The awkwardness between the Patriots and Bill Belichick since the split earlier this year appears to be continuing, as the former head coach could not find it in him to adequately praise the Patriots for their Week 10 win over the Bears. While that's not necessarily that big of a deal, especially given the harsh feelings he has toward the organization, it was what he did instead that ruffled some feathers.
The Patriots again went into Chicago, the underdog, just as they have for every other game this season. Yet, this time, they walked out with Drake Maye's official first win, and the defense dominated a very talented opposing skill group for the entire 60-minute game.
When asked to comment on the Week 10 matchup, Belichick focused on the impressive yet struggling Bears' offense, crediting the Patriots' win more to the Bears' underwhelming performance than an impressive effort from his former team.
"Drake Maye has done a good job when he's able to scramble..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 11, 2024
The bigger thing is where the Bears are..
They can't protect and they can't score any points" ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/SpHDWu3aGs
He's not entirely wrong with his assessment, as the Bears have fallen quite a bit over the last month after rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had a strong stretch of games. However, given how Belichick has seemingly shied away from praising the Patriots for almost anything this season, this feels like the latest example of his unwillingness to do so, even when warranted.
It was the same song and dance from Belichick when New England took down the Jets a few weeks ago. He didn't hesitate to take jabs at his longtime rival, especially since their loss to the Patriots essentially ended their playoff push. And just like this week, he gave more credit to the Jets' mistakes and lousy performance for their loss than the Patriots' efforts to get the win.
It might not mean much, or it could be the start of a pattern from the head coach that will only frustrate Patriots fans moving forward. But we won't really know until they add more wins and maybe beat a tougher opponent to know if Belichick is making sure to keep the compliments to a minimum.