Invoice Belichick – ‘Too laborious’ now to make main modifications to offense

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick stated Monday that it could be too tough to make main scheme-based modifications to the group’s struggling offense at this level of the season.

“I feel we have to do what we’re doing higher. I do not assume at this level making loads of dramatic modifications; it is too laborious to try this,” Belichick stated in his weekly interview on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Present.”

“If we are able to simply do, constantly, what we’re doing, I feel we’ll be all proper. We simply have not been capable of have sufficient consistency. And that is damage us. It is not one factor. One time it is one factor. Subsequent time it is one thing else. We simply need to play and coach extra constantly.”

Belichick’s remarks come within the wake of quarterback Mac Jones’ sideline outburst calling for deeper go performs in Thursday’s 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Payments that dropped the group to 6-6. Jones later stated he let his feelings get the very best of him, however that it wasn’t directed at anybody particularly and supposed to offer a spark to the group.

The Patriots rank tied for final within the NFL in purple zone effectivity, having scored touchdowns simply 12 occasions in 32 journeys contained in the opponents’ 20-yard line.

It’s one in all a number of key classes by which the offense is rated close to the underside of the NFL, together with first downs (twenty eighth), third-down effectivity (twenty fifth), sacks per go play (twenty fifth) and interception share (twenty fifth).

The Patriots rank twentieth in factors per sport (20.75 common).

“It has been a mix of issues on each entrance actually — teaching, enjoying, penalties,” Belichick stated Monday on WEEI. “We have had some excessive penalty video games and we have had some low penalty video games. We have had some turnover video games after which we have had some no turnover video games, and so forth.

“It hasn’t all the time been the identical drawback, or it hasn’t been the identical drawback on sure performs. Typically that is shifted. And there is definitely been some performs that have not matched up nicely in opposition to the protection once they had been referred to as. So, whether or not that is the design of the play, or the best way it hit in opposition to a sure protection, these have come up as nicely.”

The Patriots’ offensive struggles have come after coordinator Josh McDaniels departed to turn out to be the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach following the 2021 season, and Belichick tapped former NFL head coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Decide as main replacements. It was an unconventional method as a result of Patricia’s and Decide’s main background as assistants had been on protection and particular groups, respectively.

Patricia calls the performs in to Jones, and Decide is the quarterbacks coach, with Belichick stressing all yr that it has been a collaborative effort amongst all coaches.

Within the offseason, Belichick additionally oversaw a streamlining of the offense, which had grown in quantity since his first yr as head coach in 2000. One purpose in doing so was to permit gamers to play quicker.

The transition hasn’t produced the specified outcomes, with Jones, particularly, dipping after a promising rookie season. In simply over seven video games, he’s 184-of-270 for 1,963 yards, with seven touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

As a rookie, enjoying in all 17 regular-season video games, Jones completed 352-of-521 for 3,801 yards, with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Requested Monday if he is involved about Jones’ development, and the way he is been beneath duress for prolonged stretches this season, Belichick stated on WEEI: “I feel we might all actually prefer to be doing higher than what we have been doing — from a report standpoint and from a person execution [standpoint]. However we’ll look forward and never backward.”

The Patriots subsequent go to the Arizona Cardinals (4-8) on Dec. 12 in a “Monday Night time Soccer” matchup.