Is this really how it ends for Bill Belichick in New England?

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The Patriots are 1-5 and there are no easy answers, just harder and harder questions

Ahead of Super Bowl XLIX, legendary writer Charles Pierce published a lengthy look at Tom Brady for The New York Times Magazine. Pierce shared insights gained into the quarterback dating back to that prior offseason, including a quote from Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr., that spoke to the fears in the minds of many Patriots fans at that point in the QB’s career.

“It will end badly,” the elder Brady said. “It does end badly. And I know that because I know what Tommy wants to do. He wants to play till he’s 70. … It’s a cold business. And for as much as you want it to be familial, it isn’t.”

It did end in New England for the younger Brady, and those Patriots fans saw their worst fears realized as the QB went on to deliver another Super Bowl title to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since his departure, New England has tried two different replacements — Cam Newton and Mac Jones — at quarterback, with minimal success. The team missed the playoffs in both 2020 and 2022, and were immediately bounced out of the playoffs in Jones’ rookie year, in blowout fashion at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

The team is showing no signs of a playoff run this season, and its coming off three brutal losses, two of which stand atop the list of worst losses during Bill Belichick’s tenure: a 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and a 34-0 home loss to the New Orleans Saints.

That has led to Patriots fans revisiting that Brady Sr. quote, but with a different ending in mind.

The end of the Belichick Era.

Sunday opened with that potential end a point of discussion on multiple pregame shows. Over on ESPN two of his former players, Tedy Bruschi and Randy Moss, touched on how they wanted the run to end, and where they wanted to see Belichick next.

That spoke to the how. As for the where? Moss simply exclaimed multiple times the single word.

Home.

Finally there was a game to be played, and it followed a similar script to the rest of New England’s season. The Patriots found themselves down early, as old friend Jakobi Meyers found himself wide open in the end zone early in the second quarter. Another old friend, Jimmy Garoppolo, put the throw right on Meyers and New England was down 10-0.

That made it 79 unanswered points allowed by the Patriots, the most since the Cleveland Browns allowed 99 unanswered during the 2000 season.

They finally got on the board, with a field goal from Chad Ryland to make it 10-3. That not only stopped the above streak, but they represented the first points for the team in 27 drives, accounting for over 133 minutes of game action.

But just as soon as they captured a tiny sliver of momentum, it was gone, thanks to another disastrous decision from Jones and another interception on the season. Ultimately New England fell short by a final score of 21-17. It’s been 17-straight games where the Patriots have scored under 30 points, the longest streak under Belichick.

In many ways, this loss might have been the worst of the three. Putting the final score aside, this game was filled with reminders of roster moves both good, and bad. Familiar faces such as Garoppolo, Meyers, and eventually Brian Hoyer as well, who came in when Garoppolo suffered a back injury. There was old friend Adam Butler, who had a sack of Jones and some critical words for Belichick in the locker room after the game. There was of course Josh McDaniels, the team’s former offensive coordinator.

Ghosts of Patriots Past, perhaps burying New England’s present.

Following the loss to the Saints, Belichick commented that the next step for New England was “starting over.” But how? And could that process involve starting over at the HC and GM spots? For many Patriots fans, Belichick the general manager belongs squarely on the hot seat, due to a number of mistakes in roster construction over the years.

Mistakes that once upon a time, Brady could mask.

This version of the Patriots, however, is a different story. Take the Patriots’ 2019 draft class, which started with N’Keal Harry at the end of the first round. None of those players are currently on the New England roster.

Classes like that can set a team back.

So, too, can missing on the quarterback. Now six games into his critical third year, Jones is no closer to convincing the Patriots — nor their fans — that he is the long-term answer at the position. Their struggles on offense go well beyond the quarterback position, but decision day regarding Jones is drawing near.

However, it is hard to imagine that Belichick would be willing to step out of the GM role. After all, he is a branch off the Bill Parcells tree, another legendary head coach known for quipping “[i]f they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.”

When did he make that quip? When Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted Parcells to handle coaching, and someone else to handle personnel. ‘’You can’t have the business dependent on just one person. It’s just common sense,’’ Kraft said at the time. ‘’What happens when that person isn’t there?’’

Kraft changed his tune with Belichick and it worked, for a while.

But it is not working now.

There are no easy answers in the NFL, nor are there quick fixes. If “starting over” is what is needed — as Belichick said himself — that process will take time. Is it a process Belichick has the patience for?

And is it a process that Kraft, given the past few seasons, will trust him with?

When the Patriots announced last winter they were going to interview for a new offensive coordinator, it drew the attention of many who cover New England on a daily basis. It signaled the clearest sign yet that Kraft was unhappy with the direction of the franchise. But these past three weeks have seen even darker days for the Patriots, a stunning fact when you remember how things looked when these teams squared off a year ago, and New England lost in horrific fashion:

Yes, things have gotten even worse since that moment.

There are no easy answers for the Patriots right now, only difficult questions.

The one that tops the list is this one: Is this truly how it ends for Belichick in New England? It certainly feels that way, because as we know, it always ends. And sometimes, it ends badly.