Getty New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
During his days as head coach of the New York Jets, Rex Ryan was a thorn in Bill Belichick’s side.
Now, though, Belichick can call his former nemesis one of his staunchest supporters.
“The roster may be JV, but the coaching’s not,” Ryan said on the January 2 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.” “This dude [Belichick] has done an amazing job. It might be his best year coaching that I’ve ever seen.”
Ryan, who left coaching after the 2016 season, Belichick has put together one of his finest campaigns despite the New England Patriots‘ underwhelming 8-8 record heading into Week 18.
Rex Ryan says this may be Bill Belichick’s best year coaching he’s EVER seen 🔥
“What he does is, he plays to the strength of his team,” Ryan said. “You have a great defense. And here’s the thing about that defense: It doesn’t just stop you or make you punt or whatever. It forces turnovers, but that’s not it — they score with those turnovers.”
Though the Patriots enter the final week of the regular season with the league’s sixth-ranked scoring defense, they are still likely to end the season with the third-most losses of the Belichick era. That’s even if the Patriots somehow beat the Buffalo Bills to finish 9-8.
On the other side of the ball, the offense has been far less effective under hand-picked play caller Matt Patricia. The Patriots are 26th in the league in total yards and 17th in scoring.
Penalties & Poor Situational Football Have Plagued the Patriots
Considering all the success they enjoyed during the Tom Brady era (2001-19), it is fair to say the 2022 edition of the Patriots doesn’t look anything like the teams of old. New England had a reputation as a disciplined team that could overcome adversity and execute in critical situations.
But now, Belichick’s squad is tied for sixth in the NFL with 102 penalties taken. Plus, the Patriots’ penchant for committing infractions has resulted in -142 penalty yards — the fourth-worst mark in the league.
Then there are some of the costly mistakes Belichick’s team has made throughout the season. From having multiple punts blocked to handing the Las Vegas Raiders an improbable win, the Patriots suffered several losses largely due to poor situational football.
Bill Belichick Faces Perhaps the Most Pivotal Offseason of His NFL Career
Even if New England sneaks into the playoffs, Belichick will likely have to answer a few questions from his boss this offseason.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft is reportedly unhappy with the offensive coaching staff — a group that includes two former head coaches who failed outside New England: Patricia and Joe Judge. Given the backfired Patricia experiment, will Belichick bring in an experienced coordinator to get quarterback Mac Jones back on track?
“My understanding is he’s made comments around the building that basically indicate he’s not happy with where the offensive coaching staff is right now,” Sports Illustrated Albert Breer reported on January 1. “I think that could lead to shuffling at more than just the play caller spot. We could be talking about a new (offensive) coordinator coming in with multiple new position coaches. I think there are several guys on the staff that are gonna be reviewed after the year.”
Patriots TD leaders this season:
Mac Jones: 11
Entire defense: 7
Rhamondre Stevenson: 6
Bailey Zappe: 5
Jakobi Meyers: 4
Kyle Dugger: 3
Damien Harris: 3
In addition to potentially needing to overhaul his offensive staff, the 70-year-old Belichick faces some tough roster decisions.
Will he move on from longtime defensive captain Devin McCourty and special teams ace Matthew Slater?
Will the Patriots pay up to keep Jakobi Meyers around for years to come?
Will running back Damien Harris receive a second contract? Or will Belichick hand the reins over to rising star Rhamondre Stevenson?