Bedard: If Raiders loss was starting again, Patriots coaches should be front and center

We all heard Bill Belichick's grumbles last week in the wake of his team's second-straight blowout loss.

At least we think we did.

"Just plain and simply, we've got to find a way to play and coach better than that," Belchick said after the 34-0 home loss to the Saints. "So that’s what we are going to do, start all over and get back on a better track than we're on right now.

What does that entail, starting over?

"Starting over."

Reminds me of that scene from Fletch.

So you're saying, you're starting over. (Man, Bill does a spot-on impression of the Moved Out guy.)

For the most part, we all understood that was just Belichick being Belichick after another embarrassing defeat. Just wanted to dispense with us, and get on with this job he's done so well for so many years: coaching this team.

But a small part of us, maybe me, was anticipating something against the Raiders. Maybe not an outright victory, but the operation would look a lot better. I remember the Patriots "starting over" after the Chiefs loss in 2014, and the back-to-back December defeats to the Dolphins and Steelers (unheard of previously in these parts). The Patriots merely reset and went on to win Super Bowls those seasons.

Obviously, I wasn't expecting that, but I was excited to see Belichick's imprint on this team after the coaches had a reset day on Monday. Bill was rolling up his sleeves. He'd chart a new course for the entire team. The Patriots would look like a real NFL team against the Raiders.

Uh, wrong.

This is how the SOPs — Starting Over Patriots — began this game:

- Allowed the stuck-in-the-mud Raiders offense to convert three straight third downs, including two to rookie tight Michael Mayer, who had been a total non-factor in his first four games.

- The Raiders, as they are want to do, shot themselves in the foot with a holding penalty and drop of a potential first down and touchdown to settle for a field goal.

- Patriots special teams saw Sam Roberts commit a personal foul on said field goal, on 4th and 11, to give the Raiders new life. Vegas still only got a field goal.

- The new-look Patriots offense started with back-to-back line penalties and a familiar drop by Rhamondre Stevenson before a 3rd-and-15 draw led to a punt. 

- Rookie punter Bryce Baringer shanked a punt 34 yards way out of bounds.

- Two plays and one Jahlani Tavai personal foul penalty put the Raiders in the red zone before the defense finally made a play with Jabrill Peppers' demolition of Devante Adams

- Ensuing Patriots offensive drive: 2-yard run, 1-yard run, 11-yard sack by old friend Adam Butler.

- Mayer continued his Gronk-ing by being left all alone for 32 yards on 3rd and 6, old bestie Jakobi Meyers converted 3rd and 5 at the sticks (is that what that looks like?), and then caps it off with a 12-yard wide-open score of his own when three defenders jumped Mayer.

At this point, the SOPs trailed 10-0, marking the ninth time in their last 10 games they've faced at least a seven-point deficit to start a game.

A picture of where the game stood at that point:

So my question to Belichick still stands: What does starting over entail?

Because, damned if I could see any difference. It looked like the same slop we saw in the first five games this year and, truly, the way they ended last season. The Patriots are now 3-10 over their last 13 games. 

Three wins and ten defeats.

Sorry to interrupt your targeting of Mac Jones for everything that ills the Patriots — and he had another mind-numbing pick that cost the team at least three points — and the dissection of a roster whose warts are opened up more every single week (no argument there ... nice catch and slow-ass route, Devante "Mr. Extension" Parker, solid combo block by acquisitions Mike Gesicki and Vederian Lowe on Maxx Crosby during the the safety that ended the game, sweet pass protection again in general) ...

But can we talk about Belichick and his coaches for a second?

This was their big chance to set a new course for the Patriots, and they were going against the perfect opponent: the decidedly average and very familiar Raiders. The Patriots weren't outclassed talent-wise like the other games. New England's offensive scheme and personnel didn't look like they belonged in the 1970s compared to their opponents like the other games. To boot, the Raiders lost their starting quarterback at halftime and were being led by Don't Sleep On Brian Hoyer.

I mean, it doesn't get any better than that.

And they made the same mistakes — even a few more — to start this game?

Who has been more inept at this point: the coaches, the talent or the quarterback?

Real answer: All of the above. That's how you end up at 1-5 (first time ever in Belichick's career) and 3-10. To absolve any, specifically the first two, is malpractice.

It's time to ask some real questions about whether the attrition on the coaching staff has been worse than the talent. It's pretty close, and that's scary.

Coaching staffs for previous SOPs:

2014

Offense: Josh McDaniels, Ivan Fears, Chad O'Shea, Brian Daboll, Dave DeGuglielmo.
Defense: Matt Patricia, Patrick Graham, Josh Boyer, Brian Flores, Brendan Daly.
Special teams: Scott O'Brien, Joe Judge.

2018

Offense: Josh McDaniels, Ivan Fears, Chad O'Shea, Nick Caley, Dante Scarnecchia.
Defense: Brian Flores, Brendan Daly, Josh Boyer, Steve Belichick.
Special teams: Joe Judge, Cam Achord.

Now

Offense: Bill O'Brien, Vinnie Sunseri, Troy Brown, Will Lawing, Adrian Klemm.
Defense: Steve Belichick, Jerod Mayo, DeMarcus Covington, Mike Pellegrino.
Special teams: Joe Judge, Cam Achord, Joe Houston.

I think we can all see the scoreboard on this.

Now, I will point out two things. I do think the offense showed, finally, some signs of progress in the second half against the Raiders with two touchdown drives of at least 75 yards. And a rash of injuries have further exposed a razor-thin roster at many spots. The coaches are not operating with a full deck, especially at this point.

But the fact that the opening of this game followed the same script as so many other games the past calendar year makes it very hard to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

It's Belichick's job to set the course for the week and to make sure the coaching is on point and getting through to the players. Does anyone think that's going on right now?

Belichick the GM is most responsible for where the Patriots are, but the start to Sunday's game should make you question whether Belichick, Head Coach is getting the job done as well.

Nobody thought we'd ever get to that point.

But none of us thought the Patriots would sink to 1-5 either.