The New England Patriots were completely dominated on Sunday for the second consecutive game, and there was one decision Bill Belichick made that showed just how little faith he has in his offense.
The Patriots were trailing the New Orleans Saints 24-0 midway through the third quarter and had 4th-and-3 at the New Orleans 40-yard line. Most teams would opt to go for it in that situation, and doing so seemed like a no-brainer given the massive hole the Patriots were in. But Belichick decided to punt.
It is hard to understand what Belichick was thinking. Some wondered if he was sending a message to Mac Jones and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien about how disgusted he was. Whatever the case, the 71-year-old coach was torn apart on social media.
Might be the saddest punt of the Belichick era
— Brad Spielberger (@SpielbergerBrad) October 8, 2023
Did Bill Belichick really punt on 4th and 3 from Saints 40 down 24-0?
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 8, 2023
Bill Belichick is going to the Hall of Fame and all, but that punt was one of the worst coaching decisions I've ever seen. Bill, you're down 24-0 and on the plus-40!
— Zach Ewing (@zewing) October 8, 2023
It's 4th and 3, you're on the Saints' 40, you're down 24-0, and you punt? Belichick has given up
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) October 8, 2023
The Patriots went on to lose 34-0. They lost 38-3 to the Dallas Cowboys last week. Star pass-rusher Matthew Judon and rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez suffered injuries in the Cowboys loss and could both miss the remainder of the season.
A legitimate case can be made that the Patriots are the worst team in the NFL at the moment. Jones has taken another step back in his third season and a stat that went viral on Sunday showed just how bad he has been. Of course, he is far from the only problem.
If things don’t improve in New England, Belichick will likely find himself on the hot seat for the first time in more than two decades.
