From time to time over the course of his tenure coaching the Patriots, Bill Belichick has stepped in and basically taken over unit, some in the middle of the season that had failed to meet expectations.
In 2005 after Charlie Weis left for Notre Dame, Belichick was de facto offensive coordinator while Eric Mangini took over for Romeo Crennel, who headed up the Browns.
Belichick has taken a heavy hand in the prep for just about every position group on the team if their struggles lingered just a bit too long.
When Brian Flores took the Dolphins job in 2019, Belichick probably did the most heavy lifting he had in some time with the defense because there was no ready heir apparent.
“I think I’ll be more involved this year defensively than I was in recent years,” Belichick told Willie McGinest of NFL Network at the time, “although I’ve always tried to be involved in all aspects of the game, especially the defensive side of the ball. But this year it will be a little bit more, but I’m enjoying it and eventually I’ll have less of a role. For right now, just to try and get things underway this year, I’ll try to be as involved as I can.”
According to multiple sources, Belichick had a huge role in the first half of the 2019 season with son Steve Belichick and former player Jerod Mayo as his understudies. The way it worked was, the assistants would do their due diligence in their area of gameplanning (situationally it's split among the entire staff — red zone, third downs, pressure packages, goal line, etc.). Belichick and others would formulate the gameplan to the point that it was basically "paint by numbers," as one source put it. Steve Belichick would call the plays based on the sheet, and Mayo would head up substitutions with Belichick overseeing everything.
It is believed that as the season went on and the defense was wildly successful for most of the season (first in points and yards allowed), Belichick reduced his role slightly. By the end of the season, the defense tanked to where Ryan Fitzpatrick and the hapless Dolphins ripped through them at home with home-field advantage on the line, and the Titans steamrolled them in a first-round playoff exit.
The formula was reprised in the challenging 2020 season, where the unit was left shorthanded by injuries and COVID optouts. The unit slumped to seventh in points and 15th in yards.
Despite investing heavily in the defense via free agency and stocking it with veterans like Matthew Judon, Davon Godchaux, Jalen Mills, Kyle Van Noy, Dont'a Hightower, Lawrence Guy (re-sign) and Deatrich Wise (re-sign), the defense is off to a worse start this year (9th in points, 17th in yards).
In terms of advanced analytics, the Patriots are 11th in FootballOutsiders.com's total DVOA (16th in pass). Two years ago, they were first in both.
According to sources, Belichick started this season by giving Steve Belichick and Mayo more autonomy considering all the veteran tools they had at their disposal, and they have even brought back Jamie Collins. Of the top 18 players in terms of snaps this season, all but Judon, Mills, Godchaux and Christian Barmore have been in New England's system for multiple seasons.
None of this has worked as planned. Everyone knew, even inside the walls of Gillette Stadium, that the offense would need time to fire on all cylinders with multiple newcomers and a rookie quarterback. But the plan was for the defense and special teams to keep the team afloat until the offense was ready.
Yeah, that hasn't happened.
Not only have two punts been blocked, but the defense has failed to get a big fourth-quarter stop in all four of its losses — at Gillette Stadium. And in the win against the Texans, there was a role reversal. The offense took up the final 7 minutes of the game — possibly from saving the defense from blowing it again.
The loss to the Cowboys was, hopefully, rock-bottom for the defense.
Not only did the Patriots allow 24 yards on 3rd and 25 to give Dallas the opportunity to force overtime, but they gave Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown to end the game in the extra session.
The worst part, was that both defensive playcalls — which we broke down extensively earlier in the week — put the players at a disadvantage and cost the team the game. Even Devin McCourty spoke up about it.
"We were in a tough call for the route they ran," McCourty said of the touchdown. "They dialed up a good play for what we tried to do, kind of situational football."
Of 3rd and 25: "That play was tough though."
Basically, McCourty was saying that they were outcoached, and Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore beat Steve Belichick like a drum on those crucial plays. Moore knew what the Patriots would call, and he had the perfect beaters for them. That's called being outcoached, and McCourty knew it.
Those sequences seemed to be the final straw for McCourty, who normally toes the company line. The personnel isn't going to change, so the coaching needs changing
The Patriots need Bill Belichick as defensive coordinator from gameplan inception, to in-game playcalls. He showed just two years ago he's still the best in the world at it. It's time for him to take it on again, or he's going to see his legacy continued to be put into a shredder one page at a time.
The team is 9-13 since Tom Brady left. They already missed the playoffs once while Brady won a Super Bowl. The Patriots have to finish 8-3 to have a good shot at the playoffs, and to get Belichick's record over .500 without Brady. The Patriots going 7-4 might not cut it, on both counts.
The offense is coming along, slowly but surely. This is Belichick's hand-picked defensive personnel — as old, slow and expensive as it is. This is the unit he wanted. If he expects them to play winning football for the rest of the season against the likes of Justin Herbert, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and Josh Allen (twice), Belichick has to be the one making the calls.
It's time for the Belichick Bat Signal. This season could very well rest on how the defense, which has failed to meet the challenge to this point, fares the rest of the way.
To be at their best, they need Belichick in charge, full-tilt.
Here are the positional ratings against the Cowboys:
OFFENSE
Quarterback (4 out of 5)
Not sure if it was his best game so far — the Miami game was pretty good — but Mac Jones had a very strong game with only two minus plays on my sheet, a third-down throw to Jakobi Meyers and the pick-six that Kendrick Bourne also shared in. Had Jones for eight plus plays, including the touchdown to Meyers that was wiped off due to a James Ferentz hold that was a very tough call. ... He made some plays down the field (the Meyers TD would have been nice if it stood) made some great anticipatory throws in this game, none better than the one in overtime above to Meyers. That is just an elite play ... Upon further review, Jones' TD to Bourne was not the product of bad safety play by the Cowboys (though there was plenty of that ... it's Dallas kryptonite). Only Ed Reed could have picked off that pass, and Jones actually helped the play immensely by holding the safety. ... Considering Jones was nearly decapitated twice and was under pressure, again, nearly 35 percent of the time, he had a very strong game.
Running backs (4.5 out of 5)
Both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson were terrific in this game. If this is any indication of what might be to come, the Patriots might have a dynamic backfield yet. But the team has to get JJ Taylor off the inactive list and making plays in the game. This team has a dearth of playmakers on both sides of the ball. They need all the explosive legs they can get on the field. Taylor is the next reclamation project, ASAP.
Receivers (2.5 out of 5)
Very much a mixed bag. Meyers was by far the best receiver in this game with three outstanding catches. ... The way Hunter Henry stemmed his route on the touchdown was impressive as he scored for the third straight game, but the blocking by Henry and Jonnu Smith has not been good enough. ... Nelson Agholor had a brutal drop to start overtime, and his route on the back-shoulder to end the possession could have been better. Of course, in theory, you have a physical receiver like N'Keal Harry to run that route, but... Still, with the game on the line, Jones has to put it on the frame of the receiver.
Offensive line (2 out of 5)
If you took out the two awful sacks by Yodny Cajuste and Isaiah Wynn, this unit wasn't bad at all with the good work they did in the running game. The sack was really Cajuste's only error in the game. He continues to look like he has a bright future with experience. ... Mike Onwenu should stay at right tackle. Not everyone can play guard — it's faster in there. Marcus Cannon was a disaster at guard but was a very good right tackle. Onwenu could be on the same path. If Onwenu flourishes at RT, then the team has to consider benching Wynn and putting Brown at left tackle. Or they could put him at LG as well. But Ted Karras has earned a starting role. He continues to play strong and tough. ... In order of effectiveness: Karras, David Andrews, Herron, Cajuste, Onwenu, Wynn.
DEFENSE
Defensive line (4 out of 5)
Outside of Davon Godchaux, I liked everything this unit did. The Patriots have a big problem with Godchaux. It's now Week 7 and he could perhaps be the worst Patriots nose tackle I've ever seen at holding up against double teams — and sometimes he's just wrong on assignments (see video below). He blew three more gaps in this one. ... Deatrich Wise drew three penalties, which is impressive. He's about the only thing he does well. ... Judon continues to be a beast with seven impactful plays. Lawrence Guy, Barmore and Josh Uche had three each. ... Uche now has seven total QB pressures and a pressure rate of 10 percent. Van Noy has 1.5 QB pressure and a rate of 2.7 percent. Play Uche. ... Outside of Judon, almost zero pass rush out of this group as a whole.
Linebackers (3 out of 5)
If this was just about the play in the tackle box, then Ja'Whaun Bentley (five impactful plays) and Dont'a Hightower (four) would have had a perfect night. But both were repeatedly exposed in the pass game. ... Hightower looked bad on the short goal line pass TD, and Bentley couldn't keep up with Zeke Elliott in coverage. ... Jamie Collins has made little impact outside his unblocked sack last week. He doesn't look like the same player. His lack of speed fits in with this unit.
Secondary (2 out of 5)
JC Jackson had some really nice plays in coverage (four), including two on third downs, but gave up just as many plays (defensive pass interference, 35-yarder, was a big factor in 3rd and 25). ... Has anyone taught Jalen Mills to be physical at the line, or is he just going to keep giving up easy conversions (slants) and unfettered fades (Prescott to Lamb)? ... Jonathan Jones was similar to Jackson and Mills — make a few plays, give some up. That will happen when the front seven generates 17 percent pressure against a really good QB. ... Kyle Dugger, love him in the box, he's afraid to make a play on the ball in coverage. ... Are we sure playing Dugger more in Adrian Phillips' old sub linebacker role is wise? Phillips has made nearly the same impact in Year 2, likely because he's playing in space even more. Might be time to switch them up.
THREE UP
Matthew Judon: I'm going to keep saying this every week until someone steps up — where would this defense be without Judon's pressure?
Jakobi Meyers: Another great game. Shame his TD got called back.
Mac Jones: Upon further review and considering the pressure on him, a very good game from Jones.
THREE DOWN
Davon Godchaux: It might be time to move him outside to end and let someone else play the nose tougher.
Kyle Van Noy: Looked like he was laboring and he doesn't make many plays.
James Ferentz: He's doing the best he can.