Nobody leaves a job with quite as much oomph as Bill Belichick. Twenty-four years ago this week, Belichick handed a note with a scribbled message signaling to New York Jets officials at a press conference, stepped to the podium, and delivered his infamous remarks.
“Due to the various uncertainties surrounding my position as it relates to the team’s new ownership, I have decided to resign as the head coach of the New York Jets,” Belichick declared with his trademark monotone delivery of a man who might not pass the Turing Test.
For the next quarter-century, he has made the lives of Jets Nation hell. For a brief period after Gang Green poached Eric Mangini from Belichick’s coaching staff, New York earned a pound of flesh when it played a large part in triggering the SpyGate investigation. Sunday could be another watershed moment in his complex history of these AFC East rivals because of the possibility that Belichick’s tenure will come to an end. The NFL schedule makers knew this would be a possibility when they scheduled this, so hats off to Goodell and Co. on their messiness.
For his part, Belichick will be wedged between a rock and a hard place. Win and he’ll be scorned for setting the Pats back for a decade. Lose to a downtrodden Jets team down to their fourth option at quarterback for the first time in 15 games, and it will be used as further justification to can him. From the tone of Belichick this week, he seems resigned to his fate as the next former Patriots head coach. And as we’ve learned from his long history of making a spectacle, from Lawyer Milloy’s release just before the start of the 2003 season, or his separation from Tom Brady, he’ll absolutely handle a mutual divorce or trade with maturity and aplomb if they decide to go their separate ways.
The upcoming weekend slate features a slew of games on tap that have no bearing on the playoff race as starters rest en masse. For the most part, these games will impact who becomes a silver medalist in the race for a top-tier quarterback prospect in the 2024 draft. The Commanders (4-12) facing the playoff-bound Cowboys at home and the Cardinals (4-12) clashing with the Seahawks will go a long way toward determining who earns the No. 2 pick.
Losses by all three could turn the second-overall pick into a free-for-all. Even if the Patriots win, they could still wind up in a three-way tie including Arizona and Washington decided by a byzantine tiebreaker formula. However, a win means they’ll probably have to trade up for a top-two pick or settle for the Justin Fields Derby.
A win Sunday would improve Belichick’s record to 37-11 against the Jets as the Patriots’ head coach, and move him a game closer to Don Shula’s all-time coaching wins record, while mucking up New England’s plans to take a second crack at drafting an heir to Brady. Remember the joy etched onto Lovie Smith’s face after he clinched a win that everyone presumed would spell disaster for their organization in the long run? We might actually see a split-screen of Belichick scowling and Bob Kraft attempting to hide a scowl if they pull off the win on Sunday.
I’d understand if Belichick were a little peeved about how this is all playing out. Whether it’s Mike Tomlin, Robert Saleh, or Belichick, no coach can be expected to win at a high level with a quarterback who doesn’t cut it. The lackluster offense is partially Belichick’s fault. For a decade he’s whiffed on picks on the first two days of the draft.
Not surprisingly, the Patriots will finish last in the AFC East for the first time since the league realigned divisions. The spunky defense is the only thing that’s kept them from plummeting into the abyss. A week ago, his prize defense limited Josh Allen to 169 yards and an interception. If this is truly Belichick’s final game, and the Kraft Man is throwing him out on his ass when they’re on the verge of finally landing their next cornerstone in favor of a younger model, that’s all the more motivation to scheme for Sunday’s season finale like it’s Super Bowl 53, then scribble his resignation message on MyFace while being carried off the field.
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