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Former New England Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi knows what he wants to see from his former head coach Bill Belichick amid a 1-5 start.
“What do I personally feel how this should go, and how this should end with Bill Belichick?” Bruschi said on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” and reiterated on “Get Up!” on Monday, October 16. “This is just my personal feeling on what should happen.”
“I want him to coach his [expletive] off this season and get six, seven wins. Have them playing respectable by the end of the season — and walk away. That’s what I want my former coach to do. Don’t — Shula doesn’t matter. You’ve got multiple Super Bowls over Shula. You’re a better coach,” Bruschi added.
Belichick, who has 330 career wins, needs 17 wins to pass Shula’s 347 wins, and the Patriots realistically won’t get Belichick much closer than 10 wins to go this year. Making the playoffs looks next to impossible, but it happened once with the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs, which had Alex Smith at quarterback before the Patrick Mahomes era.
The Patriots would need wins over the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins (5-1) and Buffalo Bills (4-2) to even begin to turn things around in the next two weeks. Bruschi doesn’t see a playoff chase focus right now.
“I have always known Bill to coach for meaningful wins — meaningful in terms of division championships, playoff wins, Super Bowls,” Bruschi said on “Get Up!” on Monday. “It’s shifted now. The meaningful wins are now all for him.”
Tedy Bruschi Anticipates a Potential Mutual Parting of Ways in New England
Bruschi, who played nine seasons for Belichick in New England, sees this year as it for Belichick on both sides — the coach himself and owner Robert Kraft‘s decision. Kraft has publicly lamented the Patriots’ struggles since the departure of now-retired quarterback Tom Brady in 2020.
“I think Bill Belichick is considering it. I also think [owner] Robert Kraft is the one that has to start to consider is it time to move on because right now, they get a top-five pick. Mr. Kraft has to decide if Bill is the right one to take one of those three, four quarterbacks, whoever it may be that you could possibly get, and if he wants to start over with Bill,” Bruschi said on “Get Up!” on Monday.
“That’s … Mr. Kraft’s decision. That’s an owner’s responsibility,” Bruschi added. “Bill always talks about doing your job, and that is Mr. Kraft’s job to consider.”
Rob Gronkowski Doesn’t Believe Bill Belichick is the Problem
While Bruschi didn’t confirm if Belichick’s job is absolutely safe for the season, former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski believes it.
“I think he’s pretty safe as of right now, and I don’t see them getting blown out like that every game. He’s gonna make those adjustments, they’re gonna be playing better, that’s for sure. I don’t see them continuing to get blown out like that, and I think they’re gonna make a pretty strong, at least decent, come back and compete in games,” Gronkowski told FOX News Digital before the Patriots’ Week 6 loss.
New England at least didn’t get blown out on Sunday, October 15, in a 21-17 defeat against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots pulled within two points, 19-17, with 3:33 left in the game, and New England’s chance for a last-minute comeback fell short with a safety at the 1:47 mark.
For a fifth straight week, the Patriots couldn’t score 20 points on offense. Gronkowski sees that as the problem, not Belichick.
“They’re not moving the ball, they’re not scoring points,” Gronkowski said. “It’s just bringing in the right guys on the offensive side of the ball to go out there out on the field, scoring touchdowns, continuing to get first downs, and that’s what’s not happening. The offensive side of the ball needs work big time.”
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