PFF ranks Bill Belichick as the 6th-best coach in the NFL
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2020, with a 7-9 record. His team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. And yet he landed at No. 6 in the coaching rankings from Pro Football Focus.
It seems PFF kept Belichick’s successful history in consideration when ranking the Patriots coach, because New England’s production — both on offense and defense — was not particularly impressive in 2020.
Here’s what PFF’s Eric Eager wrote about Belichick:
“I’ll admit that there is some legacy built in here, as Belichick has lagged behind for the past decade in terms of making correct decisions on fourth downs, with the 2020 Patriots going for it on just 39% of admissible situations. That ranked 24th in football, and the team surrendered 0.5 expected points in the process.
“That said, last year’s team earned just the 21st-most wins above replacement in the NFL but still managed to win seven games in a division where the Bills and the Dolphins reached double-digit victories. It remains to be seen if they can win with Cam Newton or Mac Jones moving forward. But if someone can, it’s likely Belichick.”
New England still seems to be in the midst of a rebuild after watching quarterback Tom Brady depart. He left behind a messy salary cap situation (caused largely by Belichick). Belichick spent big money in free agency to improve the roster, and the Patriots drafted quarterback Mac Jones in the first round to compete with Cam Newton.
But Belichick needs to bring this new-look roster together in a cohesive fashion if New England is going to get back to its winning ways.
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