The New England Patriots have had one of their worst seasons in decades this year with many rumors of Head Coach Bill Belichick moving on from the patriots after this year. New England will get one of the top draft picks this year after an awful season, and should look to draft a quarterback with some of the best prospects the sport has seen in a long time at that position.
If you just look at the record alone then it would be appropriate for many fans to think that Belichick’s time in New England should come to a close, but if you take a closer look, Belichick and the Patriots’ defense is as food as ever with key injuries. Arguably their top two defenders in breakout rookie Christian Gonzalez and veteran Matthew Judon both went down early in the year when the Patriots will still looking some what competent. After that many have written off the Patriots team even though their defense has been one of the best in the league as they usually are under Belichick.
The Patriots sit at the number 8 overall defense and number 2 in rushing defense. Even without their top two defenders Belichick has made their defense still one of the best in the league with a historic rushing defense under the head coach with his time in New England.
The New England Patriots Defense Has been Super Under Rated This Year
The New England Patriots rumors have been out of control this year, with many reports coming out about Bill Belichick and his time with the Patriots coming to end this off season. However, Belichick has been coaching as he always has been and is still one of the best, if not the best defensive mind in the NFL. Since week 9 of the season, the Patriots have let up the fewest points of any NFL team with 46. The nest closest is the San Francisco 49ers defense who has gone undefeated in that stretch. New England on the other hand, has not won a single game over that stretch.
It is clear that Belichick is not the greatest of general managers in the NFL but he is still at the top of his game defensively. If they go on to get one of the top quarterback prospects in Drake Maye or Caleb Williams, in addition to returning their key pieces on defense, it wouldn’t be surprising at all for the Patriots to stick with their greatest head coach next year.
Belichick is a 6 time Super Bowl champion and deserves to walk whenever he wants. Even though there are major issues on the offensive side of the ball, if they can figure those out, the Patriots would be back to a winning franchise. They may not be legitimate contenders but they would be much more competitive even against some of the best teams in the league.
Whether or not Belichick leaves, New England should not continue to expect to be at the bottom of the AFC for years to come. With a top draft pick and many young defensive studs, look for New England to bounce back next year with a very new roster.
#patriot cap spending
7th in league on defense
26th in league on offense
28th in league on STHu wonder why?
The defense is good but not the offense.#nfl #Nfltwitter#ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/KqsJe89mSi
— NEfootball Junkie (@NEPatsjunkie) December 19, 2023