To Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist
A delighted Bill Belichick and a disgusted Bill Belichick look basically the same. new england patriots The head coach’s deadpan demeanor is as much part of his mystery as victory, rings, and intangibles.
On rare special occasions (such as winning the Super Bowl), Delighted Bill can even half-smile. As for Disgusted Bill, he looks just as unimpressed as any other time.
It’s widely believed that a jaded Bill is now home after the Patriots’ offense endured the start of training camp, leaving no one impressed or delighted. But who really knows? ?
“Every play has a good side and a bad side,” Belichick told reporters on Tuesday. is not going to go into play-by-play evaluation.It’s not really what camp is for.”
It’s a shame Belichick didn’t say this a week ago. It would have provided valuable supplementary material to an entire column I wrote about how training camp reactions are usually exaggerated. There is a nuance of, and August’s flashy and flashy snippet doesn’t make much sense.
Well, Belichick was never concerned about making matters easier for journalists.
Some things never change, but what’s different this time is the level of scrutiny and implicit suspicion surrounding the Patriots.
The offensive optics didn’t look good. Lampley has not gained any traction and routinely stops at the line. Onlookers aren’t counting the number of plays quarterback Mac Jones would have been slammed to the ground by a defender. Jones found himself under constant pressure.
How things play out in Thursday’s preseason opener against the New York Giants will spark further debate.
Due to the changes brought about by the departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who took the top job with the Las Vegas Raiders after 10 years of marshalling the Patriots’ offense, the ball’s offensive side has seen a great deal. is focused on.
With no replacement named, Belichick is now more involved on offense with the help of a pair of former NFL head coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Judge who are back in New England.
Still, things are getting a little rocky. Jones, in particular, seemed unhappy and annoyed. Linemen David Andrews and Christian Barmore fell into a physical scrap and were kicked out of practice.
In the past, Belichick’s teams have always had the benefit of doubt. Not so much now. No one will be eliminated three years in a row without a postseason win.
Belichick has experienced similar spells of disappointment before. One happened early in his career with the Cleveland Browns. Another one of his was the Patriots’ eccentricity from 2008 to his 2010, when Tom Brady suffered the worst injury of his career, when he suffered the worst injury of his career, 10-6 and his 14-2 Pats. team crashed in his game opening the playoffs.
The barren spell has never reached four years, but we can only assume that Belichick doesn’t want to set a new personal record right now.
When the New England Dynasty disbanded in 2020, they spat some pretty silly spit on whether it was Brady or Belichick who was primarily responsible for the success of the Patriots. Belichick was a popular choice after Brady first left for Tampa Bay. Now it’s overwhelmingly Brady. It’s all nonsense. The real answer is clear. it was both.
It took a GOAT quarterback and a genius head coach working together to succeed at that level.
Now it’s the latest step in Belichick’s new challenge. Jones isn’t Brady, but the Patriots will soon want to figure out if he’ll be a starter for years to come, or less.
Earlier this week, after several days of difficulty, the 23-year-old put together a stronger and more compelling practice.
“You called it best practice of the year,” FS1’s Nick Wright said on “First Things First.” “If your child fails every test in a semester and then gets a D+, that’s the best test of the year. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should start fitting him into the grad cap.” ”
Mac Jones struggles: ‘I get it’
Despite the physical changes the New England quarterback has made, Mac Jones seems to be struggling to perform to the high standards in Patriots training camp. , discusses whether Jones and the Patriots will take a step forward.
Jones has shown some toughness and cleverness in his rookie year, and this young man should be encouraged by the trust Belichick has shown him at this point.
“I’ll figure it out,” Jones said. “I always have. I always do.”
The Patriots are still adjusting to a new standard that is no longer the norm by which the rest of the league judges. Belichick continues with the identical faces of Delighted Bill and Disgusted Bill providing some comforting consistency.
But this time, along with the extra pressure comes a nagging fear. Belichick won’t be just another coach, but the Patriots won’t be just another team anytime soon.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. worldYou can subscribe to our daily newsletter here.
Enjoy more National Football League Follow your favorites for games, news and more.