titles under Belichick’s guidance. He also won three Coach of the Year awards and made the playoffs 18 times.
However, the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since 2018, when they won Super Bowl LIII over the Los Angeles Rams. They lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round the following year, eventually becoming Tom Brady’s last year in New England.
Since Brady left, Belichick and the Patriots will have three losing seasons, including 2023. They made the postseason in 2021 but were dominated by their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
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Edited by Lance Fernandez