Getty Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Criticism and unsolicited advice are plentiful when an organization as proud and successful as the New England Patriots seems mired in an era of mediocrity.
Bill Belichick and Co. are getting a ton of opinions on the team’s offense, and one of the latest critiques came from Hall-of-Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. In a recent interview with the Boston Herald, referenced by Karen Guregian, Warner called the Patriots and their offensive scheme out.
“You can be put in a bad spot as a quarterback, where you can sit back and say, we got to make the most of it … but I don’t want to make the most of a crappy concept,” said Warner. “I don’t want to try to make it work when it’s a bad concept. So you have to be able to work together to figure out what that looks like for the quarterback, so the quarterback’s comfortable when they go out there.”
Is Mac Jones the Victim?
Lately, many critics seem to be identifying Mac Jones as the victim of this offensive experiment of the Patriots. Belichick’s legacy is secure no matter how regular the Patriots have appeared over the past two-plus years. Defacto offensive coordinator Matt Patricia has had an opportunity to be a head coach. It didn’t work out with the Detroit Lions, but it stands to reason he may get another chance to coach down the road. Because of his relationship with Belichick and perhaps a few other branches still in existence across the NFL, Patricia probably doesn’t have as much on the line as Jones.
The second year of an NFL quarterback’s career is expected to be his breakout season. Unfortunately for Jones, he may not have had the tools necessary to make good on that expected maturation. Effectiveness in the NFL is so fragile; from a comfortability standpoint, there is no telling if Jones will pan out after he goes through what appears to be an abysmal season.
“At the end of the day, if the guy with the ball in his hands isn’t comfortable,” Warner added. “You’re never going to be good on offense.”
It would appear either Belichick doesn’t know or agree with this concept.
Patriots Rank Second in Toughest Remaining Schedules Amongst Playoff Contenders
The Patriots’ playoff hopes aren’t dead. At 6-6, there are still several paths to the postseason for New England. The problem could be their remaining schedule. The Patriots head west to challenge the Arizona Cardinals on the road on Monday Night Football. The following week, New England heads back to Las Vegas to clash with former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who is now the Las Vegas Raiders head coach.
Both of those games appear to be winnable, but the final three games won’t be simple. They will host the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills to close the year. Somehow, the Patriots will need to win four of their last five to ensure they make the playoffs.
To have a realistic shot at making the playoffs, the Patriots have at least to pull out three of the final five contests. If New England can turn things around, it might be Belichick’s best coaching performance.