Bill Belichick responded to questions about his job security, level of frustration with Patriots’ season

Patriots

Belichick was asked if he thinks he’s coaching for his job against the Colts in Week 10.

Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick after the Patriots’ loss to the Commanders. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
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Following yet another loss, Bill Belichick was asked on Monday morning if this season is the most frustrating he’s had in 48 years of coaching in the NFL.

“It’s probably up there, yeah,” Belichick admitted in his weekly interview with “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI a day after the 20-17 defeat at home against the Commanders. “We just have to keep grinding away here and turn things around this week.”

New England is now 2-7, firmly at the bottom of the AFC East. Is Belichick finding it hard to get players to “keep grinding” amid the underwhelming results?

“Not this week,” he said. “I think we worked hard this week, had our chances, just weren’t able to make enough plays to win.”

With the Patriots struggling to such a degree, discussion has already begun about Belichick’s job security.

After the Fox broadcast on Sunday showed a brief exchange between Robert and Jonathan Kraft — in which Jonathan is alleged to have said of the team, “We’re not good enough” — Belichick was asked what he thought.

“Yeah you’d have to ask them about what they said,” he replied. “I don’t know. We didn’t do enough yesterday.”

Later in the interview, another question was put to Belichick regarding Kraft: Is the Patriots’ owner “frustrated” with the direction of the season?

“Yeah, I would think you’d have to ask him about that,” said Belichick.

Following the radio interview, Belichick addressed reporters in a virtual press conference. He was asked point-blank if he’s received any assurances about his future for the remainder of the season.

“Yeah, my focus is on getting ready for the Colts,” the Patriots coach said in response.

Does he think he’s coaching for his job in the upcoming matchup in Germany against the Colts?

“I’m going to control what I can control and get ready for the Colts.”

Regarding the officiating in Sunday’s game, Belichick took issue with an offsides call late in the fourth quarter on Patriots’ special teams player Mack Wilson. With the Commanders set to punt the ball back to New England with 2:29 remaining, Wilson was called for offside, handing Washington a first down.

Belichick, having had time to watch the tape, disputed the call.

“Well, there were a couple of things there. First of all, I’m not sure he was in the neutral zone,” Belichick claimed during his radio interview. “We talked about the placement of the ball before the game, but looking at it last night, I’m not sure he was in the neutral zone. [Wilson] flinched, but I don’t think he was in the neutral zone.”

Another talking point from the game was the mysterious status of defensive backs J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones, both of whom did not start the game and did not speak to the media afterward.

Belichick was asked if the report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic — that Jackson and Jones started on the bench due to “performance issues” — had validity.

“Yeah I’m not going to get into that, decisions we make on personnel.”

Looking ahead, the Patriots face the unusual circumstances of traveling to play the Colts in Germany on Nov. 12.

How does the amount of midweek travel alter New England’s ability to prepare in the normal way?

“We get there on Friday morning, so Thursday night is sleeping on the airplane,” Belichick explained. “So we lose six hours.”

Belichick said he expects players to be able to handle the jet lag.

“There are schedule changes in this league, there are Thursday games, there’s a Europe game, there’s Monday night games, the Sunday night games, and so forth. Those variances in the schedule are what they are.”

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