Bill Belichick’s first season as a college football coach started with a thud. It ended with one, too.
North Carolina lost on Saturday night to N.C. State, 42-19. The outcome leaves Belichick with a 4-8 record with the Tar Heels.
Belichick has previously reiterated his commitment to returning to UNC in 2026. The apparent lack of NFL interest simplifies the decision.
Some think one or more pro franchises will explore hiring Belichick, who can leave at any time for a buyout of only $1 million. However, he has received only one interview during two hiring cycles since the Patriots fired him after the 2023 season.
The 73-year-old Belichick took the UNC job last December, apparently due in part to the unwillingness of any NFL team(s) with a current or expected vacancy to indicate that he’d be hired. This time around, he’s available to be discreetly interviewed. If anyone chooses to interview him.
If no one does, Belichick can once again declare that he’s not leaving. And G.M. Mike Lombardi can once again claim how much better college football is than the NFL.
The Patriots have released their final injury report for Monday night’s game against the Giants.
Edge rusher Harold Landry will carry a questionable designation into the game. Landry has a knee injury and missed two days of practice before returning on a limited basis on Saturday.
Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga (chest) is also in the questionable category after a limited practice on Saturday.
The Patriots ruled out left guard Jared Wilson with the ankle injury he suffered last Sunday. Left tackle Will Campbell landed on injured reserve earlier this week, so New England will have a pair of backups on that side of the line on Monday.
Special teamer Brendan Schooler (ankle) is the only other Patriots player who has been ruled out this week.
Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux will miss his third straight game.
The Giants ruled Thibodeaux out for Monday night’s game against the Patriots because of a shoulder injury. Thibodeaux did not practice at all this week and will now try to get back on the field after the team’s Week 14 bye.
Brian Burns and Abdul Carter will be the lead players off the edge for the Giants with Thibodeaux out of action.
News about defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was better. He missed two days of practice with an elbow injury, but returned to the field on Saturday and has no injury designation for Monday night. Quarterback Jaxson Dart (concussion) also has no designation and the team has announced him as their starter.
The Giants also listed cornerback Korie Black (biceps), linebacker Swayze Bozeman (hip), linebacker Victor Dikmujee (knee), and linebacker Demetrius Flanningan-Fowles (knee, neck) as questionable to play.
Jaxson Dart will be back at quarterback for the Giants for Monday night’s game against the Patriots and Dart shared some of what he learned while missing two games with a concussion during a Friday press conference.
Dart was ruled out during the Giants’ Week 10 loss to the Bears and he spent time in the sideline medical tent in three other games for concussion checks before being cleared to return. Dart said on Friday that he felt some of those checks were unwarranted because he had not taken hits to the head and that he feels he’s “getting better” at handling the speed of the NFL game.
There were still reports this month indicated that the Giants are urging Dart to take greater caution when he runs and Dart said staying on the field is something he’ll be prioritizing in his return to action.
“When I look back at the game, there’s not a hit where I’m like, dang, I shouldn’t have taken that hit, to be honest,” Dart said, via a transcript from the team. “I felt like I was making smart decisions. I didn’t take really any unnecessary hits. That was just a situation where you kind of lose control of your body when you fumble it and you’re not really bracing for the ground. But obviously, moving forward, now I’ve got to be more available for this team, so, that’s obviously on the forefront of my mind going forward.”
Dart’s play in his rookie season has provided some reason for hope about the Giants’ future despite their dismal present, but it will be harder to keep that faith if Dart isn’t able to play every week so signs of improvement on that front will be as important as anything on the scoreboard in the final five games of the year.
Bill Belichick won’t be coaching in a bowl game this year. One of his former lieutenants may be coaching in the College Football Playoff.
Via Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com, current Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge would be the “likely” interim coach for the upcoming postseason run, if Lane Kiffin leaves.
Judge, 43, spent eight years in New England with Belichick before getting the Giants’ head-coaching job in 2020. His disastrous run in New York ended with a 10-23 record.
He returned to New England as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for 2022. He served as assistant head coach in 2023, Belichick’s last year with the team.
Judge landed with Kiffin in 2024 as a senior analyst. He became the quarterbacks coach this year.
It’s unclear whether Judge would be a viable candidate for the permanent job. Much of that surely depends on how far he takes the Rebels in the playoffs.
