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Bill Belichick expects to meet with Patriots owner Robert Kraft after worst season of career
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- Bill Belichick expects to meet with Patriots owner Robert Kraft after worst season of career
Bill Belichick will meet with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft per usual after posting the worst season of his head coaching career.
The Patriots lost 17-3 to the New York Jets on Sunday, snapping a 15-game win streak over their division opponent, in their snowy season finale at Gillette Stadium. They finish with a 4-13 record and a .235 winning percentage.
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"As far as the future goes, I'll sit down with Robert as I do every year at some point at the end of the season and we'll talk about things as we always do," Belichick told reporters after the game. "I'm sure that'll happen. But that's really about all I have to say about that right now because there's nothing else to talk about."
Belichick now has an overall regular-season record of 302-165, tying Dan Reeves and Jeff Fisher for the most regular-season losses as an NFL head coach.
Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to reporters after the game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Belichick dodged questions asking if he expected to be the coach of the Patriots or if he wanted to be at the helm next season.
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"I just finished the game here with the Jets, put everything I had into it and disappointed in the results," he said.
The six-time Super Bowl champion did break from his repetition a bit to answer a question on if the difficulty of the season took "any of the wind out of your sails."
"I enjoy coaching. Like I said, it's a disappointing season ..." he said. "But no, I still, I like coaching the team, I like preparing the team, game plan, coaching on Sundays."
Last week, Belichick reached the most losses in a season of his 29-year career when the Patriots notched their 12th loss against the Buffalo Bills . When New England faced their AFC East foe earlier this season, Belichick got the upset victory for his 300th regular season win . He joins Hall of Fame coaches Don Shula and George Halas in reaching the mark.
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New England was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. Per CBS , it's the earliest their postseason hopes have been dashed since 2000.
One player who has seen the highs and lows of Belichick's tenure with the Patriots is 10-time Pro Bowler Matthew Slater . The Jets game might also have been the finale for the kick return specialist, who played all 16 seasons of his career with the Patriots and for Belichick. He had high praise for the coach's poise and commitment throughout the most recent campaign.
"I saw no quit in Bill Belichick this season. As a team, I think we're a reflection of our coach in that we competed all the way to the end," Slater said. "Regardless of the scoreboard, regardless of our record, regardless of what was going on around us, we kept fighting and I think a lot of that can be attributed to the man who was steering the ship.
"I have so much respect for him especially in a year like this. Again, when you're winning and you're doing well, you're going to Super Bowls, everybody's having a good time. You guys are pumping us up, we're all ke-keing it's a great time. But when you're in moments like this, you find out who people are and I certainly found out a lot about Bill Belichick this year."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Belichick speaks after dropping season finale to Jets
