By Jordan Long
The New England Patriots finished 2020 at 7-9, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Bill Belichick’s seat could be getting warm but it shouldn’t be.
Last season, the New England Patriots lost Tom Brady in the offseason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was Belichick’s first season without the Hall of Fame quarterback. They settled on Cam Newton who started 15 games for them. He was not the Newton from Carolina. Newton was 7-8 as a starter throwing for 2,657 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Newton was getting use to the Patriots system and how to run the offense. It takes a quarterback a few years to understand a new offense and the play calls.
According to cbssports.com, LaVar Arrington said, “That seat is warm for Bill Belichick and that might sound crazy for some people, but Bill Belichick has to have a good season this year. And you know why? Because there are whispers — ‘It was Tom. It was always Tom. It couldn’t have been anything else but Tom.’ And Bill Belichick has to show before he gets too far away from Tom Brady leaving that it was not Tom Brady, that it was, in fact and indeed, the system of what Bill Belichick built in New England.”
Arrington has a point. Belichick has been productive with Brady as his quarterback. The only other time besides last year he didn’t have Brady was 2008. Brady ended up missing the year with a torn ACL. Matt Cassel guided them to an 11-5 finish but it wasn’t enough for them to earn a playoff spot.
This is an overreaction for one bad year. Belichick needs this season and at least one other to prove himself without Brady. There is no way the Patriots should think of letting him go yet. Bill Belichick is one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. With his team in New England, he has gone an impressive 224-92 in the regular season, a winning percentage of .726. New England has advanced to the Super Bowl 9 times while winning the Super Bowl 6 times.
If New England ends up missing the postseason this upcoming year then Belichick’s seat should start to get hotter. It shouldn’t be one awful season that decides the future for him since his body of work shows what he can do. Time will only tell but Belichick should have a few more chances.
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