The New England Patriots opened the 2022 NFL season with a lackluster performance in a 20-7 loss to the rival Dolphins in Miami, and the schedule doesn't get any easier for them Sunday with a Week 2 matchup versus a quality Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road.
The Patriots defense didn't play horribly, allowing 13 points (three in the second half) to a Dolphins offense loaded with playmakers at the skill positions. But the Patriots offense was dreadful, gaining just 271 yards and scoring fewer than 10 points against the Dolphins for the first time since 2006. New England's offensive line had major issues, too.
The results last weekend didn't exactly inspire a ton of confidence in the Patriots' chances of competing in the AFC this season, or head coach Bill Belichick's ability to fix what ails this group.
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Former Eagles and Bills running back LeSean McCoy appears to have lost all faith in Belichick. In fact, McCoy went a step further on FOX Sports 1 earlier this week by declaring that the "GOAT" talk surrounding the legendary coach needs to stop.
"It's over (for Belichick)," McCoy said. "I’ve never seen the Patriots pay so many guys on defense at one time. They’re doing it now that Tom Brady is gone. It’s over. This is the real Belichick. Seriously, though. The winning percentage, playing with Brady is 77 percent. Without Tom Brady, you wouldn’t even guess -- 47 percent. He don’t win any games without Tom Brady.
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"Since Tom Brady has left, they look so regular. Seriously, though, when I watch the tape and I really watch them, they’re getting beat up front in the running game, defenders missing tackles. They look bad. They can’t do anything on offense. Every coach in the AFC, for all of these years when they had Tom Brady, they’re saying the same thing I’m saying right now. Without Tom Brady, Belichick is a good coach. Stop with all of this, 'He’s the greatest of all time.' He’s not. Tom Brady is the greatest of all time."
The "he's never won without Brady" argument is pretty weak. How many Super Bowl titles would Bill Walsh have without Joe Montana? The answer is probably none. Chuck Noll won four Super Bowl titles with Terry Bradshaw. When Bradshaw retired after the 1983 season, Noll coached eight more years with the Steelers and missed the playoffs six times in that span. And let's not pretend Brady is the only significant player from those Super Bowl-winning teams who is gone.
Belichick deserves criticism for how he's handled the offensive coaching staff, installing a new offense, poor drafting and failed roster moves in recent years. But to say that the team's current struggles remove him from the "GOAT" conversation is just laughable and not based in logic.