Bill Belichick’s final stand could come in Germany.
The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin has mentioned twice in recent days it’s possible the Patriots could make a coaching change should Belichick lose to the Colts in Germany this Sunday.
A loss would drop the Patriots to 2-8 and firmly in the mix for the No. 1 pick.
Volin first touched on the topic Friday, two days before the Patriots hosted the Commanders.
“Based on my conversations, I don’t think it’s 100 percent that Belichick finishes out this season. These next two games before the bye are huge, particularly the Germany game, which is practically the team’s Super Bowl for the Krafts,” Volin wrote. “If Belichick loses at home to the Commanders and then to the Colts, and comes home from Germany with a 2-8 record, I think there’s a chance the Krafts could make the move in the bye week and install Jerod Mayo as the interim coach for the final seven games.”
The first result needed for that hypothetical to come into play happened Sunday when the Patriots fell to the Commanders, 20-17.
That leaves Sunday’s game against the Colts — the team at the center of DeflateGate — as a potential franchise-defining contest.
The Colts (4-5) are two-point favorites for that game at BetMGM.
Volin didn’t use as forceful language Sunday following the Patriots’ second straight loss, but it’s notable that he touched on the topic twice in three days.
“The Patriots don’t play at Gillette Stadium again until Dec. 3 against the Chargers. Will Belichick still be the head coach?” Volin wrote. “It once seemed preposterous to consider he would be fired midseason, but if the Patriots don’t beat the Colts in Germany next week, the Krafts might have to consider doing it during the Week 11 bye.”
A lot would go into such a decision, especially since Belichick reportedly signed a “lucrative” extension earlier this year, but Kraft perhaps has seen enough.
The Patriots are 27-31 since Tom Brady left town with one playoff appearance — a 47-17 loss to the Bills during the 2021 season — in the last three years.
Kraft reportedly already has a “home run” hire in mind to replace Belichick in Titans coach Mike Vrabel, which fuels the fire that a move could be coming sooner or later.
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