Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick Is On The Hot Seat

By: Steve Atkinson

Robert Kraft has put head coach Bill Belichick on notice today at the owner’s meetings in Florida. He’s not happy the team has not won a playoff game the last three seasons, doesn’t really understand why Belichick won’t name an offensive or defensive coordinator but is results-oriented. He sounded like the average Patriots fan who is wondering what the Patriots are doing this off-season. Last year they spent a lot of money in free agency and now they are going into their second year. They have a quarterback in Mac Jones who should take a leap and the team should succeed. However, if it doesn’t go well does Robert Kraft move on from Belichick? I think so.

“After my family, there’s nothing more important to me than the New England Patriots and winning football games. That’s my passion, so whatever I can do — hopefully in a small way to make that happen — I’m there. I’m not happy that we haven’t won a playoff game in three years. I think about that a lot.”

Robert Kraft Isn’t Happy With Bill Belichick

Three years ago, both Kraft and Belichick decided to move on from Tom Brady. Brady goes and wins a Super Bowl and the Patriots have gone 17-17 since Brady became a Buccaneer. The conclusion is simple you need a good coach quarterback combo in order to succeed in the league. If you don’t, you’re going to run into problems. Kraft also made it clear that having a good draft is important and hopes to again this year.

“I’m happy that I think we had a great draft last year, and made up for what happened the previous four years or so,” he said. “I look forward to hopefully having a great draft this year. That’s the only way you can build your team for long term and consistently, that you have a chance of winning — is having a good draft.”

Robert Kraft Has Put Bill Belichick On The Hot Seat

Full Robert Kraft Q&A with local reporters at the NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. pic.twitter.com/myfhpZ2IkS

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 29, 2022

Kraft called out Belichick and the staff for having a bad draft the previous four years. He’s probably thinking to himself did I make a mistake not just resigning Brady in 2019 and giving what he wanted? The answer is yes. He should gave Brady what he wanted you’d have another Super Bowl and you’d get players to come here. Players don’t want to come here because they know their chances of winning the Super Bowl are harder than say Kansas City or Tampa Bay. Until Mac Jones takes a huge leap which I expect it to be this year then key free agents and players won’t come here.

Kraft has put Belichick on notice this year whether Patriots fans want to hear that or not. There is no way Kraft is going to stand for a losing season or not win another playoff game while Tom Brady at 45 is playing for another Super Bowl. The reason they spent all that money in free agency last year was  because Brady won the Super Bowl and needed to catch up after going 7-9 with Cam Newton in 2020.

Kraft forces Belichick to draft Mac Jones at pick 15 and they go 10-8 losing in the Wild-Card game. Now, we’ve seen second-year quarterbacks take a leap like Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. The same should be said for Mac Jones going into his second year. If he goes backward because of the offensive coaching staff that is on Belichick for putting that staff together. Here is what Kraft said about the quarterbacks going into their second year.

“These young quarterbacks, the good ones, in the second year have usually grown a great deal. I’m a big fan of Mac Jones. You see how hard he works. He wants everything to go right. He puts the time and energy, and his personality as a team guy.

“So we have a chance. Without a good coach and a good quarterback, no matter how good the other players are, I don’t think you can win consistently. Hopefully, I believe we have both — an outstanding coach and a good young prospect at quarterback.”