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Bill Belichick and Tom Brady had very different Sunday experiences in Week 4. Tom Brady was anywhere but taking hits on the gridiron as Bill Belichick's legacy took another shot after losing to Dak Prescott by a score of 38-3. Since Brady has left the team, various pundits have slowly sided with the quarterback as the reason for the Patriots' run over the years. Now, that list includes Shannon Sharpe.
Speaking on First Take, the former star tight end jumped ship on defending the head coach from criticism. Here's how he put it:
"I've been one of those guys who said that Coach Belichick deserved a lot more credit than Tom Brady. But I was foolish in my assessment. It's becoming more and more apparent to me that Tom Brady was largely the reason why the Patriots won, because, you see, he goes to another team and they win." [02:02 onwards]
He continued, asking one question that sums up his new assessment:
"Coach Belichick has struggled to win without Tom Brady ... What has coach Belichick done without Brady? He keeps missing the playoffs."
Bill Belichick risks adding to playoff slump streak after loss to Cowboys
Through four games, the New England Patriots are 1-3. Their lone win came against Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. To most fans, the resume simply isn't enough for the Patriots to remain a contender through the first month of the year.
If Bill Belichick and Mac Jones miss the playoffs in 2023, it will be the second straight season of missing the playoffs. The Patriots have never missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in the Belichick era.
It would be the fifth straight season the team has gone without a playoff win. In other words, the last time the team won a playoff game, Patrick Mahomes was playing his first starting season in the NFL.
At this point, one would believe that everything is on the table at the end of the year. Swapping Mac Jones out for another quarterback might be a conservative approach for the team to some. Those are likely the same people looking to see an end to Belichick's time with the Patriots.
