FOXBOROUGH — I have no clue what is going to happen in the coming days between Bill Belichick and the Krafts. I think the odds are stronger that they will part ways after a 24-year marriage, but I'm also not ruling out a 25th year.
I'm also not reading too much into Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Jets. I guess you would call it a football game. Never read too much either way into one game for a team or a performance for player.
Here's what I do know: if that was Belichick's final game as Patriots coach, that was a horrible way to go out — and he didn't deserve it.
There was nothing fitting or appropriate about it. It was ... gross.
Over the last couple of weeks, in thinking about Belichick's possible finale, I have to be honest ... I had thoughts of a fitting, dream-like scenario: word leaked from both sides at the same time that Belichick was coaching his last game; in front of a full and raucous house that Belichick and Brady built, Belichick would go out killing the Jets one final time and, yes, Belichick getting carried off the field on the shoulder of some of his players.
I know, Bedard's a big softie. But I'm serious.
I also know that Chuck Noll, Tom Landry and Don Shula didn't go out like that — at least Shula got carried off when he broke George Halas' win record. Maybe that will happen for Belichick in his next stop.
It may be irrational for me to feel this way, but the greatest NFL coach of all-time deserved something a little more fitting. What he did for 20-plus years in the salary-cap era was just mind-boggling. Couldn't the football gods have done ... something?
Instead, we got:
- Radio-silence from both sides entering the game (and after);
- A snowstorm that reduced the attendance to 30 percent, and friends and family by the time Belichick strolled off the field;
- An obviously ill Belichick wearing a mask the second half and off the field;
- A QB matchup of Bailey Zappe against Trevor Siemian;
- Dueling offensive performances you would expect of those players and the elements;
- No chant of appreciation from the crowd for Belichick;
- A big fat loss to the freaking Jets.
"He’s been around for a very long time, quality control, linebackers coach, and a d-coordinator, so I’ll give him credit," Robert Saleh said. "If you ain’t got no haters you ain’t popping, and he’s been popping for a very, very long time. So whenever you can get a win on him, it’s always special."
Ugh ... Belichick's popping ... from a Jets head coach. Make it stop.
What a downer. I haven't seen a worse final season and finale since Game of Thrones.
I'm not blaming anyone or anything — stuff happens — and it might be the baseball romantic in me, but it's just not sitting right.
You got the feeling that Belichick kind of had similar feelings after the game. In his press conference, Belichick seemed .. sad or resigned or disappointed or embarrassed ... maybe all of those things.
"So it’s a disappointing year for all of us, players, coaches, staff. Entire organization," Belichick said, still sounding under the weather. "Not anything that any of us are in any way content with but it is what it is."
I did find one of his comments — actually, two of them combined — interesting and a possible sign of what is next:
"As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert [Kraft] as I do every year at some point at the end of the season and we’ll talk about things as we always do. I’m sure that will happen. But that’s really about all I have to say about that right now because there isn’t anything else to talk about.
"... I still ... I like coaching the team. I like preparing the team, game planning, coaching on Sundays. But the results weren’t good and none of us are happy with those."
Gut feeling hearing those words in the room: he's had a sense of where this was going for some time, he knows he has options elsewhere and looks forward to exploring those.
Again, no insight. Just my immediate reaction.
I'm sure some of you were thinking, "Well, Bill, this is what you get for how you handled the offensive personnel and coaching for years." And while I would say that you're not wrong, I would also say I don't really care. That was some BS on that field on Sunday in a variety of ways. It wasn't representative at all of 24 mostly glorious seasons.
"I saw no quit in Bill Belichick this season," said Mathew Slater, himself likely in his final Patriots game. "You know, as a team, we’re a reflection of our coach in that we competed all the way to the end. Regardless of the scoreboard, regardless of our record, regardless of what was going on around us, we kept fighting. I think a lot of that can be attributed to the man who’s steering the ship. So for us, we see him come in here every day – if you had sat in these team meetings this week, you would’ve thought we’re getting ready to go play in the AFC Championship game. That’s how he’s coaching the team. He didn’t turn it down, he didn’t shut it down, and I have so much respect for him, especially in a year like this.
"Again, when you’re winning, you’re doing well and going to Super Bowls, everybody’s having a good time. You guys are pumping us up, we’re all kee-keeing; it’s a great time. But, when you’re in moments like this, you find out who people are, and I certainly found out a lot about Bill Belichick this year.”
Words are certainly nice but what will be remembered are the lasting images. Yes, we have plenty of highlight reels from the six Super Bowl titles, but unless Belichick decides to retire like Noll, Landry and Shula did (not likely), we're going to have to stomach the miserable images from Sunday for some time. Contrasting those images to those of Belichick in a different colored hoodie, perhaps winning a lot more games ... man, I don't even want to think about it.
Sunday wasn't right. It just wasn't. Not in any way.