After losing to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, the New England Patriots are now 6-6 on the season and at risk of missing the playoffs for the second time in three years. For one former All-Pro running back, that says a lot about head coach Bill Belichick.
Appearing on Speak this week, FOX Sports analyst LeSean McCoy declared that the absence of Tom Brady has exposed Belichick as “a regular coach.” He believes that he can’t be considered the greatest coach of all-time given how his teams have performed without Brady.
“The truth is without Tom Brady, Belichick is a regular coach. He’s not the greatest of all time,” McCoy said.
That’s a position that’s been a point of contention for a while now. Case in point: The Patriots went 7-9 in their first year post-Brady, while Brady won a seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But the Patriots are still in a position to make the playoffs even with their struggles now. They made the playoffs last year and have not finished last in their division in over 20 years.
Bill Belichick is going to the Hall of Fame one way or another. But the way he finishes his career in New England could reshape how we view his legacy in the immediate aftermath.
In the long-term though, Belichick will still be considered the greatest ever.