FOXBOROUGH — For Bill Belichick, Sunday itself was different.
The New England Patriots couldn't move the ball. They were frustrating to watch. Their defense was good, but it wasn't good enough. There were no big, explosive plays. His quarterback play was subpar. They did not withdraw. Of course, this time they lost 17-3 to the New York Jets.
Ah, but this Sunday was different.
This was the final end for special teams sensation Matthew Slater — he will officially announce his retirement after 16 seasons later this week — and, more importantly, perhaps the final end for Belichick as a head coach and president of football operations for the past 24 years.
While there were tears, hugs, and family and team sweatshirts for Slater, implying that “it's over,” there was none of that for Belichick.
Instead, Belichick was yelling at the referees, yelling at the returning player of the game to step up, and hurling some expletives after another botched play.
Like his players, he didn't give up.
“He coached until the end, like he always does,” Patriots center David Andrews said.
the end? Did Andrews mean the end as in “the end”?
Belichick tried to disarm reporters in a postgame news conference, saying: “As far as the future goes, I'm going to sit down with Robert [Kraft] Like I do every year at some point at the end of the season and we'll talk about things like we always do. “I'm sure that will happen.”
Am I sure that will happen?
He's getting better. Belichick has scheduled a Zoom meeting with the Patriots press corps at 7:30 a.m. Monday to mainly talk about the 2023 season, as much as he will allow.
Belichick basically looked as if it would be all systems go in 2024.
Of course, we know that this is not entirely the case.
Rumors have swirled in the past week or two that this big meeting, which will undoubtedly include owner heir apparent Jonathan Kraft, will actually happen on Monday, perhaps as soon as Belichick meets with the press.
These rumors about Belichick's future, his trusted former captain and defensive assistant Jerrod Mayo as his replacement, and disagreements within the organization are all issues on the table that need to be deciphered.
Funny enough, the adoration for Belichick, his dedication and his success with the organization has seen some resurgence in the past month. In November, New Englanders appeared to be overwhelmingly in favor of change, but the past few weeks of support for Belichick have gained a lot of steam.
But popular support may not be enough. In fact, full support from owner Robert Kraft may not be enough.
The wild card is Robert's right-hand advisor and his eldest son Jonathan.
Why would he exert some extra force in their “meeting” to discuss Belichick's short- and long-term future?
Robert will turn 83 before next season. Belichick turns 72 in April.
Jonathan, who is no spring chicken, will turn 60 in March. His time as the man in charge of the Patriots is getting closer and closer.
And at some point, six months from now, or a year from now, or two years from now, Jonathan is going to want his man.
When we talk about the most successful teams in the NFL, it almost always means hitting the threesome — elite owner, coach, and quarterback.
Robert and Jonathan, although best friends, have completely different personalities. Robert is more “public” and Jonathan is private.
Jonathan's seat at the table is much more than just “the son.” He is one of the top marketing consultants representing NFL ownership. It was well ahead of the curve several years ago when gambling was touched upon. Not only did he anticipate the possibility of this happening, but he also predicted its massive revenue streams.
You could argue that the trio of Robert Kraft, Belichick and Tom Brady is the best ever, and will never be duplicated.
Even though 2023 was bad, 4-13, there's a lot to like going forward, especially when it comes to player acquisitions with the Patriots holding the third overall pick — see potential Hall of Fame athlete — and tens of millions of dollars under the cap The salary cap for adding some top-tier talent in 2024.
I'll bring Belichick back.
We know he can still train X's and O's. We know that his players, none of whom were worthy of Pro Bowl status, gave it everything they had in 17 games, many of which were “hurtful,” which is a testament to the coach.
He likely learned from the process of acquiring a player after Brady, realizing he couldn't do it alone. He needs stars. In fact, many of them are.
But it may be too late. The heir may have already stated his case.
Belichick mentioned Robert Kraft, but in my opinion, Jonathan Kraft is the guy to win.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.
