Tag: Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick joining the Cowboys in 2025 feels inevitable right now

Bill Belichick joining the Cowboys in 2025 feels inevitable at this point.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sounds ready for change.

During a Tuesday interview with 105.3 The Fan, Jones admitted that the Cowboys are “not playing very good football right now” after their 3-3 start and recent 47-9 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions.

“Well, we’re designing bad plays, or we’re designing bad concepts,” Jones said on what Dallas should be looking at right now. “The facts are that there’s some of that, but there’s also some of execution. There’s some of the talent.

“I like our talent. I really do like our talent. I like our young talent, but young talent has a few more mistakes associated with it than if you are dealing with a veteran player.”

The comments about bad plays and bad concepts are going to suck up the oxygen, as will the fact that Jones made all these remarks while discussing why the team didn’t sign Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry in free agency.

However, it’s the comment about maximizing the team’s talent and limiting the mistakes of its young talent in particular that hint where Dallas might be going in 2025.

In what was purported to be a make-or-break year for coach Mike McCarthy, Dallas looks like one of the most mediocre teams in football. This is right after re-signing franchise pillars like quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to gigantic contracts, too.

The Cowboys sit at 29th in DVOA for their defense and 26th in offense. The team only has one good win this season against the Pittsburgh Steelers to match against two against the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.

With a gauntlet schedule coming up (49ers, Falcons, Eagles, Texans, Commanders), it’s possible Dallas loses all five of those games if the team can’t play better than it has. A Cowboys team in free fall could inspire Jones to part ways with McCarthy midseason and signal he’s ready for new leadership. We all know who his first phone will probably be in January.

Jones just turned 82. He’s not the type of owner who can afford to tear the franchise down and build it back up again. Like he said, Dallas has talent. It has the pieces right now to at least make the playoffs. If Jones feels that his roster needs more discipline and his team needs an immediate jolt of proven coaching, he is going to hire Bill Belichick as his next coach.

Belichick has become a media darling this season, seemingly unbothered by even calling out the Patriots. However, everything points to him wanting to return to coaching in 2025. Belichick is chasing Don Shula’s all-time winning mark as a coach. Dallas hypothetically gives him as good a chance to do that as any other team that could make a coaching change.

Jones has said in the past that he thinks he could work with his “friend” Belichick, who recently empathized with the Jones family over how things are going in Dallas.

“Stephen and Jerry Jones have shelled out a lot of money to some very high profile players and have tried to give the team as many resources as they can to win and just haven’t had good results,” Belichick said on Sirius XM’s Let’s Go last week, per The Athletic‘s Jon Machota.

If you read between the lines on that particular quote, it sure sounds like a coach trying to butter up a franchise from afar for the team they’ve built. Remember what Jones said about talent. If you’re interviewing with the Cowboys in January about a possible vacancy, promising to utilize the talent available to you is one of the surest ways to get the job.

It’s really not hard to see Jones selling himself on a vision of Belichick riding in on a white horse to rescue his franchise from stagnation, to fix the defense himself and help guide the offense to more consistency. We’re sure Belichick brings Josh McDaniels with him, who was always one of the NFL’s better offensive coordinators with the New England Patriots.

Sure, Jones could always get lured into the direction of a hot-shot offensive coach like Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. But consider the risk there. Attractive coordinators like Johnson who make the leap to head coaching fail all the time just as often as they succeed. Being a head coach is tough, much less being one who has seven Super Bowls under his belt.

Jones being in his early eighties will play a role in what he does next, as Father Time waits for no NFL owner. Hiring Belichick carries its own risks, from if his old-school approach to leading a team has grown stale to how much control he’ll want over a roster the Jones family has prized in maintaining. However, the risk it doesn’t carry is Belichick’s record.

For Jones, that might be enough to make this happen this winter. McCarthy’s days in Dallas feel numbered barring a major turnaround. Jones is not going decorate his franchise with dynamite for a multi-year turnaround. He will want results as soon as possible, and Belichick will be the best coaching free agent for which to envision a quick turnaround and a Lombardi.

It’s not necessarily that Belichick will be the best candidate, but he will be the one that helps Jones sleep easier at night. Don’t underestimate an owner who is clearly tired of being the butt of the joke going out and getting the 21st century’s NFL model of consistency to save his franchise from tepid results.

This inevitable union just makes too much sense for both sides. Jones would get the coach he’s dreamed of, the one who has already followed in the footsteps of Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson.

Belichick would get a ready-made roster that he could bend to his will for those coveted all-time victories with full support from ownership the second he walks in the door.

Maybe it winds up with a Cowboys Super Bowl. Maybe it winds up a Texas-sized disaster. Either way, the big, neon arrows are pointing its direction.

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Bill Belichick elaborates on disagreement with Patriots coach Jerod Mayo

Bill Belichick elaborated on his feelings on Jerod Mayo’s widely criticized post-game comments

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick believes current coach Jerod Mayo would have been better off keeping his criticisms of the team in-house.

Mayo called the team “soft” following their Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Multiple Patriots players have responded to the comment, and Belichick himself gave an initial opinion on Monday. He disagreed with Mayo’s assessment of the team and defended the defensive side of the ball in particular.

Belichick appeared on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Tom Brady and Jim Gray. He doubled down on his stance and further expanded on it.

“You know, look, I think when you criticize your team publicly like that, it doesn’t always go over well,” said Belichick. “Now, every coach has their own style and maybe sometimes that can be effective and all, but ultimately I always felt like when a team played bad, that was my responsibility, too.

“We might’ve had that playing, but we had bad coaching that led to bad playing. So I think it’s always best to kind of take a look at yourself and do what you can do to help the team. And then, you know, if you have constructive criticism as a coach, that’s your job.”

The current Patriots roster continues to struggle on both sides of the ball. Most recently, the defense gave up 364 yards on 59 total plays against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They gave up 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Offensively, they were able to put together some drives. Nevertheless, it still wasn’t enough to come away with the victory, as the Jaguars established a physical dominance on the field.

The Patriots are still looking for answers at a time when they have not won a game since the season-opener back in early September.

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Bill Belichick annihilates Giants general manager Joe Schoen

Bill Belichick pulled absolutely no punches when discussing New York Giants GM Joe Schoen on Monday, highlighting the regime’s many failures.

Bill Belichick made a Monday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show and took that opportunity to completely shred the New York Giants, a team he deeply loves, as well as general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Belichick ragged on the regime for a shoddy offensive line rebuild, allowing running back Saquon Barkley to depart for the Philadelphia Eagles, and their decision to start Joshua Ezeudu at left tackle in Week 7.

“It looked like, in Hard Knocks,” Belichick began, “I don’t think Daboll wanted to get rid of Saquon and I certainly don’t think John Mara wanted to get rid of Saquon. It just seemed like a general manager thing. Like, ‘We don’t think anybody will pay him.’ But, kind of, everyone in the league knew that he was going to go to the Eagles.

“I don’t think everyone was on the same page with that. At least it didn’t appear that way from Hard Knocks which, honestly, I am surprised they even let that air with that kind of tone being on it.”

The Giants’ handling of Barkley has been widely criticized and the Hard Knocks coverage of his departure and then Sunday’s performance certainly didn’t help those optics.

“I really don’t understand. He was their best player,” Belichick added. “For a couple million dollars more they could have kept him. Instead, I guess they got a guard or somebody. I don’t know. The offensive line doesn’t look very good.”

But that was just one of the many jabs Belichick took at Schoen, Daboll, and the Giants.

“They’re playing a guy at left tackle who shouldn’t be playing left tackle. Evan Neal was drafted in the first round (and) he doesn’t play,” Belichick said. “They have some UFA (undrafted free agent) guards that are pretty suspect. It’s a tough line.”

Perhaps somewhat ironically, the Giants’ offensive line has played better this season than at any point over the past decade, which highlights just how bad the unit has been and how far off from league average it still is. And in Belichick’s eyes, it has contributed to the struggles of quarterback Daniel Jones.

“Honestly, I thought that the quarterback is trying to hang in there,” he said. “But it’s been tough sledding.”

As Belichick spoke throughout the segment, the entire panel laughed at how poorly run the Giants have become. They were, as they’ve been, the butt of the joke and this added public humiliation by one of the great coaches in franchise history has to make Mara’s blood boil.

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Bill Belichick strongly defends Patriots against Jerod Mayo’s post-game comments

Bill Belichick not a fan of Jerod Mayo calling the Patriots’ players “soft”

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick pushed back against current coach Jerod Mayo for calling Patriots players “soft” after dropping their sixth straight loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Despite the team’s struggles, Belichick does not share the same sentiment that Mayo does. The legendary coach appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday and explained his thoughts on the situation.

“Defensively, the Patriots led the league last year in rushing defense,” said Belichick, as transcribed by CLNS Media’s Mike Kadlick. “Yards per carry: No. 1 in the league, and this year they’re way down in the 20s somewhere. …It’s the same guys.

“They re-signed [Anfernee] Jennings, they re-signed [Jahlani] Tavai, they re-signed [Kyle] Dugger. Marcus Jones and [Christian] Gonzalez have been healthy… You got [Deatrich] Wise, you got [Davon] Godchaux, you got Keion White, you got [Marte] Mapu. It’s a lot the same players… I’m kind of hurt for those guys. Because to call them soft, they’re not soft. They were the best team in the league last year against the run… I feel bad for the defensive players on that one because those guys, that’s a tough group.”

It’s worth noting that defensive tackle Christian Barmore, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and linebacker Matthew Judon are either injured or no longer on the team this year.

Although some of the personnel remains the same, three of the best defensive players from last year are missing. Nevertheless, this does serve as a reminder that Belichick built much of the defensive unit.

It will ultimately come down to Mayo to turn things around this season. The Patriots have allowed 30-plus points in back-to-back weeks. They’ll have a chance to right the ship this week against the New York Jets.

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Bill Belichick defended the Patriots’ defense after Jerod Mayo called the team ‘soft’

Bill Belichick does not agree with his successor here.

Former New York Patriots coach Bill Belichick took umbrage with new Patriots coach Jerod Mayo calling the team “soft” after its loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.

During his Monday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Belichick seemed particularly displeased with Mayo alluding to the team’s defense being “soft.”

In his defense, Belichick listed a bunch of defensive players he brought to New England as proof they had the personnel to be successful on that side of the ball.

“I’m kind of hurt for those guys because to call them soft, they’re not soft,” Belichick said about his old team, claiming they were the best defense against the run last season.

“I feel bad for the defensive players on that one because those guys, that’s a tough group… Those guys are all tough players. Like, they’ll strap it up and go.”

It’s fair to note that Mayo is the one responsible right now for getting his Patriots out of a rut and Belichick is not, which understandably makes Mayo the harsher party.

Mayo’s comments may just be tough love on his roster, but Belichick must think it’s an unfair assessment to the defense he built for Mayo to inherit. The former coach being defensive of his roster feels like a given.

It’s fascinating to hear Belichick talk about the Patriots in this way, and we’re sure Mayo will get word of how his old boss feels about his comments.

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Robert Kraft makes honest admission on decision to fire Bill Belichick

Robert Kraft goes deeper into the reasoning behind his decision to fire Bill Belichick

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft opened up about the firing of coach Bill Belichick during a recent appearance on “The Breakfast Club” podcast.

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after 24 years in the organization. The coach led New England through an unprecedented run of success. He struggled in the post-Tom Brady era, however, as he made the playoffs only once in his four seasons without the legendary quarterback.

Belichick was also the de facto general manager for New England. He had a tremendous hand in building the Patriots’ dynasty from the ground up. Notable players like Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Dont’a Hightower were all drafted by Belichick.

Nevertheless, Kraft believed that it was time to part ways, and he expanded on that viewpoint in his sit-down interview.

“I kept him for 24 years. I didn’t enjoy having to fire him, but if you look at the press conference and how it happened, I tried to do it in a classy way,” said Kraft. “And what he did for us was great. People need to adapt and if they don’t…things can change. In life, it’s about getting good chemistry and trust. Our record the last three to four years wasn’t what I wanted.

“And I had given him so much power. He had full control over everything. And shame on me, I should’ve had some checks and balances better. But he had earned that right. But then the results weren’t there and if you’re in the sports business, you win or you lose. There’s no gray. And I hate losing.”

The firing of Belichick was a monumental time for the Patriots organization, as it officially represented a new direction for the team. Now, the Patriots are officially in rebuilding mode with Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf leading the charge.

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Bill Belichick’s brutal Jets’ rant proves he won’t be the team’s next head coach

Without flinching, Bill Belichick openly roasted the Jets.

Bill Belichick did not mince words about the Jets during Monday night’s ManningCast. The former coach roasted the organization for botching its relationship with Robert Saleh.

Listen, if you were holding your breath, hoping that Bill would replace Saleh and save New York from its perpetual downward spiral of doom, I hope you didn’t bet any money on it. Belichick openly roasted owner Woody Johnson during a recent ManningCast episode, and it was painful to watch.

The Jets were doing Jets things — you know, racking up backbreaking penalties — when Bill blasted Woody after Peyton Manning shared how he felt it was too early in the season to fire a coach. “That’s kinda what it’s been there with the Jets,” Belichick said before unleashing. “Barely won over 30 percent in the last 10 years. So, the owner being the owner, just ready, fire, aim.”

YIKES. I’m convinced he wants nothing to do with New York.

During the same broadcast, Peyton mentioned that Bill was the head coach of the Jets after Bill Parcels stepped down. However, Belichick ultimately resigned after a day. Bill jokingly explained how he was technically New York’s head coach twice before saying, “Undeated, unscored on…My career as the coach of the Jets…unblemished. Never gave up a point.”

Obviously, he wasn’t serious about that, but the implication was 100 percent serious. In not so many words, Belichick dunked on the Jets for being a dumpster fire, and he wants NO PARTS of that.

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Bill Belichick blasted Jets owner Woody Johnson for firing Robert Saleh

Bill Belichick went scorched earth on the Jets.

It’s common knowledge that Bill Belichick doesn’t care for the New York Jets, and he obliterated the team’s owner, Woody Johnson, during the ManningCast on Monday night.

As Peyton and Eli Manning discussed the recent firing of Robert Saleh with Belichick, the former New England Patriots coach scoffed at the move as yet another sign of disfunction in the Meadowlands.

“That’s kind of what it’s been there with the Jets,” Belichick told the Mannings, noting the team’s poor win-loss records over the last decade. “The owner being the owner, just ready, fire, aim.”

OUCH. That’s just devastating, especially when you consider how many of those losses came to Belichick’s Patriots. The former coach really didn’t mince his words here.

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The case for Cowboys keeping Mike McCarthy the rest of 2024

Why firing Mike McCarthy would be a mistake for the Cowboys. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys might not have had much postseason success over the last 25+ seasons, but they are a proud franchise with sky high expectations. Every year they set out with the expectation of competing, and to players, fans and ownership, anything short of a Super Bowl constitutes a failure to some degree.

Despite these lofty expectations in Dallas, the Cowboys have traditionally been remarkably patient with their underachieving head coaches. Jerry Jones, the final say in all things football, isn’t quick on the trigger. After preemptively parting with Chan Gailey in 1999, Jones has been remarkably patient with his head coaches.

In-season firings have been even rarer since Jones has been in the picture. Only after the team seemingly quit on Wade Philips did Jones deliver a midseason pink slip. Midseason firings are riddled with obstacles. Not only must the team find a suitable replacement from the unemployment line, but they have to pay the recently departed coach just to go home and sit on his couch.

Coming off a spectacularly terrible 47-9 loss to the Lions in Week 6, some are calling for McCarthy to get his midseason walking papers. The game marked the third consecutive home loss this season and the third time in the last four home games the Cowboys lost extremely convincingly. The case to replace McCarthy has merit but there’s a better case to made for the contrary.

First, it’s the replacement issue. Who can step up into his role? Mike Zimmer could do it, but should he be rewarded when his side of the ball is giving up 39.67 points per game at home? Brian Schottenheimer is second fiddle to McCarthy on offense but he’s not even calling plays. He’s an unlikely candidate to keep his offensive coordinator job, let alone take the helm at head coach.

John Fassel?

Come on now.

The Cowboys would likely have to pull from outside the franchise and what coach in his right mind would want to step into this mess in the midseason? The Cowboys still have a first-place schedule to deal with, they still have injuries to overcome, and they still have a talent issue at all key offensive playmaker spots. Bill Belichick has better things to do and that is literally anything.

Next, it’s the reputation issue. One of the best qualities of Jerry Jones is his patience with his coaching staff. He had plenty of cause to fire McCarthy following the 2022 season, but he didn’t. He had all the reasons in the world to fire McCarthy following the 2023 season, but he didn’t. He allowed McCarthy to play out the term of his deal and that’s very attractive to a good head coaching candidate wanting to build a program.

Firing McCarthy would unravel that reputation for Jones removing one of the most attractive traits America’s Team has to offer.

The time to fire McCarthy was over the offseason. The Cowboys knew what they had in their head coach then and had options to replace him available to them. They made their bed and now they have to lie in it.

McCarthy should be replaced, but the time isn’t now. Nothing to do now but ride it out and reassess in the offseason.

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