Bill Belichick feels good about Patriots' system, explains varied approach to winning games down the stretch

BOSTON -- On Monday, Bill Belichick stated that it is "too hard" to make a major change at this point in the season, indicating that Matt Patricia will remain the Patriots' offensive play-caller for the remainder of the year.

On Tuesday, Belichick was asked about that comment. He responded with some sarcasm.

"Well I didn't, I mean, look we're not gonna go to the wishbone offense here, we're not gonna run the veer. Defensively, we're not gonna change and do a, you know, run some other team's defense or whatever," Belichick said. "Yeah, major changes, like, absolutely. We wouldn't be able to practice it."

When asked a more deliberate question about whether a change at offensive play-caller would qualify as a major change, Belichick was a bit more direct about what he sees from his 6-6 football team.

"Yeah, again, the system that we have in place, I feel good about," Belichick answered. "Which includes the offensive staff, it includes me, it includes whatever the whole process is. Yeah, on defense, on offense, on special teams. Mm-hmm."

As for the variance in offensive performance from week to week -- scoring three offensive points vs. the Jets one week, scoring 26 points in Minnesota the next week, then scoring 10 points against Buffalo the next week -- Belichick explained that the game plan will always morph week to week, based on a variety of factors.

"Yeah every week we're trying to win. So whatever that is, that's what it is. Whatever plays we call this week, they're to try to win. Whatever plays we called last week, they were to try to win. Whatever plays we called the week before, that's what that was. Or last year, two years ago, or five years ago, or 20 years ago," he said. "So I mean, you can like 'em or not like 'em, or whatever. I mean, I get that. But like, whatever we've done, it was to try to be as productive as we can, and to try to beat whichever team we were playing. So whether that's conservative, not conservative, the same, different, whatever it is, that's what the intent of all it is. That's what it always is. So that's not gonna change."

Belichick added: "What they'll be, I don't know. But it's a combination of what they do, what we do, what we think we can do. Any idea can be a bad idea if you can't execute it. So if you can execute it, then it's potentially a good idea. If you can't do it, then it's not gonna work. If your team can't physically do what you're trying to do for whatever reason, then it's probably not a good idea. So, find something that you think you can do, and if that's a good way to attack your opponent, then it's probably worth talking about."

Belichick also got a bit deeper regarding the process of a team adapting to it strengths and changing its approach as the season nears its conclusion.

"Well again, you know, we have a pretty, I'd say we have a pretty broad system here in all three phases of the game. That's kind of what we do. We have multiple groups on defense, multiple coverages, multiple fronts, we have multiples on offense, we have multiples in the kicking game. You know, you've watched us play. So there's some things you trim the fat here, move it a little bit over into this direction, or maybe you add a little bit more of something that you feel is going well, maybe a player's doing something or some part of your offense or defense is doing something that's a little more productive and maybe you want to add a little bit more to that. So that would just be I'd say shifting the emphasis," Belichick said. "Yeah, we do that every year. I mean, why wouldn't you? You get through whatever it is -- 10, 11, 12, 13 games -- certainly you know more than you did, or maybe your team's changed, or maybe opponents are gonna change. Then you need to do something a little bit different. Certainly the weather that we're playing in is different than what we played in September. Like that in itself -- not the next two games [indoors], but after that, would almost necessitate some type of change in your thinking from what it would be in September. So yeah, absolutely. That's always been a part of any team I've ever been on in the National Football League, from Baltimore to Detroit to Denver to the Giants to New England to, I mean, every team I've been on. I can't think of a team where that hasn't morphed at some point into something that had declared -- and it might be for an obvious reason, or it might be just that's the direction the team's going."

In terms of the next opponent, the Patriots' offense has the opportunity to look better than it has for the majority of this season. The Cardinals enter Week 14 with the 21st-ranked defense and the 31st-ranked scoring defense in the NFL. The Patriots' biggest offensive issues -- third down and red zone -- figure to be canceled out by the Cardinals' biggest defensive issues in those same areas.

Monday night's game will serve as a worthwhile test to determine whether the Patriots' offense can take advantage of a vulnerable defense. New England did that to some extent vs. the Vikings' defense, but that offensive effort stalled out in the fourth quarter. The Patriots ended up gaining 409 yards, which was their second-highest total of the season, but it was only the seventh-highest yardage total given up by the Minnesota defense this season.

The Patriots weren't necessarily supposed to win that game in Minnesota, but this week in Arizona is a different story. With patience in New England running thin, anything short of a big offensive night is certain to raise the heat on that underperforming offensive coaching staff, as well as the players on the field.

The Patriots will be doing whatever they can to come away with a win. They just won't be switching to the wishbone to do so.