After Bill Belichick enrolled Matt Patricia and Joe Judge to lead the Patriots offense over the offseason, he made sure to remind everyone that everything ultimately fell on his shoulders.
“Ultimately, I’m responsible for all of it,” Belichick told WEEI back in August. “If you want to ask who’s in charge, then it would be me. I have the final say in everything. That’s the way it’s been, and I don’t see that changing.”
When again discussing his unproven offensive coaching staff weeks after with the Boston Globe, the head coach shared a similar sentiment.
“I think they’re both good coaches,” he told Dan Shaugnessy of Patricia and Judge. “Ultimately, it’s my responsibility, like it always is. So if it doesn’t go well, blame me.”
With 12 games now in the rearview mirror, things have not gone well for the Patriots offense. After ranking in the top half of the league in many offensive categories last season, New England has plummeted to the bottom of the league in things such as turnovers, third downs, and red-area success rate.
The struggles certainly go beyond just one individual, but de-facto offensive play caller Matt Patricia has drawn criticism throughout the entire season. Following the 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills Thursday night, the frustrations around the offense were clear inside the locker room and even made public.
When asked Monday morning on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, Belichick remained true to his word over the summer that the struggles ultimately fell on him.
“I’m responsible,” Belichick said on WEEI. “I’m responsible for our team’s performance. I accept that.”
New England’s head coach also added that it’s too late in the season to make “dramatic changes” on the offensive side of the ball, which seemingly is no glowing endorsement of the current set up.
At 6-6, the Patriots still have a path to the playoffs if they can start showing some signs of life offensively, but it seems like a shakeup could be coming to the offensive coaching staff in the offseason.
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