Belichick Reveals Thoughts on Season Finale: Patriots Swan Song?
While New Years Day may usher in a new beginning for many, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is taking his same, long-standing approach when looking toward the future.
In the aftermath of their 27-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, Belichick was asked for his thoughts on whether he may be coaching his final game as New England’s head coach.
His response was unsurprisingly typical … his attention is squarely on the Pats’ Week 18 opponent, the New York Jets.
“I’m focused on getting ready for the Jets,” Belichick told reporters on Monday via conference call. “We haven’t played them in a long time. Been a whole season. So working on the Jets here and getting ready to go.”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches a play against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
As the curtain prepares to fall on the Patriots disappointing season, they once again find themselves failing to qualify for the postseason — their third such fate in the last four years. As such, Belichick’s future with the franchise has been the subject of much scrutiny. Prior to Sunday’s loss to the Bills, the Pats had not lost 12 games in a single season since 1992, two years before Kraft bought the team and are set to finish last in the AFC East for the first time since 2000 — Belichick’s first season as Patriots coach.
Unsurprisingly, the blame for such inefficiencies has fallen more on the shoulders of Belichick than anyone else in the organization — with fans and media alike ferociously clamoring for the eight-time Super Bowl champion's outright firing.
Still, the decision to simply cut ties with the principal architect of the arguably the greatest sports dynasty in decades is not as simple as some may have you believe. Belichick’s tenure in New England has featured six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC championships and more victories than any other NFL team during that span. Despite the presence of numerous, conflicting reports predicting Belichick’s fate, team owner Robert Kraft has yet to offer any comment on his future plans for the front office and/or coaching bench.
Therefore, it is only fitting that Belichick keep his and the team’s focus on their opponent heading into Week 18. When asked if he had taken any time to reflect on his time with the organization, the 71-year-old kept his objective clear, while quickly diffusing any further speculation from arising.
“I’ll deal with that some other time,” Belichick said. “Right now, I’ll just try to get the team ready for the Jets. Finish up the Buffalo game and continue to coach the team and try to help the players and the team play better.”
