Get updated with the latest news surrounding the Patriots as they prepare for their Week 13 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bill O'Brien passionately defends Bill Belichick amidst questions about his future in New England
Within the barrage of negativity swarming out of New England due to the Patriots' uncharacteristically bad season is constant questioning of Bill Belichick and his stance as the head coach for the future. Despite reports revealing a multi-year extension was agreed upon prior to the season, there are several people who believe it would be best for Belichick to coach elsewhere in 2024, a debate that intensifies after every new loss.
It's gotten to the point that it's not just disgruntled fans expressing their desires to see the legendary head coach move on; we're now seeing analysts and even former Patriots players share the same mindset.
But what about inside the organization? Clearly, they're all hearing all of it, right?
Bill O'Brien was asked just that during a video conference on Tuesday morning, with a reporter questioning if it was "awkward" to hear all of the latest takes regarding Belichick's job security. And to nobody's surprise, the offensive coordinator defended his longtime boss with a straightforward defense that certainly holds weight.
"You really don’t see all of that. Now, look, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that when you’re home on a Saturday with your family, or whatever, that you don’t hear it or see it. Like, I understand that. But, like, this is Bill Belichick we’re talking about. Bill Belichick has done so much for the game of football, the New England Patriots organization."
The most significant part of his statement is the reiteration of all that Belichick has done for the game of football. It's something that is now being questioned by fans and media members to the point of many discrediting what he's accomplished during his 20+ years in New England.
Most of that has come since Tom Brady left the team three years ago, and the Patriots haven't experienced much winning. Despite rebuilds never being something that comes together overnight, or even in a few years, Belichick's coaching abilities are being scrutinized and diminished, even more so this season as the losses continue to pile up.
Despite that, O'Brien says the coach has done far too much in his career for it all to be dismantled now, even if this season isn't going how they hoped.
"It’s football, we’ve lost some tight games. You know, to think about what he’s done here in this organization, what he’s done for this community, what he’s done for this game — for the game, the game of football. He’s been 50 years in the game of football. Just to me, like, I think everybody just needs to understand, look, we’ve all got to win. We understand we’re in a winning business. We’re not winning right now. But I think you’ve also got to step back and just (say), ‘Hey, look at what this guy’s done for the game of football.’ I think that’s very important to think about."
"I think that's very important to think about."
That is a true statement, and it will undoubtedly play a significant role in whatever inevitable decision Robert Kraft makes about Belichick's future with the team.
Mac Jones says he wants to remain with the Patriots
The future of Mac Jones appears to be up in the air even more now, as the quarterback was benched once again in the Patriots' latest loss to the Giants last Sunday.
After playing just the first half, Jones watched from the sidelines as Bailey Zappe marched the offense down the field for a touchdown to start the third quarter, only to end up throwing an interception and Chad Ryland missing a game-tying field goal in the final seconds.
Because of his latest performance, many are tripling down on their belief that Jones can no longer be the quarterback in New England, whether because of his progressive regression or due to appearing broken after the last two seasons.
But how does Jones feel about the idea of playing for another team next season? He was asked about that during his weekly appearance on WEEI's "Jones and Mego" and shared a bit of an unexpected response.
"I mean, I’m good right now. I really want to be the quarterback here. I’ve always wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL, and specifically for the Patriots. Like I said, I’ve got a lot of room to grow and everything, and I’m going to just continue to work hard and do all the things I can to put myself in a position to have success."
Given his potential options, it's not surprising to hear Jones state he would like to remain with the team he's currently on. Given his poor performances over the last two seasons, he may not have many opportunities to play for another team.
However, a fresh start could be beneficial for him to develop into the quarterback many thought he would be, as it appears more than ever that is not going to happen in New England.
But at the same time, he has remained consistent with wanting to be a Patriot. He said as much to Roger Goodell when the team drafted him in 2021, which remains true. It's a bit unexpected since the alleged tension and lack of support from the team would surely impact his overall demeanor, but Jones expressing that he wants to stay in Foxboro says a lot, even if some would argue the opposite.
Michael Onwenu calls out Fox Sports for trying to stir the pot
It's no secret that even some of the most well-known media companies will participate in trolling behavior on social media or even contribute to pot-stirring when a team is in flux like the Patriots are this season.
Unfortunately for Michael Onwenu, he became the latest victim of such behavior by Fox Sports: NFL on Twitter/X over the weekend, and the tackle made sure to call it out as soon as he saw it.
Because so many rumors are circulating regarding how Mac Jones is viewed within the Patriots organization, especially by his teammates, Fox Sports chose to take a clip from their Week 12 loss where it appears that Onwenu is purposely bumping into his quarterback.
Although the Twitter account posted the clip with just an emoji, the message was clear, and Ownenu wasn't going to let it fly.
False narrative.
— Michael Onwenu (@_MXKEY) November 26, 2023
This is me telling Mac to keep his head up. Not bumping him intentionally. https://t.co/yvugsWlMDz
Given the sheer amount and severity of some of the chatter surrounding Jones, it's significant that Onwenu took the time to set the record straight about the clip as soon as possible. Other than his response to the post, Fox Sports cut the clip off before the entire moment could be seen, which is when Onwenu pat Jones on the back, seemingly telling him to keep his head up as he stated.
It's just the latest example of the media trying to twist a story or create a narrative that is unfair to those involved, which makes it even better to see Onwenu call it out for what it is.
Patriots had five kickers in for workouts on Tuesday after Chad Ryland's game-tying miss in Week 12
Besides the endless conversation about the potential futures of Bill Belichick and Mac Jones as a result of another Patriots loss, the other focus has been on rookie kicker Chad Ryland's missed 35-yard field goal to tie the game against the Giants in Week 12.
Drafting the position was clearly a priority for Belichick in the 2023 draft, as he traded up in the fourth round to take Ryland, who was considered one of the best of the class. Although they needed to hit a home run with a young kicker, Mr. Consistency Nick Folk was still on the team, and his performance hadn't deviated much despite any concerns regarding his age.
However, it seems that was a concern by the team since they released Folk during roster cutdowns in August and decided to go full-force with Ryland for the season. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone exactly as planned.
Folk signed with the Titans after his release from New England and has been consistently one of the best kickers in the league every week. On the other hand, Ryland has been problematic all season, only making 12 of his 18 field-goal attempts through 11 games.
His latest miss may have led to Belichick's decision to have five kickers in for workouts on Tuesday, a detail that ESPN's Mike Reiss wasn't sure was coincidental.
The players that were brought in were:
- Tanner Brown (Oklahoma St)
- Matthew McCrane (Kansas State)
- B.T. Potter (Clemson)
- John Parker Romo (Virginia Tech)
- Parker White (South Carolina)
How this will ultimately impact Ryland for the rest of the season will be worth following, especially since workouts don't tend to lead to signings right away. But because the Patriots need a lot of help to score, it wouldn't be surprising to see at least one of the free agents sign with the practice squad, as two spots remain available as of this writing.