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Tune into the radio, turn the channel to ESPN, scroll on social media, or just think back to Sunday. The New England Patriots are playing horrible football right now, and there’s little escape.
The sky is falling in New England. Even so, there isn’t unanimity about the fate of head coach Bill Belichick, who some have fallen out of love with in the years since Tom Brady left town. There will be calls for his job, or a relinquishing of general manager responsibilities, perhaps even a plea to tank with the interest of a more inspiring quarterback.
In all likelihood, none of that is going to happen. Belichick has earned the right to end his career on his own terms, and you’ll see Brady put the pads back on before Belichick publicly admits to surrendering the season.
All that is to say that things have to get better, and that may start in the locker room. The league has seen teams break before, with bad quarterbacks creating discord or units leaving others out to dry. Getting back in the win column may be a matter of rallying the troops.
Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., a well-respected veteran, spoke about his confidence in the locker room and how they must endure these brutal losses.
“We have to have the ability to remain unphased,” Wise said. “Unbothered by what goes on around us, what goes on outside of this locker room.”
Unsurprisingly, a lot of the noise is emphatically negative. New England is 1-4, with back-to-back 30+ point losses. The only win on their record came against a New York Jets team trying to find its footing with quarterback Zach Wilson under center.
There’s hope for a defense that remains talented despite the injuries it has sustained, namely to cornerback Christian Gonzalez and edge rusher Matthew Judon. However, if the offense continues to put them in unfavorable situations, the season might as well be over.
“In order to keep moving forward, we have to remain unphased, keep our head down, keep working,” Wise said. “Keep moving forward, correcting our small mistakes, and going out there giving it our all.”
Wise was steadfast not only in his confidence in quarterback Mac Jones, but for the team as a whole. Even if it’s just talk, his words are revelatory of a team that isn’t fractured. At least not yet.
With a date with the Las Vegas Raiders, and former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, preceding two divisional games, the time to step up has already passed. It’s hard to imagine another loss on Sunday doing anything but sending this team toward the top of the draft.
Until then, Wise concluded his presser with the only thing the Patriots can do.
“Believe in ourselves,” Wise said. “And our teammates.”
More must-reads:
- An optimist's guide to the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- An optimist's guide to the 2024 New Orleans Saints
- The 'Recent seasons with 1,000 receiving yards' quiz
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