Insider believes Patriots could do the unimaginable after season

The clock is starting to tick on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

"To think there's no chance that the Patriots would get to the end of the season and decide it's time for a new voice at the front of the room would be naive," wrote  ESPN insider Dan Graziano.

The Patriots' 1-4 start doesn't inspire confidence, and they've lost their last two games by 69 points, the worst margin over any two-game stretch in franchise history. Owner Robert Kraft might already have a replacement in mind.

"Kraft has spoken about his regard for Patriots defensive coordinator Jerod Mayo as a head coach prospect," wrote Graziano. "And there are plenty of people around the league who think Mayo is in line to be Belichick's successor."  

It's hard to believe the Patriots would ever move on from a future Hall of Famer like Belichick, yet the franchise has plummeted over the past four seasons. Since Tom Brady departed after the 2019 season, New England is 26-29 with only one postseason appearance.

Under Belichick, third-year QB Mac Jones has failed to develop into the answer. This season, he's thrown more interceptions (six) than TDs (five) and posted a below-average 40.4 QBR, 26th in the NFL. Nonetheless, he will remain the starter even though the HC wants to start from scratch.

"Obviously, it was poor performance today here," Belichick said after a 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. "So just plain and simply, we've got to find a way to play and coach better. 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."

However, Belichick won't save this Patriots team from a disastrous season. It can't compete in a loaded division with Super Bowl contenders like Miami and Buffalo, especially since it ranks last in points scored (55) and 25th in points allowed (131).

Although the six-time Super Bowl champion is one of the greatest HCs in NFL history, expect Kraft to make a change if the team fails to turn around.