PATRIOTS - BILL BELICHICK & TOM BRADY - WAS IT THE "HANDCUFF" THAT MADE THEM SO GOOD

Word On The Street...

Robert Kraft has reportedly had enough of the Bill Belichick experiment.  Of course, that is a VERY simplistic statement (MY statement, BTW..). Whether or not you believe it, two things are patently obvious. Belichick does not command the respect he once did. And the Patriots are not anywhere near the same team they once were, back in the Brady era. Was it Belichick's HC persona? Or was it Brady's GOAT QB play??  You will have to decide that for yourself.

Whatever you think or feel about the Patriots (and by default, Belichick..), the fact remains that the franchise, once a perennial playoff and MULTI Super Bowl winning team, has fallen on hard times. Their descent into mediocrity and a further downward spiral started when Brady 'jumped ship'. Since then they have been nothing but a shell of their previous self.

Now, it appears that Robert Kraft has decided to "end the pain" and put Belichick out to pasture. As of today, the Patriots are the only 'other team' (Panthers) that have been mathematically eliminated this year.

M Marca
End of the Bill Belichick era: Patriots reportedly decided not to continue with the legendary head coach
Story by Lw •
7h

The owner of New England, Robert Kraft, would be seeking a successor for the 2024 season.

The second-winningest head coach in NFL history and the most successful in terms of Super Bowls may be close to concluding what many consider the most successful era in the history of this professional sport. It appears that head coach Bill Belichick is in the final games of his tenure with the New England Patriots.

According to information from Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston, the owner of the six-time Vince Lombardi Trophy-winning franchise, Robert Kraft, has already decided to seek a new coach after the end of this regular season. The Patriots, along with the Carolina Panthers, are the only two teams mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Thus, the famous 'Monk' would only have to complete the remaining four games of the regular season for the Foxboro team.

"When they came back from the loss in Germany, the conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision had been made," Curran said on his network's 'Arbella Early Edition' program. "They were going to move forward with the situation, and at the end of the year, there would be a parting for various reasons."

Much has been questioned about Belichick's effectiveness after quarterback Tom Brady left the Boston suburban franchise. The legendary quarterback departed after the 2019 season, and in the four years without him, they have only had one winning season, which was also the only one in which they made it to the postseason.

In terms of all-time records, Belichick is the second-winningest head coach, including postseason victories (332), only behind Don Shula (347). He is third in regular-season victories (301), behind Shula (328) and George Halas (318).

Currently, the Patriots have a record of 3-10 at the bottom of the AFC East. To close the season, New England will play at home against the Kansas City Chiefs (December 17), away against the Denver Broncos (December 24), hit the road again to face the Buffalo Bills (December 31), and Belichick will bid farewell on January 7, 2024, when they host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/end...ea40&ei=43