Mike Reiss on Z&B: Bill Belichick needs to be accountable for how time in New England ended
ESPN’s Mike Reiss joined Zolak and Bertrand in studio, and shared his thoughts on the lack of accountability we’ve seen from Bill Belichick as he’s transitioned from head coach to football analyst this year. Reiss wants to see more accountability from Belichick before he can been seen as credible as an analyst of the game
Has Bill Belichick learned anything from how it ended in New England?
My whole thing with Bill Belichick is, I love that he’s doing this stuff because I do think he’s great in terms of talking the game. Like, in the Manning Cast. There was one play where Saquon Barkley got knocked down in the red zone. I didn’t even see it. And he’s pointing out, you know, how the defensive player knocked him down. It’s like, oh, this is like watching a game with Bill. This is unbelievable.
But my view of it from someone who’s been invested in the New England Patriots is, it’s hard for me to listen to everything he’s saying before he answers to some of the things that happened in the last couple of years, and I don’t know how you guys feel about that. But accountability is really important to me and and for him to be critiquing other teams franchises before he acknowledges “hey, in 2022, Josh McDaniels leaves to become head coach of the Raiders. I sort of messed that up”… or “here’s what I was thinking with what I did and here’s why it didn’t work out. Hey, I I signed JuJu Smith-Schuster over Jakobi Meyers. I sort of messed that one up.” That is just needs to happen before I can really take everything he says at the face value.
My question is, has he learned anything? I mean, literally the last two years, what happened offensively here? You can argue that is a fireable offense. And what has he learned from that? And in listening to him, I’m assessing what I think he maybe learned. Not that I have all the answers, but to me it’s important to just be accountable.
LISTEN: Mike Reiss reacts to Belichick’s media work, Pats loss in OT and more!
Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in a loss to the Seahawks?
DOWN: LT Vederian Lowe
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe sacks New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett. (Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images)
Pressure off the left edge was a problem all afternoon for the Patriots, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett mostly did a good-enough job to mitigate the damage. That was until he took a 9-yard sack in the fourth quarter on the play before the blocked field goal try. Lowe wasn’t the only player that allowed pressure on that play, but he was the most consistently troublesome offensive lineman out there.
UP: P Bryce Baringer
New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye (13) reacts with New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) in the third quarter of the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Photo Credit: Albert Cesare/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Baringer is off to a great start this season, one of the few Patriots to string together two strong performances. He averaged 57 yards per punt, with a long of 67, three pinned inside the 20-yard line, and only one touchback in six tries.
