Bill Belichick hasn’t talked much about the New England Patriots this season. He’s given Drake Maye some praise, and said he feels for the players after coach Jerod Mayo called the team “soft.”
But he hasn’t gone too much in depth about his former’s team 3-10 season.
That changed Monday during the latest episode of the “Let’s Go!” podcast when host Jim Gray asked Belichick what he’s seen from New England this season.
“Just haven’t done enough to win very many games on any level. They’ve had trouble on defense. One of the last ranked teams on offense, if not the bottom ranked. Missed some key field goals and some kicking plays as well. So I’d say all three areas of the game just haven’t been good enough to win,” he said, as transcribed by The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “And they still got a couple games left against Buffalo, right? They have a bye week this week, so maybe they can get a few things straightened out. But it’s just been a pretty inconsistent year. Just haven’t been able to do enough to win when they needed to.”
Belichick added that it’s hard to see the players go through this type of season — particularly those on defense.
“I know those guys work hard. They’re tough and they care and they put a lot into it. But it’s the National Football League,” Belichick told Gray, “It’s very competitive. You gotta find a way to stand up to the competition and that’s a challenge for every team.”
The Patriots have struggled mightily lately with holding penalties and while in the red zone. The defense played mostly well against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon, essentially imploded when New England allowed Anthony Richardson and company to convert three times on third down and execute a 19-play, 80-yard drive that led to a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Sunday’s 25-24 loss to the Colts officially eliminated the Patriots from the playoffs as reminders that a rebuild takes time and is a process continued to build.
Now on the bye week, New England can rest, reflect and try to end the season on a high note.
