The New England Patriots have been the definition of mediocre since Tom Brady's departure.
Still, despite Robert Kraft lamenting that New England hasn't won a playoff game since the 2018 season, former NFL executive Bill Polian sees no reason for the Patriots owner to consider moving on from head coach Bill Belichick.
"You don't need to make it worse, and (Kraft) won't," Polian recently told The Athletic's Mike Sando. "The Steelers for example have never had a losing season (with Mike Tomlin), but they have been out of the playoffs a few times. That is why I place value on long-term excellence by the franchise, as opposed to a snapshot of today, yesterday, tomorrow."
So, how, then, will New England approach its recent woes?
A deep playoff run obviously could change the organizational outlook, but that scenario seems unlikely at this point, with the Patriots sitting at 7-8 through 16 weeks of the 2022 season. The Pats went 7-9 in 2020 (their first season without Brady) and 10-7 in 2021 before getting smoked by the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card round.
Even if Belichick's seat isn't warm, it's clear the Patriots need to determine a clear path. And according to Polian, a Hall of Famer who led the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 through 2011, that effort likely starts with an important conversation between Kraft and Belichick.
"You just sit down and say, 'OK, this has been an unsatisfactory year and I don't need to pound the desk and talk about that -- you know that, I know that,'" Polian told Sando. "Then you say, 'You're the man. What's the plan going forward?' And then hold him to that plan going forward. And if you disagree as an owner, you say, 'OK, I'm not sure I agree with this. Why do you think we should do this or do that?' And that's what he can do. Put his faith in Bill. Bill hasn't forgotten how to coach."
The Patriots set the bar so high during their dynasty years -- winning six Super Bowl titles under Brady and Belichick -- that the existing state of affairs is jarring, to say the least. Thus, New England is entering a crucial offseason that could have serious long-term ramifications.
Big decisions need to be made, one way or another.
