The New England Patriots played an ugly game Sunday, falling on the road to the Miami Dolphins in their season opener. The response to that loss from a certain national media personality was just as ugly.
Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd had quite the take after New England's loss on his podcast, practically calling off the season right after it started.
"They are painful. That is as bad as any offense in the NFL. They are slow... they are predictable... they looked at times disorganized... the offensive line is not good," Cowherd said, as transcribed by Tim Kelly of Audacy Sports. "So, again, we're not experts. I couldn't coach a football team. But I can see inefficiency. I can see bad. The Patriots are exactly what everybody in the media predicted.
"... But they're not just bad. They're slow. They are unwatchable. And frankly, as I watched that game, it was embarrassing."
No matter how poor the Patriots looked, calling them unwatchable after one game seems like a bit of a stretch. But, if those comments don't tell you Cowherd was being overly pessimistic, the conclusion that Bill Belichick could possibly be ousted following the season should.
"'ll say it again. It's one thing to struggle. It's another to be bad. It's another to be boring," Cowherd said. "The Patriots are a bad watch, and Robert Kraft is a business man. I do not think it's crazy that if the Patriots go 6-11 or 7-10, that Kraft goes into his office at the end of the year, makes him a consultant... Bill moves down to Jupiter, Florida with his girlfriend... goes and golfs and hangs out like Jimmy Johnson on a boat... maybe does some television."
That's quite the opinion from Mr. Cowherd. Perhaps he was calling back to recent talks surrounding Belichick's past statements on coaching into his 70's. But, the more likely scenario is the media personality was saying things for dramatic effect. If so, he was successful.