NFL head coach believes Bill Belichick is ruining the Patriots offense

There are a lot of issues surrounding the Patriots' offense this season, all of which have been recurring problems over the last few years. It all appears to have come to a head in 2023, despite the changes made to the coaching staff and the apparent "upgrades" to the roster that Bill Belichick would make a significant difference.

Those are just the peak of what the offense has been dealt this year, and what their most significant issue is will depend on who you ask. However, according to one anonymous head coach who spoke to Mike Sando of The Athletic, one clear yet under-discussed factor hinders their success the most.

It's well-known how much power Belichick holds within the Patriots organization, and for the most part, it makes sense. Given how much success he's brought to the team over the last 20+ years, including drafting Tom Brady and bringing six Lombardi trophies to Foxboro, it's unsurprising that Robert Kraft would trust him with more than just being the head coach and general manager.

But that's where they find their biggest issue, according to the anonymous head coach.

According to him, Belichick needs to give up the most powerful part of his allowed abilities: his overriding authority when calling plays during a game. He thinks it's the biggest reason the offense is a complete embarrassment through ten weeks.

"(Offensive coordinator) Bill O'Brien is qualified to develop the quarterback and call the plays, but in order for these guys to get into a flow, Bill (Belichick) may have to relent on overriding the play calls, which he obviously does. It's not better when you have a play-caller and a quarterback coach and assistant quarterback coach and senior offensive adviser like Carolina has. I just think Bill's overrides are an issue."

Although some would argue other factors have impacted the offense more, like Mac Jones' poor decision-making and turnovers, Belichick's apparent need to do everything his way could certainly be a leading cause of all the chaos.

There's a reason for offensive coordinators, quarterback coaches, and more. Being the head coach oversees all of that and more, but if you hand play-calling duties to your OC; there's no need for a coach to get involved or amend it constantly.

If that's the case, wouldn't that seem like the play-caller can't be trusted?

It feels like a decent suggestion to see how a game goes offensively without so much involvement from Belichick, especially with how they have performed throughout the season thus far. The problem is that he has become so accustomed to doing things how he wants to do them it's unlikely that will ever change.

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