Patriots News: Bill Belichick, Mac Jones, Robert Kraft and Matthew Slater

Peter King believes Mac Jones wrecked his career with latest game performance

Since the Patriots' latest loss to the Colts in Week 10, most conversation has focused on the momentum-killing, head-scratching, "Why did he do that?" Mac Jones's fourth-quarter interception.

If anything, it's actually become even more puzzling upon further review.

It was a play that ultimately led to the quarterback's third benching of the season, despite the limited time left in the game and is now considered the leading basis for why he should remain on the sideline or even be cut. But that's not even the worst of it.

Long-time NFL writer Peter King referred to the horrific play as a "career-wrecking interception" in one of his recently published articles, a harsh yet potentially accurate conclusion to make about a quarterback already on a short-leash.

"That wasn’t just a big interception Jones threw to cost the Patriots the game in Frankfurt Sunday. That might have been a career-wrecking interception."

It's a take that many around New England are starting to share, as Jones's starting potential remains in question for the final seven games of the season. We seemed to get an indication that he would remain the starter when the team practiced during the bye week on Wednesday, with Jones noticeably working with the starting offense over Bailey Zappe.

That can change when they return to Gillette Stadium next week, but that short leash on Jones is likely choking him now. He won't have much leniency moving forward, which is warranted, and there are other quarterbacks on the roster that Belichick can choose to experiment with, including Malik Cunningham and Will Grier.

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Robert Kraft shares fans' disappointment about the Patriots season

Robert Kraft has never been shy from speaking to the media over the 29 years he has owned the Patriots, but it seems he's become a bit more candid during the last three years, as the team has had a drastic fall from grace post-Tom Brady.

It's fair to assume he was more understanding in the season immediately following the legendary quarterback's departure since any team would struggle after losing the face of their franchise. He was a bit more content in 2021, Mac Jones' rookie season, as the Patriots appeared back on track with what appeared to be their new QB1.

The season started rough, but by Week 7, they went on a seven-game winning streak, which became a significant factor in ensuring their chances of making the playoffs. They inevitably accomplished that, only to get completely obliterated by the Bills in what is now known as the perfect offensive game. However, it was a noteworthy feat since they missed the postseason the year before.

And then the 2022 season happened, and we know how that unfolded.

Expectations were high coming into this year, with big changes made to the coaching staff and what most believed was a good draft. It gave Kraft hope that they would be far more successful than in previous years, even sharing he felt outsiders were underestimating what the Patriots could be in 2023.

Unfortunately, that's not what has transpired so far, as New England enters Week 11 with a 2-8 record, something Kraft mentioned he has never experienced as the team owner when speaking to NFL Network's Rich Eisen before the Patriots' matchup with the Colts last Sunday.

"This our 30th year that I’ve had the privilege of owning this team, and I’ve never been 2-7. So, it’s really disappointing. I had hoped that things would be a lot better, as I know our fanbase did. And I hope today is a chance to reset and make this a much better year. This isn’t what we were expecting to happen this year."

It's one thing to hear a sentiment like this from the fanbase, but it's another to listen to it from the team's owner. Kraft has continued to speak candidly when discussing the team in recent months, and it's interesting to listen to him share in fans' disappointment while acknowledging that they've let them down.

But now it's about the action beyond the words to see what he will inevitably do to make sure the team is much improved next season and hopefully more on the path to getting back to the Patriots football we've become accustomed to.

What that entails is difficult to say, but most can agree that significant changes need to be made no matter what that is.

Matthew Slater defends Bill Belichick amid latest criticism from the loss in Germany

Most of the discussion surrounding Bill Belichick this season has been negative, with calls for him to be stripped of his GM title or removed entirely from his position on the Patriots becoming louder as the weeks go on.

Speculation has suggested the negativity stemming from the losing season has transformed into a distrust of Belichick by the players, mainly due to his questionable decision-making. Although it may be true for some on the team, tenured special teamer Matthew Slater shared his support of his long time head coach, stating his belief in Belichick has not wavered despite their unfavorable season.

"I have as much faith in Coach Belichick as I’ve ever had. There's no reason to be doubting who he is as a leader and a coach for this football team. The struggles that we've had on the field this year are due to us and our inability to execute. It’s got nothing to do with Coach Belichick."

It's good to hear that perhaps the locker room is not in chaos regarding their feelings toward their head coach. However, Slater's assertion that Belichick has nothing to do with their struggles this year is disingenuous.

Of course, because of who he is and due to being a member of the team, Slater would never openly criticize Belichick, no matter what. So, to that degree, he deserves a pass. But at the end of the day, Belichick is the head coach and the general manager, two significant roles for any team in professional sports.

Claiming he holds no responsibility for the team's shortcomings disregards the importance of what those roles do for any franchise, even if Slater didn't mean to imply that.

He did mention they are (slightly) aware of the barrage of negativity that has circled them throughout the season and stressed the importance of not revealing too much about what's going on inside the building, something the Patriots have historically been successful at.

"I'm sure there's a lot of negativity going on around our team right now. You can't let people who don't know the half of what's going on inside the building impact what's going on inside the building."

Other than the apparent mutual respect between Belichick and Slater being the basis for what the special teamer said about the coach, not revealing too much about whatever is going on in the locker room is likely another explanation for his open support.

Considering the amount of vitriol being spewed about the Patriots as a whole, especially Belichick, having a supportive roster despite it all is essential for the rest of the year, even more so, with other parts of the team being in utter chaos.

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