There’s no questioning how underwhelming Week 1 of the NFL season was for the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick.
Enduring a 13-point loss to begin their 2022 campaign against the division rival Miami Dolphins has led one former NFL running back to revisit the skepticism behind Belichick’s coaching genius, especially without the benefit of having Tom Brady as his quarterback.
LeSean McCoy, a two-time Super Bowl champ and six-time Pro Bowler, addressed the Week 1 Patriots loss on Fox Sports’ “Speak” on Tuesday and made a bold statement on the Brady-Belichick matter.
“It’s over for Belichick,” McCoy said. “It’s over. I’ve never seen the Patriots pay so many guys on defense at one time. They’re doing it now that Tom is gone. It’s over. This is the real Bill Belichick. The winning percentage, playing with Brady, is 77%. Without Tom Brady, you wouldn’t even guess — 47%. He don’t win no games without Tom Brady.”
While the Patriot’s defense, which allowed three points to the Dolphins offense in the second half of the contest, was subpar, the offense was insufferable — totaling just seven points on 271 total yards in the game. It’s an offensive showing that easily debunks the justification of New England’s past struggles when playing in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Belichick and the Patriots will remain on the road for Week 2, this time against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kickoff from Acrisure Stadium on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
