Bill Belichick offered some exaggerated quotes in the second half of the 2020 NFL season.
Normally quick to make sharp and harsh criticisms of his team, the Patriots coach was alarmingly smooth – and almost optimistic – as New England struggled for a 7-9 record and a preseason. Even more surprising was Belichick’s tendency to make excuses about his clearly below average cast.
It was difficult to understand. Belichick was not really encouraged by what the Patriots have done this season, haven’t you? The 68-year-old man has no illusions that his team, as it is built, is close to competing with the best NFL teams, right?
The answer to both questions is a resounding “no,” according to Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal. In fact, Belichick is apparently ready to do whatever it takes during this off-season to reverse the Patriots.
See how Bedard opened his appearance on Tuesday afternoon in The Sports Hub’s 98.5 “Felger & Mazz” program:
“We heard what Bill said … basically since the first defeat, that’s when Bill is making excuses. After the end, and on Monday, I was concerned about some things he said, which were half-truths or not close to the truth. And I worried about what Bill was saying publicly, maybe he is taking this privately in terms of how he sees this team. Maybe he has reached an age when he thinks he can’t go wrong and that he is just a few moves away from doing this or that, or that he just needs a good quarterback move and will be fine.
“After talking to some people in the past few days, it seems that Bill knows exactly what’s going on. I think they will set an aggressive path towards that off season. And that means in a number of areas, from the free agency to business and crime. I think he spent a good part of the second half of the season realizing where his team was and he is ready to do something about it ”.
Exactly what form Belichick’s “aggressive” off-season takes, remains to be seen. In addition, what the NFL decides to do with its salary cap could undermine or help New England’s plans to overhaul its list.
In any case, Patriots fans should be encouraged by Belichick’s reported commitment to ensuring New England’s return to the top of the NFL.
Miniature photo via Jasen Vinlove / USA TODAY Sports Images