FOXBOROUGH – Robert Kraft didn’t mince words when asked why he was willing to part with Bill Belichick, his six-time Super Bowl winning head coach.
Losing seasons three of the last four years led to Belichick’s undoing. That’s what led to the “mutual parting” with the Patriots.
“What’s gone on here the last three, four years isn’t what we want,” Kraft said during his solo media session Thursday. “So we have a responsibility to do what we can to fix it to the best of our ability.”
BET ANYTHINGGET $250 BONUSESPN BET
21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
While Kraft goes about the business of naming a new coach, and repairing the Patriots, Belichick would do well to reflect on what went wrong, and what he personally needs to fix in his next job.
No doubt he’ll garner interest, not so much for a team that has to rebuild, but a team that’s not far off from contending.
Belichick can still make a defense great, whether that’s in Los Angeles with the Chargers, in Atlanta with the Falcons, or perhaps with a team that might have an opening in the coming weeks, pending what happens in the playoffs.
Wherever he winds up, Belichick needs to evolve in one area in particular.
If he has the type of power and control he had with the Patriots, where he had final say on all personnel decisions, he needs to recognize the NFL for what it’s become – an offense-driven league.
He needs to do a better job outfitting his quarterback with talent, especially at the skill positions. He can’t draft defensive players in the first three rounds, when he has glaring needs on offense. That’s what he did this season even though the Patriots were desperate for help at offensive tackle, and receiver.
Moving forward, Belichick can’t let offense be his Kryptonite.
Speaking with Rodney Harrison, who Belichick recently classified as the best safety he’s ever coached, the Patriots Hall of Famer agreed that his former coach needed to change with the times. Belichick needed to wrap his head around being more offensive-minded than sticking to the notion that defense was the most important phase.
“He absolutely has to make adjustments as far as the level of attention he gives the offense, because this is a scoring league,” said Harrison. “And if you don’t have an offense that can score … all the rules are dictated or bent so the offense can score. But if you can’t score, then you put yourself in an even worse situation.”
That was certainly the case with the Patriots in recent years. It just hit rock bottom this season, with the offense averaging just 13.9 points per game, tied for worst in the league. So wherever Belichick lands, he would be wise to change the narrative.
“You have to understand talent, get talent in there, cuz you look at the Patriots, and they don’t have a lot of talent. If you don’t have Tom Brady throwing to these guys, which is almost like having a robot throwing to these guys, they’re going to get exposed. And that’s what I’ve seen from the Patriots. They’re devoid of talent on offense.”
It’s hard imagining Belichick getting back to the promised land with his new team without either having elite offensive talent, or acquiring it.
NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
