Why Bill Belichick feels bad for a lot of Patriots players amid losing season

The first season of the New England Patriots' post-Bill Belichick era has largely gone as many expected, as the rebuilding team that has weaknesses throughout its roster entered its Week 14 bye at 3-10.

During the latest edition of SiriusXM's "Let’s Go!" show and podcast, Belichick spoke about the struggles of the franchise that employed him from 2000 through the 2023 campaign. 

"It's hard to see 'em going through that type of a season," Belichick said about players he coached who are still with the Patriots, as shared by Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald. "There's nothing I can do about it. ...I feel bad for a lot of those guys, especially the defensive players. I know those guys work hard. They're tough and they care and they put a lot into it. But it's the National Football League. It's very competitive. You gotta find a way to stand up to the competition and that's a challenge for every team."

The Patriots missed the playoffs three times across four seasons after quarterback Tom Brady left the organization as a free agent in March 2020. Patriots owner Robert Kraft then showed Belichick the door this past January, and Jerod Mayo has predictably made some in-game mistakes in his first year as an NFL head coach. 

According to ESPN stats, a Patriots team that lacks playmakers ranks last in the NFL with an average of 290.9 yards gained per game and 31st with an average of 17 points scored per contest. This past Sunday, Mayo's defense surrendered a game-losing 19-play, 80-yard drive against second-year Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. Colts head coach Shane Steichen benched Richardson earlier this fall.

"Just haven't done enough to win very many games on any level," Belichick added. "They’ve had trouble on defense. One of the last-ranked teams on offense, if not the bottom-ranked. ...Just haven't been able to do enough to win when they needed to."

Belichick generated some headlines when he took issue with Mayo suggesting earlier this season that New England was "a soft football team." While Belichick technically didn't say anything inaccurate on Monday, one wonders how his former players will feel about his latest comments as they try to find some positives during the closing stages of what will be another losing campaign for the club.