ESPN Analyst Still Considers Bill Belichick ‘Super Bowl’ Caliber Coach

Bill Belichick appears to be nearing a dead end with the New England Patriots after being eliminated from postseason contention in Week 14.

Does that mean the legendary head coach has run out of championship potential?

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky isn’t so sure.

With rumors swirling around Belichick’s future with the Patriots in the final weeks of the season, Orlovsky still believes that the coach’s championship pedigree still exists, particularly with his abilities to game plan defensively.

“I think coach-wise, he’s a coach you can win a Super Bowl with still,” Orlovsky said on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” on Wednesday. “Just watch the defense play. I thought the defense was going to fall off this year after the injuries to (Christian) Gonzalez and Matt Judon. They’re still playing at a pretty darn high level.”

The Patriots defense absolutely held up, even as the team fell to 3-10. The group has not allowed 20 points or more since Nov. 5 in a 20-17 loss to the Washington Commanders, where the offense committed a costly turnover on a potential game-tying or game-winning drive.

On a league level, New England’s defense under Belichick ranks eighth in yards allowed (306.9 yards per game) and third in rushing yards allowed (88.2 yards per game). This production all comes, as Orlovsky alluded to, without the services of arguably their two most talented players in Gonzalez and Judon.

Belichick will need more help on offense if he continues to coach, but the longtime defensive-minded champion has shown that he can still more than manage with his natural strength.

“The offensive stuff obviously hasn’t gone well,” Orlovsky added. “How much of that is lack of talent and how much of that is a poor plan? I still sit here and say that he is one of these handful of coaches that you, without a doubt, can win a Super Bowl with as your leader.”

For now, Belichick and the Patriots look to beat the Kansas City Chiefs without Tom Brady for the first time in Week 15.