Bill Belichick's most trying season in his illustrious New England tenure met mathematical misfortune on Sunday.
With four weeks remaining in the season, it's the earliest a Patriots team has been mathematically eliminated since 2000 -- Belichick's first year with the franchise -- according to ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch. The Pats went 5-11 that year after going 4-9 through 13 games. It marks another first for the Pats under Belichick as they're now amid a two-year playoff drought, something unseen during a tenure that's produced nine Super Bowl berths and six wins.
New England is now 3-10, one loss shy of matching Belichick's most defeats in a season in the aforementioned ill-fated 2000 campaign. Though history shows that season as the beginning of the NFL's most successful two-decade run, this one has a far different feel.
It's been a woeful season in every which way for Belichick and his beleaguered Pats. His defense has been hampered by injuries to Matt Judon and Christian Gonzalez, and the offense has been a disaster until a blip of excitement in Thursday's win.
Across Tom Brady's two decades with the team, he never played in a Patriots game in which the team was out of playoff contention. Now, four weeks remain in New England's 2023 season, and wins and losses will only impact the 2024 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøDraft.
For so long in Boston, the Patriots brought about the best of times. These are officially the worst of times for Belichick's bunch.
