Bill Belichick says Patriots need to "start all over"
FOXBORO -- Watching the Patriots these days, it seems as though nothing is going right offensively. On Sunday, in the worst home loss of the Bill Belichick era, the defense and special teams joined in on that reality.
The end result -- a 34-0 drubbing from a Saints team that entered this game facing numerous questions about its own shortcomings -- was uglier than imaginable. And it leaves Belichick with only one solution.
"Plain and simply, we've got to find a way to play and coach better than that. So that's what we're going to do -- start all over and get back on a better track than we're on right now," Belichick said after the loss that dropped the Patriots to 1-4 on the season.
A team "starting over" after five games seems like a rare occurrence, but Belichick said he's "done it before."
When asked what "starting over" means exactly, Belichick offered little detail.
"Starting over," he said with a shrug.
Belichick spread the blame for this loss and last weekend's 34-3 loss in Dallas to everyone involved, rather than singling out anyone or any position.
"We all need to do a better job. It's everybody. Offense, defense, special teams, players, coaches," he said. "We all just gotta do a better job than we're doing. That includes everybody."
In terms of enlightening Belichick press conferences, this was not one of them. But the head coach did offer a glimpse into his own lack of belief in the offense when asked if he considered a fourth-down attempt on a fourth-and-3 at the Saints' 40-yard line.
"Until we're better on third and fourth down, I don't think so," Belichick answered.
While Belichick's lack of belief in the offense's ability to gain three yards when needed is rooted in reality, it's nevertheless a major concern for a football team that had playoff aspirations entering the season.