Well into the post-Tom Brady era, the Patriots face increased pressure to rebound from an 8-9 campaign last season. Recent remarks from owner Robert Kraft have led to the belief that head coach Bill Belichick is on the hot seat entering 2023, given the team’s struggles relative to their dynasty seasons. 
Belichick sits at 329 career wins, leaving him 18 shy of Don Shula‘s all-time record. While most of that success came with Brady at the helm, New England has missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons and have gone four years since their last postseason victory. Kraft made it clear that past successes, rather than current performances, will not inform his moves in the near future on the sidelines.
“Look, I’d like [Belichick] to break Don Shula’s record, but I’m not looking for any of our players to get great stats,” Kraft said, via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. “We’re about winning and doing whatever we can to win… In the end, this is a business. You either execute and win, or you don’t. That’s where we’re at.”
The Patriots struggled on offense throughout the season in 2022, in no small part due to the team’s experiment with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge taking on unfamiliar coaching roles on that side of the ball. The latter will remain with the Patriots in 2023, taking on a position which will involve work with special teams, the area he excelled in earlier in his career. Patricia’s future, on the other hand, remains in the air.
“I think [Patricia] got put in a difficult position,” Kraft said, when speaking about New England’s longtime defensive coordinator. “I think it was sort of an experiment. I think he worked very hard at it. In retrospect, I don’t think it was the right thing.”
The Patriots now have Bill O’Brien in place as offensive coordinator, something which should yield an upgrade for that unit, though a competition for the starting quarterback role could ensue this summer. In any case, Belichick faces what Volin notes is essentially an ultimatum with respect to qualifying for the playoffs in 2023.
“My objective for our team is that we make the playoffs, because once you make the playoffs, anything can happen,” Kraft said. “It’s very important to me that we make the playoffs. That’s what I hope happens next year.”
New England is set to play in a highly competitive AFC East in 2023, which should present a challenge in meeting Kraft’s target. If they fall short of the postseason once again, however, Belichick’s job security could increasingly become a key storyline to watch.
“In the end, this is a business. You either execute and win, or you don’t. That’s where we’re at.”
Another absurd statement by a team owner. The reality is that teams get the same revenue share regardless or how well or poorly they perform on the field. If you’re wondering why some organization never improve it’s simply because there is little incentive for owners to buck the lucrative status quo.
Jax, Miami, AZ, Jets, Bears, Lions, Browns, Texans, Chargers, DC, and a few more make your point valid.
I think Kraft and a lot of Pats fans are in for a rude awakening, if they are thinking that firing Belichick is the solution. BB will have a new HC job within days, if he wants it. I hope Kraft is dumb and arrogant enough to force him out, though.
Both Brady and Belichick spending their last years elsewhere and winning a title for another team, while the Pats return to irrelevance where they were before them, would be pretty sweet.
Welcome back to the reality the rest of league’s been living in during your historic dynasty, guys.
Lol someone’s favorite team lost to the Pats a few times over the years.
fba0017 Is every non-Patriots fan not tired of them by now? It’s not even saltiness, they just do deserve what will follow if they scapegoat a top 3 active HC for the team falling off for a bit post Brady.
HC and GM in waiting, Bill O’Brien.
10+ win seasons as Head Coach:
O’Brien: 2 (out of 7) 28%
Belichick: 20 (out of 27) 74%
Belichick without Brady: 2(out of 9) 22%
…and as far as I know Brady retired…
As far as i know Brady did not come into the league as a polished quarterback he was spoonfed an offense with little dink and dunk pssses and a stellar defense that he schemed to shut down a high powered offense and without Ty Laws pick six the Patriots lose that Super bowl and the next super bowl against Carolina did Tom Brady not throw an interception in the end zone costing them points and it was Veneteri kicking a 48 yard field goal to win it that distance was never a chip shot for him. And anybody will tell you that Belichick is the master of breaking down film dont you think he taught Brady that skill.Football is a team sport but you Brady rump swabs think Tom did it all. Wrong in the Atlanta Superbowl game Brady threw 2 picks and on Edelmans great catch that one should have been picked off as well but fortunately we had James White
More atrocious writing by the media…. BB is not on the hot seat even if the Patriots were to win 5 games in 2023.
Huh. Maybe get another half decent QB? In the end, Kraft should stick to the massage parlors and leave the actual team to his head coach.
Huh. Maybe get another half decent QB? In the end, Kraft should stick to the rub/tug joints and leave the actual team to his head coach.
Belichick was 8 games under .500 with the Cleveland Browns and 5-11 his first year in Foxboro. Last 3 years have been 7-9, 10-7 (plus a playoff loss), 8-9. Remove Brady as starting QB and Belichick is on the level of Jeff Fisher.
By contrast, Vince Lombardi never had a losing season as a head coach, not with Green Bay, not even with the Washington Redskins.
The only people who don’t understand that are Cheatriots groupies, the National Sports Media, and the White Male Sports Media.
Sure play that card in a comparison between 2 white coaches.
However, as successful as Lombardi was, he WAS. A white male. That fact undoes everything he ever did because of his whiteness. Basically, Lombardi achieved nothing. Did I get all the narrative stuff correct?
Very Very laughable to the thought that Belichick is on the hot seat lol SMH
“We’re about winning and doing whatever we can to win… In the end, this is a business. You either execute and win, or you don’t. That’s where we’re at.”
That’s some BS if it was true then Lamar Jackson would be here and they’d have either OBJ or Hopkins
Macaw, with RKK it’s all about the money. He will NEVER, I repeat NEVER sign a check for a guaranteed 2-300 million THAT check Isn’t happening.
“doing whatever it takes to win”
Yeah, we already know that about NE.