Patriots fall to Jets in 2023 season finale, finish with 4-13 record
The New England Patriots ended their 2023 season with a home loss to the New York Jets, falling by a 17-3 final in a snowy afternoon at Gillette Stadium. Reports and rumors are running rampant across the NFL that Sunday could turn out to be Bill Belichick’s final game as Patriots head coach, as the team finished with a 4-13 record.
Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe was an abysmal 9-of-26 (34.6 percent) for just 65 yards passing, with no touchdowns and two interceptions – a passer rating of 11.4. The Pats did, however, rush for 4.3 yards per carry as a team. Now, the question is who coaches the team and who’s playing quarterback in the 2024 season.
Both teams started slow on offense, as each of the first five possessions went three-and-out. But on the Jets’ third possession, they caught a break, as Patriots rookie Bryce Baringer’s punt traveled only 37 yards, giving the Jets the ball on the Pats’ 38-yard line. Ten plays later, Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein converted from 21 yards to give his team a 3-0 lead.
Late in the first quarter, the Patriots finally gained some traction on offense. Bailey Zappe and receiver Jalen Reagor sparked the drive with a 33-yard connection to get them well into Jets territory. Tight end Mike Gesicki couldn’t quite hold on to complete Zappe’s third-down attempt in the end zone, but rookie kicker Chad Ryland made his 30-yard field goal try to tie the game 3-3.
JALEN DOWN THE SIDELINE.@jalenreagor | #ForeverNE
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 7, 2024
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/tUbo6rjq40
Despite the tying kick, the Patriots defense couldn’t sustain any momentum. Sparked by a 30-yard catch for receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets finished off an 8-play drive with a 40-yard field goal to take a 6-3 lead. They had another chance at three points late in the second quarter, but Zuerlein’s snowy 49-yard try fell just short. The 6-3 score would hold into halftime.
The third quarter featured entirely punts, three for each team. But the Jets finally grabbed more points in the fourth quarter, after a nifty 11-yard catch by Breece Hall set them up well in field goal range. Zuerlein converted from 32 yards to give the Jets a 9-3 advantage.
Hall broke off a 50-yard touchdown run in garbage time to put the Jets up 17-3, and that would be the final score. With the loss, the Patriots locked up a top-3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the potential to jump to No. 2.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content.
Here's what it would take for Bill Belichick to stay with the Patriots
It’s widely believed in the football world that Bill Belichick will no longer be the New England Patriots’ head coach after the 2023 season. But there could still be a way that Belichick stays.
That doesn’t mean it’s an easy road to travel. But a new report by Mark Daniels at MassLive suggests that Belichick could remain Patriots head coach if he makes certain concessions. Daniels’ sources say Belichick would have to “cede some control” in order to keep his job, mainly to give up control of the front office and let Robert Kraft hire someone else to pick the players.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 17: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Head Coach Bill Belichick look on from the sideline before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
But here’s the part that may raise some eyebrows. If Belichick wants to stay, he may have to … bend the knee?
In the event he returns, the theory inside Gillette Stadium is that Belichick would also have to admit the mistakes he made and accept responsibility for the team’s failures. … If Belichick admits his wrongs, sets out a path to correct them, and offers to help usher in a new era following his retirement, that could lead Kraft to bring the six-time Super Bowl champion coach back.
Jan 21, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) hugs head coach Bill Belichick(right) after the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It seems absurd that a coach/GM that made as many mistakes as Belichick has over the past four seasons – and you can go beyond that if you want, to count the mistakes that ultimately drove Tom Brady out the door – could simply admit he screwed up and get to keep his job.
But then again, this isn’t just any coach. Belichick is the most accomplished head coach in NFL history. Even if he is ultimately let go, it certainly shouldn’t be in unceremonious fashion. And he’s earned more latitude than most coaches ever would to simply explain himself.
Feb 4, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) and head coach Bill Belichick prior to Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The MassLive report also breaks down the expected end-of-season meeting between Belichick and Kraft. A source told Daniels that the meeting “probably won’t be quick.” It likely won’t be just Monday, either, as it could last 2-3 days with a conclusion on Wednesday or Thursday.
None of that is particularly earth-shattering, since the pair meet often and always have an extended meeting after the end of the season. But what’s different about this one is that, as Daniels described it, the meeting “could result in sweeping changes within the franchise.”
