A Bill Belichick-coached team just lost a game to Tommy DeVito. That's undrafted Tommy DeVito, the kind of inexperienced quarterback Belichick would claim could "make all the throws" while behind the scenes crafting a plan to turn that kid into a mental gidget (shoutout to Derek Lowe for that turn of phrase).
Instead, Devito refused to be baited into any big mistake while playing behind an offensive line that redefines inept. His numbers won't earn any awards - 17 of 25 for 191 yards and a score, but DeVito did what Belichick's signal callers couldn't on Sunday at MetLife: deliver enough plays to win. If that doesn't tell you how odorous this season has been, I don't know what it will take.
Is this rock bottom? It should be rock bottom. But I thought that after the 34-0 loss at home to the Saints, which I wrote at the time, was the biggest game of Mac Jones' career, an actual make or break. He shattered that day, but for some reason, the Pats decided to use Gorilla Glue to put him back together, even when it was clear that some of the pieces were long gone and never to be found again. At least not this year, and probably not here.
The following week, the Pats got beat by the Las Vegas Raiders for a second straight season (the last win of Josh McDaniels' head coaching career). Surely, that had to be the nadir? But after what was a true outlier - the victory over the Bills - the Pats rediscovered the darkness when they made the Commanders look competent, losing again at home to another team that has since fired members of its coaching staff. Was that it? Oh no. There's more: losing to a backup quarterback in Germany was truly an indignity. That was the game Robert Kraft felt it was necessary to speak to the team beforehand, reminding them of how vital these overseas games are, and except for Super Bowls, are some of the most memorable games they'll ever play. It was memorable, all right. Six points, that Kraft meme and a long-ass flight home had to be the lowest of the low. That is, until yesterday. And Tommy Devito. And Mac's 4th benching in 11 games. And Zappe being only a fraction better than the guy he replaced. And Belichick ending his own press conference.
Do you think Kraft is paying attention now? Do you think he's got his finger on the pulse of a decaying organization that's been slowly rotting for two-plus seasons now? His public comments have been few and far between, and while there has been talk of him wanting to "modernize" the franchise, he's already allowed too much to happen on his watch. There needed to be more checks and balances on the head coach before the disastrous decision to name Matt Patricia the offensive coordinator and Joe Judge the quarterback coach. Or to promote the son (Matt Groh) of one of his former colleagues (Al Groh) to run player personnel. Kraft is culpable for some of this mess as well, but perhaps the football team is no longer the same passion of his that it once was. After all, that initial investment has matured like few others. This genuine cash cow moos whenever someone buys tickets, merchandise, or food and drink at the stadium. But hey, look at that lighthouse. Isn't it majestic? And remember, you can see any of several neighboring towns. You could also just hop in your car and do that, but I digress.
Kraft needs to ask the hard questions. To make it as uncomfortable as possible for all involved. And then, when this season ends, pull the damn plug on Belichick and Groh and conduct an honest search for a GM, a coach, and a coaching staff that will do something this current one has struggled with in recent years - making their players better. The compiling of short lists (that need to be longer) should have already begun. If that search leads them back to Jerod Mayo, so be it. Still, as Bill's way of doing business has weighed the franchise down these last several seasons, there should be a substantial amount of skepticism for anyone with such strong ties to that man, which Mayo certainly does.
In the meantime, all should ponder how they got here and resolve to avoid returning. This is the bottom...for this week, but as we've seen, the next can always be worse.
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Belichick made the media rounds this morning, speaking to reporters on his weekly Monday videoconference and appearing on 'The Greg Hill Show.'
The 71-year-old was asked if he wanted to draft Mac Jones in both spaces. You know the back story by now, but for the few that don't, there have been rumblings that ownership heavily influenced the pick and that it was more of a "collaboration" rather than Belichick wielding the decision-making hammer.
His response: "Certainly, yeah, we were all for that," didn't answer the specific question of whether he did, but that's just Bill being Bill and leaving some room for interpretation.
As for the 'report' from ESPN's Dan Orlovsky that Belichick had already picked out his next coaching destination, the head coach was a little more to the point with his answer.
"Yeah, that's ridiculous," he told WEEI.
Could he envision himself anywhere else after this season?
"Just trying to do the best job that I can right now," he added. "Obviously, I need to do better."
No argument here.