Where does Bill Belichick go from here?

New England Patriots v Las Vegas Raiders
New England Patriots v Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots (7-7) head coach Bill Belichick is one of just two coaches over 70 in the NFL. A longtime legend of the game who's coached the Patriots to a whopping six Super Bowl wins, Belichick's run with the team of late has been mediocre.

At a 50/50 win-loss ratio, the Patriots have noticeable fumbled more than once this season. Their next game sees them take on the Cinncinati Bengals (10-4) who are currently riding high on a five-game winning streak. Considering the lack of polish the team has conveyed thus far, many Patriots fans are fearing the team won't even succeed at the play-offs.

Bill Belichick is the last piece remaining of the Patriots' golden run from earlier this millenium. Longtime quarterback star Tom Brady defected to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Offensive assistant coach Josh McDaniels, who'd been so key as offensive coordinator last decade, is now with the Raiders. Longtime pal of Belichik's Ernie Adams is also out, having retired from coaching duties in June 2021.

Essentially, Bill Belichick is the last piece of the puzzle and one that many are starting to expect will follow Adams' example soon. Given his notable struggles to put together a high-level team in recent seasons, Belichick's only option beyond retirement may be a total reboot and rebuild of the team.

Can the New England Patriots bounce back under Bill Belichick this season?

The future's not looking bright for the Patriots right now. Quarterback Mac Jones has endured a great deal of difficulty lately with just a 71.6 passer rating. Bill Belichick has remained noticeably quiet on the matter, as well as the team's decling stats across the board.

Against a dominant unit like the Bengals, the Patriots are in serious of danger of having a negative win-loss ratio before the year's over. The New England outfit are 1-3 in their past four games with only a respectable 27-13 win over the ailing Arizona Cardinals (4-10) keeping their record respectable.

Overall, considering their relatively poor play this year, as well as Pat Belichick's struggle to secure top-level talent for the team in recent seasons, the Patriots, much like their legendary coach, are on a downward swing at the moment.

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