Bill Bullychick: Why Won't New England Patriots Coach Belichick Name Starting Quarterback?
On the field during a disastrous 2-8 season that's trending toward the worst of his NFL career, Bill Belichick is tarnishing his legendary coaching legacy. Off of it, he's cementing his reputation as one of the most bizarre bullies in the history of American professional sports.
Harpooned by injuries to star players on both sides of the ball, a porous offensive line, a glaring lack of playmakers and a captain/quarterback continuing an alarming regression, the Patriots' season has long been a lost cause. It's already their worst year since 2000, and a loss Sunday to the New York Giants would plummet them to their worst 11-game record (2-9) since Drew Bledsoe was a rookie in 1993.
Why then, does the cantankerous 71-year-old continue to combat the media - and, in doing so, his season-ticket-holding investors - by withholding basic information? Almost 24 hours before kickoff and Belichick still refuses to divulge who will start at quarterback.
He's stubbornly protecting the secret sauce to accomplish ... what exactly?
If the AFC East was on the line, perhaps some mystery would be an advantage in muddying the opponent's preparation. But when a team is 2-8 and the quarterback options are Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Will Grier and Malik Cunningham, is there a valid reason to keep the starter cloaked in secrecy?
Especially considering the Pats are playing a 3-8 Giants team and the only thing on the line Sunday at MetLife Stadium is draft-position jockeying for next April.
Bill Belichick is inexplicably keeping his team's starting quarterback close to his Hall-of-Fame vest.
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But, just because he can, Bill Bullychick keeps on bullying. This is a real transcript from Friday's press conference:
Q: Bill, on Tuesday or Wednesday, Mac Jones said that he was hopeful that he will be the starter against the Giants and he felt like that was the plan. Is that the plan?
Belichick: I’ve told everybody to be ready to go. Hopefully that’s what they’re all doing. I’m not going to announce starters at every position or whatever. Everybody will be ready to go.
Q: Is it mostly Mac and Bailey taking the first team reps in practice?
Belichick: I’ve told everybody to be ready to go.
Q: Even though you’ve told them to be ready to go, have you, in your own mind, settled on a guy yet?
Belichick: I’ve told everybody to be ready to go.
Q: Bill, why aren’t you going to announce it?
Belichick: Then we’ll be announcing who’s starting this, who’s playing that, who’s doing this, who’s doing that. I mean, once we get going on that then — I’m not going down that road. So, sorry.
Q: Is that because it’s a competitive advantage in your opinion?
Belichick: I’m not getting into that. Whoever we put in, I hope they’re ready to go and play well. Whenever that is. It could be the first play of the game, or it could be the last play of the game. I don’t know.
Q: Bill, do you believe there would be any benefit to announcing to the team who it is, so they can know and rally around them?
Belichick: I’ve told everybody to prepare and get ready to play. That’s what they all are doing. I think everyone’s got their own things to work on. Just concentrate on what you have to do, be ready to go and don’t worry about what everybody else is doing. I think that’s good advice for all of us. . . .
Q: Bill, do you tell all the players to be ready to go every game?
Belichick: Yeah, that’s right. What? You think I tell them not to be ready? ‘Don’t worry about this one, just take the week off’. Every day, every game, that’s what we come in here for. Every day. There are goals that we try to accomplish every day and we try to accomplish them. Every day.
In the middle of a six-Super Bowl dynasty, Belichick's gruff style was hailed as no-nonsense genius. But when he's 2-8 and sliding further into irrelevance without Tom Brady, it's just plain sad.
Sorry, Bill Bullycheck, America is no longer holding its collective breath in advance of your brilliant coaching tactics. Its simply laughing at you, and your team.
