Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, suffered the worst loss of his career as the team was defeated by the Dallas Cowboys with a staggering score of 38-3.
The Patriots lost by 35 points to the Cowboys on Sunday, the worst loss of Bill Belichick's head coaching career. pic.twitter.com/xrE2OrNKDn
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 1, 2023
This 35-point loss surpasses Belichick’s previous worst defeat, which was a 31-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2003 season opener.
Despite this crushing loss, Belichick has made it clear that he does not intend to make a permanent quarterback change.
During a press conference after the game, Belichick confirmed that Mac Jones will remain the starting quarterback for the upcoming matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
It was during the third quarter, with 3 minutes and 41 seconds remaining, that Jones was pulled from the game as the Patriots were trailing 31-3.
Up until that point, Jones had completed 14 of his 30 passes for 150 yards, with two interceptions, resulting in a passer rating of 39.9.
When questioned about Jones being benched, Belichick clarified that it was not solely based on his performance or poor play.
“I said there was no point in leaving him out there, so I took him out.”
The Patriots’ offense struggled under Jones’ leadership, converting only seven first downs and turning the ball over three times during his eight offensive possessions.
“Just focus on the basic fundamentals of football,” Jones told reporters after when asked how he plans to get back on track. “It really just wasn’t a great day. I’m not going to let it carry over to the next week. It’s going to be done after I watch the film. Definitely disappointed, but at the end of the day, I’m going to keep grinding. And hopefully the guys will come with me. It’s hard, right, for me to sit up here and say that. I’m very disappointed in myself, but I’ve got to bounce back.”
It was indeed a disastrous day for the Patriots, both offensively and defensively.
Despite a switch to backup quarterback Zappe, who led three drives without any points, the team struggled to find any success.
Their final drive ended in disappointment as Chad Ryland missed a 52-yard field goal attempt.
