Gasper: I don’t think Belichick is the right guy for a rebuild
Chris Gasper of The Boston Globe joined Felger and Mazz on Friday and discussed the possibility of Bill Belichick being let go by the New England Patriots after the 2023 season. Gasper believes that Robert Kraft should let Belichick go the same way Belichick has let players go throughout the years.
Is Belichick the right guy for a rebuild?
Felger: What do you think about Bill Belichick at this hour and the decision facing Robert Kraft?
Gasper: Yeah, I think that if Robert Kraft is going to make the decision that he should make at this point and he would make the decision the way Bill Belichick would make the decision, which would be unsentimentally and without any regard for past accomplishment and what someone’s done in the past, only how much they have left and what they would do for the team moving forward based on the current state of the team. I think if you handed Bill Belichick a ready to go contender right now, he’d do a great job. I think that team would be in the Super Bowl. Like if you handed him the Cowboys, they’re in the Super Bowl. He can still coach. But I don’t think at this point in his career, as much as I’d like to see him come back for 25th year and I would sentimentally, if I put my Bill Belichick bloodless Bill Belichick hat on, I don’t think he’s the right coach for this team given where they’re at, because I don’t think he can really admit to himself, come to admit to himself where they are, which is a team that needs to rebuild. Because in order to do that, he would have to admit that some of the things and some of the football philosophies he has, some of the things he believes in, some of the things he told Robert Kraft that he could do, or at least intimated to Robert Kraft that he could do without Tom Brady are not right and have to change. And I just think that comment you played for Mike Reiss, I think a couple of years ago when he was asked the question in the press conference about the fans and being with him through the ups and the downs, and he said, “well, there haven’t been a lot of downs”, I just don’t think he can look at this thing objectively at this point and move forward and do what it takes to rebuild it. I don’t think he’s the right guy for a rebuild.
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Flurries to the finish: Patriots vs. Jets What To Watch For
The quarterback matchup
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 28: Trevor Siemian #14 throws the ball prior to playing the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The first meeting between these two teams – a 15-10 Patriots win in Week 3 – wasn’t exactly an offensive shootout. Mac Jones led the Patriots to just 201 passing yards for the game, while Zach Wilson had the Jets at 157.
Neither of those quarterbacks will play this Sunday. Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe midseason, and Wilson is out with a concussion. Trevor Siemian will start for the Jets in what will be his third start of the year.
Siemian has made one previous career start against the Patriots, when he was with the Denver Broncos late in the 2016 season. He completed 25 of his 40 pass attempts in that game for 282 yards with no touchdowns and a pick.
Meanwhile, both defenses come in playing well. The Patriots have forced at least one turnover in five of six games going back to the bye, and in only one of those games (Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs) did the opposing team get over 300 total yards. On the other side, the Jets’ defense has been a takeaway machine with six turnovers forced over the last two games.
This likely isn’t a game that will be won at the quarterback position. Rather, it may come down to which quarterback makes fewer mistakes. That being said, the level of quarterbacking won’t be the only thing holding back these offenses…
Let it snow?
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 03: A general view as snow falls during a game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on January 3, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
It’s been a while since the Patriots played in a really good snow game. That’s expected to change this week.
Currently, the forecast for Foxborough includes three to five inches of snow on Saturday night, with another three to five on Sunday accompanied by winds in the mid-teens. Winter football may finally be back in Foxborough (speaking of, check out our podcast on the top snow games in Patriots history).
What does that mean for the game? If the footing isn’t great on the field, running the ball becomes very difficult. It could result in both teams putting the ball in their quarterbacks’ hands and emphasizing screens or other short passes.
Bill Belichick’s last game
DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 24: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots watches from the sidelines during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on December 24, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Finally, there’s the overarching question about whether or not this will be Bill Belichick’s last game with the Patriots. The rumors and speculation about Belichick’s future with the team that have been building over the past few months will come to a head next week – but first, this game. While this game may have no playoff significance this year it certainly has historical significance if it ends up Belichick’s final one with the franchise.
The question is, will there be any sort of recognition of that possibility? It’s unlikely the team will do anything official, but will fans chant for Belichick? Bring signs? Will Belichick himself acknowledge the crowd in any new way at the end of the game?
Some of that is probably dependent on the way the game goes. We won’t truly know the historical context of this game until after it’s over, but it’s still something to keep in mind as it’s going on.
