At 2-10, Patriots Grapple with a Nightmare Season

By Brooke Martindale Last updated Dec 7, 2023

Lergendary Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has been very frustrated with the performances of his team. PHOTO CREDIT: WEBN-TV, FLICKR

The NFL recently shifted its schedule in anticipation of another New England Patriots game. At the moment, the Patriots are 2-10 in the AFC East. Despite recent memory of a dominant and successful championship program. The Patriots won the 2019 Superbowl, headlined by Star Quarterback Tom Brady.

On Sunday afternoon the Patriots struggled against the L.A. Chargers, failing to score whatsoever. Seasoned coach Bill Belichick abruptly halted the following press conference, clearly angry.

To further frustration, the NFL has “flexed” the Patriots from an upcoming prime time game against the Chiefs. Despite the game being headlined by Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. This certainly has exacerbated the team’s cohesion, which was already hanging by a thread. At the moment the Patriots are just behind the Arizona Cardinals for the upcoming NFL draft.

While Belichick only expressed frustration at the press conference, one of the Patriots’ linebackers was quick to adjust perceptions. Jahlani Tavai voiced appreciation for New England’s defense, describing their overall attitude and approach to the season.

Tavai acknowledged the greater struggle but dismissed blame on the Pat’s defense, “If we’re looking for perfection, we don’t want to see a score on the board. I know we held their offense to no touchdowns, but we don’t even want them to score field goals. That’s the mentality we have as a defense. We take it personally when they get past our 50.”

Tavai’s statement on not worrying about the score displays a process oriented mindset during competition. The constant pursuit of perfection is reminiscent of Janssen’s core values. Janssen described core values as the sacred values a team follows regardless of a win, loss or score. The fact that the defensive team is still holding high standards and keeping a competitive mindset benefits the organization presently, during a crisis period.

Down the road, perhaps with the next Tom Brady, the Patriots could resurrect their high performance.