If that was Bill Belichick’s final game as Patriots head coach, well, what a way to go out.
With snow falling in Foxborough all Sunday afternoon, New England lost to the Jets, 17-3, to end the 2023 season 4-13. It marks the worst record of Belichick’s career in New England.
The offense was nowhere to be found. Bailey Zappe was sacked six times and went 12 for 30 with 88 yards passing, two interceptions, and no touchdowns. The only score came from a Chad Ryland field goal in the second quarter.
Not that New York’s offense came to play, either. Kicker Greg Zuerlein had three field goals before Breece Hall broke away for a 50-yard touchdown in the final two minutes.
It’s the Jets’ first win over the Patriots since 2015, breaking a 15-game losing streak.
With this dismal season now at an end, the focus shifts to Belichick’s future. Rumors are swirling about his tenure ending. According to a league source, Belichick has not yet met with team owner Robert Kraft; the plan is to do so Monday.
Read more about the Patriots’ loss to the Jets
- Dan Shaughnessy: If it was his final game as Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, a man of history and accomplishment, never, never, never gave in
- Instant analysis: Loss to the Jets serves as one last indignity for Bill Belichick and the Patriots
- Tara Sullivan: A plea to all Patriots parties involved: Whatever the decision is on Bill Belichick, make it quick
- Patriots made a mess of the quarterback position, right to the very end
- ‘It’s been a long year’: What Patriots captain David Andrews said after conclusion of 4-13 season
- What Bill Belichick said about his future after the Patriots’ loss to the Jets
- ‘It feels like home:’ Patriots’ Matthew Slater brings trademark grace, humility to what may be his final postgame podium
- 2024 NFL Draft order: Patriots guaranteed top-three pick after 4-13 season
Jets 17, Patriots 13: How it happened
What Bill Belichick said about his future — 5:45 p.m.
If this is it for Bill Belichick with the Patriots, his approach to his postgame addresses to the public will have persevered to the end.
Belichick briefly acknowledged his uncertain future at the start of his postgame press conference following Sunday’s 17-3 defeat to the Jets, before settling into his usual brief and evasive routine.
“As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert [Kraft], as I do every year, at some point at the end of the season, and we’ll talk about things as we always do, I’m sure that’ll happen,” Belichick said. “But that’s about all I have to say about that right now, because there’s nothing else to talk about.”
Belichick was pressed twice on the issue, and defaulted to his standard answer.
“Yeah, so I just finished the game here with the Jets, put everything I had into it, and I’m disappointed in the results,” Belichick said when asked. The question came up again, and the response was similar: “I just finished the game with the Jets. I put everything I had into it this week, tried to prepare our team the best I could to play in it.”
Read the rest of Belichick’s comments here.
‘It feels like home:’ Matthew Slater brings trademark grace, humility — 5:20 p.m.
By Amin Touri
After 16 years, 10 Pro Bowls, three Super Bowl wins, and an immeasurable effect on the franchise, Matthew Slater is likely calling it a career after the Patriots’ season came to an end Sunday. And while he came to the postgame podium for an unusually long session with the media, he wouldn’t confirm or deny what most think is inevitable.
“Let’s talk about that another day,” Slater said. “Just want to express my thanks to the guys in that locker room today. So very appreciative of all the love and support that I received this whole season, certainly today and this week. And I’m just proud to be part of that group. Even though the season was what it was, to come in every day and be able to work with those guys really meant a lot to me.”
Slater was honored even before kickoff, with his teammates donning commemorative hoodies during warmups to celebrate their beloved captain.
“It meant a lot and I was blown away by it,” Slater said. “I never wanted anything about my experience here to be about me, so that made me a little bit uncomfortable, but to have the guys do that ... I just I’ll never be able to put that into words as long as I live so, meant a lot to me.”
Read what else Slater said about the game, the season, and Bill Belichick here.
Julian Edelman weighs in on Belichick — 5:10 p.m.
Emotional moments for Matthew Slater in locker room — 5:05 p.m.
Matthew Slater declined to say if he is retiring during his postgame press conference, but it sure looks like the special-teamer was saying his goodbyes in the locker room.
Draft update: Patriots guaranteed top-3 pick — 5:00 p.m.
By Katie McInerney
Belichick’s future is still in question, but one thing is not: New England will have one of the top three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft in April.
The draft order is not yet finalized, but here’s how it stands entering the afternoon games in Week 18.
2024 NFL Draft order
1. Carolina Panthers (2-15) (Pick traded to Chicago Bears)
2. New England Patriots (4-13)
3. Washington Commanders (4-12)
4. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)
5. New York Giants (5-11)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)
7. Tennessee Titans (6-11)
8. Atlanta Falcons (7-10)
9. New York Jets (7-10)
10. Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
The Patriots will hold onto the No. 2 pick if the Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys, who are a 13-point favorite.
If Washington falls to 4-13, it will get the No. 2 pick based on the tiebreaker – strength of schedule. According to Tankathon.com, the Commanders have a .513 SOS; the Patriots’ is .523.
The Cardinals, who are playing the Seahawks on Sunday, have a strength of schedule of .561.
‘It’s been a long year’: What David Andrews said after game — 4:50 p.m.
Patriots center David Andrews stepped to the podium for the final time this season after a one final defeat, a disappointing 17-3 home loss to the Jets in the Foxborough snow on Sunday, on a somber day at Gillette Stadium.
“Yeah you know, there’s finality to everything,” Andrews said. “Obviously it won’t be the same next year and the results weren’t what we wanted this year, I think everyone knows that. But the work, the time you spend with the guys, it’s tough to see it end. It’s part of it but it’s always tough.”
Much of the discussion surrounding the game, which will certainly continue into the coming days, hovered over the future of coach Bill Belichick at the end of a 4-13 season.
“I don’t know,” Andrews said of his coach’s future. “We’ll see. I think there’s always change and there’s always turnover, and I just play the game, so I talk about the game. And that’s it.”
Read the rest from Amin Touri.
Slater won’t address retirement: Watch live — 4:40 p.m.
Watch: Slater says thank you — 4:33 p.m.
Instant analysis: Loss to the Jets serves as one last indignity — 4:30 p.m.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots have produced some iconic moments in the snow: The Tuck Rule Game that launched a dynasty 22 years ago; the 59-0 win over the Titans in 2009.
Sunday’s game against the Jets will never be confused with an iconic moment.
The Patriots finished the year at 4-13, Belichick’s worst season in 29 years as a head coach. And Sunday’s game served as one final indignity for Belichick — one more game of impotent offensive football, in front of an almost empty Gillette Stadium, with Jets players making snow angels in the end zone, and a 14-point loss to the Jets, of all teams.
For everything that went wrong for Belichick this season, at least he always could reliably beat up on the Jets, his most hated rival. Now he can’t even say that, as the Patriots’ 15-game win streak over the Jets is history. It was the Jets’ first win against the Patriots since December of 2015, when Ryan Fitzpatrick was throwing to Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall.
Now that the game and season are over, we play the waiting game. All indications, based on national reports and my sources, are that Robert Kraft will part ways with Belichick in the next few weeks after 24 years and six Super Bowl championships together. The Fox broadcast certainly treated the game as a Belichick retrospective and mentioned about 37 times that this could be his final game with the Patriots.
It would have been nice to see Belichick go out with a win over the Jets in the snow, giving him one last positive moment after producing a lifetime of memories for Patriots fans.
But it wasn’t meant to be. It was instead one last indignity in a season full of them for Belichick.
Read the rest of Volin’s analysis here.
Watch: David Andrews at the podium — 4:23 p.m.
Watch Bill Belichick walk off the field — 4:12 p.m.
Patriots lose — 4:08 p.m.
Game is over. Patriots end the season 4-13.
Jets get a TD, and that’ll do it — 4:00 p.m.
And to put an exclamation point on things, Breece Hall breaks off a 50-yard run for a touchdown, and that’ll do it. He’ll likely finish the day with 174 yards, with the Patriots at 101 with 1:47 to play and little left to play for here. — Touri
Another INT for Zappe — 3:58 p.m.
Okay, now that one isn’t coming back. Bailey Zappe throws another interception, this time on a deflection after throwing into traffic, and it’s a long way back for the Patriots now. — Touri
The Patriots’ best hope to win this game: a fumble return for a touchdown. — Finn
What in the world? — 3:53 p.m.
That seems incredibly appropriate for this football game: We managed to get through 57 or so minutes without a turnover in this mess of a game, before Bailey Zappe threw what looked like a game-ending interception to Ashtyn Davis.
Then Davis seemed a little too focused on trying to lateral it to Sauce Gardner, Kayshon Boutte punched it out, and Vederian Lowe recovered for New England. Two turnovers on one play, and the Patriots actually gained 17 yards. What an afternoon. — Touri
Painful day for Zappe — 3:48 p.m.
Bailey Zappe is sacked for the fifth time — the fourth time he’s hit the turf on third down to end a drive — and it’s another three and out. Each of those drive-killers have come off the Patriots left side on a rough day for Vederian Lowe and Sidy Sow. — Touri
Another FG by the Jets — 3:40 p.m.
Keion White had a very real chance at a pick 6 as he batted a Trevor Siemian pass into the air, but he couldn’t find the ball before it dropped with nothing but green grass (or, really, white snow) between him and the end zone.
Impressive day for Greg Zuerlein, who is 3 of 4 on kicks despite the snow and swirling winds. The Jets extend their lead to 6 points, and Bailey Zappe will likely need to lead a touchdown drive — which he and the Patriots have yet to look like doing today — to win this one. — Touri
The slog (and snow) continues — 3:32 p.m.
Really respect Fox’s commitment to showing some barely-visible-through-the-snow mystery figure they claim is Robert Kraft on the broadcast every few minutes.
Per the Fox broadcast: New England’s 95 yards entering the fourth quarter is the team’s fewest since an October 2001 defeat to the Dolphins. If I remember correctly, that season finished better than this one will.
Bailey Zappe looked like he might’ve had the line to gain on a third-down scramble but was spotted short; New England went for it on fourth and 1, and Zappe underthrew an open Pharaoh Brown to turn it over near midfield. New England needs some help from its defense now. — Touri
Third-quarter analysis: Jets 6, Patriots 3 — 3:23 p.m.
We’re into the fourth quarter of this instant classic in Foxborough, with the Jets still leading 6-3.
▪ A hugely forgettable day for Bailey Zappe, who is 8 of 21 for 65 yards, half of which came on one throw down the left sideline to Jalen Reagor. It’s hard to be too harsh on him considering the conditions, and he hasn’t really done anything particularly turnover worthy since the opening drive, but it hasn’t been pretty. He’s also been sacked four times, most recently stumbling over his own linemen on second down late in the third.
▪ Injuries started piling up for the Jets in the third quarter. Garrett Wilson headed into the tunnel after he was popped after a drop by Jabrill Peppers, who was immediately apologetic both to Wilson and the Jets sideline for his seemingly inadvertent late hit. Then New York lost center Joe Tippmann, and backup Chris Glaser immediately fired a shotgun snap wide of Trevor Siemian, who scrambled back to jump on the loose ball for a 12-yard loss.
▪ Breece Hall has already logged a career-high 27 carries and has outgained the Patriots on his own at various points throughout the day. After three quarters, Hall has 104 yards, and New England has 96.
▪ An update on the first downs vs. punts race: The punters have come storming back to tie things, 14-14, after three quarters, and would be in the lead if not for Peppers’s unnecessary roughness penalty moving the chains for the Jets. It’s a nailbiter in Foxborough on a few fronts.
▪ The Patriots’ 15-game winning streak against the Jets is firmly in danger now. Much like last season, it might take a bit of defensive or special teams magic to keep the run alive.
One surprising stat — 3:15 p.m.
Stunning that there hasn’t been a turnover in this game yet. — Finn
Snow is coming down now — 3:10 p.m.
Wow, another three-and-out? — 3:05 p.m.
It’s not another three-and-out thanks to a 14-yard gain from DeMario Douglas on the first play, but it only took four plays before Bryce Baringer was called upon again. He booms it 57 yards to pin the Jets inside the 10; New England might need a little something from its defense to get a chance at more points today. — Touri
Patriots pick up first down ... but that’s it — 2:53 p.m.
New England picked up its third first down of the game thanks to two rushes by Ezekiel Elliott, but another Quinnen Williams sack cut the drive short.
Bryce Baringer’s 54-yard touchback gives the Jets the ball at their own 20 with 10:26 to play. — McInerney
This one might end 6-3. I wish I’d picked that for the score. — Finn
Patriots take over in third quarter — 2:46 p.m.
After a Jets three-and-out to begin the second half, Bailey Zappe and Co. have the ball.
Halftime analysis — 2:35 p.m.
Halftime in Foxborough, and this game is every bit as ugly as the forecast suggested it would be. Conditions have only worsened as the game has dragged on, and the snow doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Leaders:
Bailey Zappe: 6 for 15, 48 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
Ezekiel Elliott: 8 carries for 34 yards
Jalen Reagor: 1 catch for 33 yards
Trevor Siemian: 5 for 13 for 51 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
Breece Hall: 17 carries for 76 yards
Garrett Wilson: 2 catches for 35 yards
▪ It’s been a tough start for Bailey Zappe, but he hasn’t had much help. He’s been running for his life on third down, twice being sacked to finish off Patriots drives and getting buried by two defenders as he chucked one incomplete to end a third. The 33-yard toss to Jalen Reagor was really the only highlight of his day so far.
▪ The first downs (10) have taken a strong lead over punts (eight) heading into halftime, thanks almost entirely to the Jets, who have moved the chains eight times. The Patriots still only have two first downs, as the offense continues to go nowhere.
▪ It’s not as bad as the minus-7 yards they put up in the opening quarter, but the Patriots still have just 69 net yards through a half of football after gaining 76 in the second quarter. The conditions are poor, but even the notoriously inept Jets offense has managed to pick up 133 behind Breece Hall and a very strong ground game.
▪ The Patriots have run the ball on 11 of their 26 plays (42 percent) in the first half. The Jets have kept it on the ground for 20 of their 33 plays (61 percent) today. You can decide which you think is a more prudent approach in these circumstances.
▪ Good: Six different Patriots receivers have caught passes in the first half today. Bad: All six have caught exactly one pass, and five of those have been for 6 yards or fewer.
▪ After going ultra-conservative through most of the season when the Patriots get the ball back with little time remaining before the half, Bill Belichick finally let Zappe loose to take a couple shots late in the half. Zappe even lined up a Hail Mary on fourth down from near midfield — he ended up just firing it out of bounds well short of the end zone, but the spirit was there.
At the half: Jets 6, Patriots 3 — 2:30 p.m.
Bailey Zappe is 6 for 15 with 48 yards. Outside of a 33-yard Jalen Reagor reception, the Patriots’ offense has been brutally quiet.
No good for Zuerlein — 2:25 p.m.
The Jets are managing to move the ball fairly well in the snow, largely thanks to Breece Hall and the run game. Greg Zuerlein nailed his first two kicks, but his 49-yarder drifted just a bit too far left and rang the left upright to keep it a 3-point game. — Touri
Vinatieri makes that. — Finn
Impressive showing — 2:20 pm.
Breece Hall is up to 71 rushing yards. Pretty impressive considering the conditions and that he’s more of a speed back. — Finn
A tough day for Lowe on the line, and another three-and-out — 2:09 p.m.
There’s the third-and-out we’ve missed in this second quarter. Vederian Lowe got smoked again, this time by Quinnen Williams, and Bailey Zappe was running for his life on third down before getting crunched as he flung the ball unsuccessfully toward Pharaoh Brown. Bryce Baringer comes back out after a short break; his 37-yard punt was muffed by Xavier Gipson, but the Jets returner jumped on it to avoid a disaster. — Touri
Jets take the lead — 2:03 p.m.
Greg Zuerlein doesn’t seem to mind these conditions, as he bangs a 40-yard field goal straight through the uprights to restore the Jets’ 3-point lead.
Three big plays in succession were all New York needed; Shaun Wade looked a little lost as Garrett Wilson sprung open for a 29-yard gain down the right sideline, before the Patriots struggled to contain Breece Hall, who ripped off back-to-back 12-yard runs to get the Jets to the brink of the red zone. New England’s defense held from there, but New York leads once more. — Touri
Patriots get on the board — 1:53 p.m.
New England finally shows some signs of life, with a solid drive deep into Jets territory for the first time today leading to a 30-yard field goal from Chad Ryland.
The Patriots finally picked up a first down — which was negated by a DeMario Douglas hold to wipe away Ezekiel Elliott’s 13-yard run to open the drive. New England bounced back this time, with an 11-yard run from Elliott first and 20 followed two plays later by a 33-yard pitch-and-catch from Bailey Zappe to Jalen Reagor to get the Patriots into New York territory for the first time. Elliott continued to do much of the heavy lifting as New England got as far as the 12-yard line, but Mike Gesicki couldn’t hang onto a third down throw in the end zone and the Patriots had to settle for 3 points. — Touri
Analysis | End of first quarter: Jets 3, Patriots 0 — 1:39 p.m.
One quarter is in the books in Foxborough, and you won’t be seeing this one replayed on NFL Network over the offseason.
▪ It’s been a rough start in the snow for Bailey Zappe, who is 3 for 7 for 6 yards after one quarter. He’s also been sacked twice, both on third down to kill off drives, as New England is yet to pick up a first down. The Patriots have minus-7 yards through 15 minutes and four possessions; as my colleague Chad Finn said, New England might need a defensive score to have a chance in this one.
▪ Vederian Lowe, filling in at left tackle with Trent Brown’s absence, got smoked on third and 4 on the Patriots’ last drive of the half. The Patriots could probably use a former Pro Bowler protecting Zappe today.
▪ If you took the “more punts than first downs” prop today (that probably exists somewhere), you’re feeling pretty good: the chains have moved twice so far, and the punters have been called upon six times. We’ll keep you updated.
▪ Bill O’Brien is content to throw the ball plenty today despite the conditions. Bailey Zappe has dropped back to throw seven times today, while he’s only handed the ball off three times. That seemed a little questionable on the last drive, when the Patriots got to second and 4 and had a strong chance for a first down, but aired it out instead on second down before Zappe was sacked to end the drive. — Touri
Siemian and Zappe combined for 14 passing yards in the first quarter. They lost a combined 18 yards on sacks. — Finn
Jets 3, Patriots 0 — 1:31 p.m.
Points!
The Jets get on the board first, thanks in large part to a shanked punt from Bryce Baringer in these poor conditions. New York got the ball on the New England 38 and finally got its offense going, largely leaning on Breece Hall (5 carries for 23 yards) to get inside the 5-yard line, but had to settle for a chip shot field goal to open the scoring. — Touri
Not sure the Patriots can win this game without a defensive score. — Finn
This feels familiar ... — 1:24 p.m.
Another drive, another three-and-out. Shaping up to be a certified rockfight in Foxborough. — Touri
Gonna need some fumbles and interceptions to break up those three-and-outs. I trust both the Patriots and Jets will deliver. — Finn
Tough crowd — 1:20 p.m.
Zappe sacked, Patriots go 3-and-out again — 1:15 p.m.
If the opening drive went nowhere, the second possession was even worse — a couple screen passes resulted in a wash, and Bailey Zappe was sacked on third down to force a punt on fourth and 22. You get the feeling the punters are going to be busier than the chain gangs this afternoon. — Touri
It’s only fitting — 1:10 p.m.
Love these messy weather conditions. Feels appropriate. — Finn
Another slow start — 1:07 p.m.
Slow start for the Patriots offense in the Foxborough snow, as Bailey Zappe and co. start the finale with a three-and-out. Bailey Zappe was very nearly picked off on his first throw of the game, but he made a nice throw to Ezekiel Elliott on a third-down wheel route; Elliott, however, seemed spooked by a hard-charging Jordan Whitehead and didn’t fully commit to the catch and the hit that would’ve followed. — Touri
Elliott definitely made a business decision there. They call that “negative wingspan” in basketball. — Finn
And we’re off ... — 1 p.m.
The game is underway.
Money on the line — 12:50 p.m.
Chad Finn’s predictions — 12:45 p.m.
Patriots player to watch: It has to be Matthew Slater, right? This is the 264th game of his career (playoffs included) and most likely the last for one of the classiest people ever to play here. It’s practically certain that they will find some fitting, creative way to honor him. I like Christopher Price’s suggestion below. Another: Hit him on a bomb. He has one catch for 46 yards in his career. Heck, he might be the Patriots’ most dangerous receiver anyway.
Jets player to watch: Sauce Gardner: The 2022 defensive rookie of the year doesn’t have an interception this season after picking off two passes a year ago. The reason is apparent: quarterbacks are wise enough not to throw in his general direction. Zappe was sloppy with the football in the early going last week, throwing three interceptions in the first half against the Bills, and he may make a mistake that Gardner can take advantage of.
Prediction for the game: Make it 16 in a row. I went with Patriots 24, Jets 10 in my preview, but I think it’s going to be closer and lower scoring than that given the weather conditions. Let’s say Patriots 17, Jets 9.
Is Bill Belichick gone after today? I believe the Patriots would be making a mistake if they fire him or have the “mutual parting of ways.” And I believe that mistake will happen sometime in the next couple of days, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
Christopher Price’s predictions — 12:35 p.m.
Patriots player to watch: Matthew Slater. This is likely the last game for the veteran, who’s next stop should be the Hall of Fame. Love to see some sort of Doug Flutie-type of drop kick as a way to send him off in style.
Jets player to watch: Sauce Gardner. The corner is already one of the best defenders in the league.
Prediction for the game: Patriots, 17-10. If it is Bill Belichick’s swan song in Foxborough, they certainly won’t lose to the Jets.
Is Bill Belichick gone after today? Leaning toward him staying, but that could just be my optimistic nature. I still believe the best course of action for everyone is for him to return as a coach and the team to find a true GM. But if he is gone, it’ll be a mistake.
Unconventional Preview: Despite their records, this is certain to be a memorable finale — 12:25 p.m.
No matter whether Bailey Zappe throws three first-half interceptions again or plays well enough to spark some optimism about his Patriots future …
No matter whether Breece Hall keeps running smack-dab into that rock wall of a Patriots defensive line or finds traction as a receiver out of the Jets backfield …
No matter whether the Patriots extend their winning streak over the Jets to 16 games or lose for the first time since 2015 … this is certain to be a memorable season finale for all sorts of reasons.
A few: In the race for draft position, the Patriots and Jets would be best served by losing, but both coaches are fully intent on winning this game.
The game is expected to be played in snowy weather, which always adds an appealing element — and stirs cherished memories for Patriots fans.
And, of course, if this indeed is Bill Belichick’s final game as Patriots head coach (or HC of the NEP), it’s fitting that it comes against the Jets, a franchise he spurned to come to New England, and a franchise he loathes with every fiber of his hoodie.
It’s Patriots-Jets, with all sorts of potential plot twists and various stakes. You know what that means. Brace yourself for a weird one, folks.
Read the rest of Finn’s Unconventional Preview here.
Snowy scenes in Foxborough — 12:15 p.m.
Today’s weather forecast — 12:05 p.m.
The snow is already coming down at Gillette Stadium as a winter storm rolls through New England. While much of the snow is seemingly missing Boston, Foxborough has not been so fortunate with 8-12 inches still in the forecast west of Interstate 95.
There’s also some concern about “flash freezing” as temperatures could drop into the low 20s around kickoff. The storm is “definitely going to impact the game,” said Globe meteorologist Dave Epstein. — Touri
Around the league: Who clinched a playoff spot? — 12:00 p.m.
A number of playoff spots came down to Week 18, including some that hinged on single “win-or-go-home” matchups.
The Texans and Colts squared off on Saturday night, with the winner claiming a postseason berth and the loser eliminated; C.J. Stroud and Houston prevailed, as the Colts fell short of a game-winning drive on a crucial drop in the red zone with just over a minute to go.
Stroud and DeMeco Ryans are the first rookie quarterback/head coach combo to reach the playoffs since Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano led Indianapolis to the postseason in 2012.
Eleven playoff teams have already clinched a playoff berth: The Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs, Texans, and Browns in the AFC; and the 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Rams, and Eagles in the NFC.
That leaves two spots in each conference, with the Bills, Steelers, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Packers, Seahawks, Saints, Vikings, and Falcons still in with a chance on Sunday. — Touri
Will this be Matthew Slater’s last game? — 11:50 a.m.
While all eyes are on Bill Belichick with his future still shrouded in doubt, there seems to be less mystery about whether this is Matthew Slater’s final game in Foxborough.
The special teams ace looks set for a sendoff on Sunday, with his likeness gracing the gameday program and his teammates donning commemorative hoodies for warmups. Slater hasn’t announced anything officially, but all signs point to Week 18 being his last hurrah.
It’s unclear if the Patriots will honor Slater in any formal way, but Bill Belichick is known to arrange a farewell moment. Maybe he’ll even let Slater drop kick an extra point. — Touri
Inactives analysis: Jones out, Nathan Rourke to back up Zappe — 11:40 a.m.
The Patriots have announced their inactives, and there’s one big surprise on the list.
Mac Jones will be the emergency 3rd quarterback for the first time, and it seems like Nathan Rourke will instead by the backup to Bailey Zappe. It’s a call that probably won’t have any effect on the game anyway, but Jones being sat down entirely is unexpected.
Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (ankle) is also inactive after being limited in practice on Friday. That will mean more work for Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte with New England down to four wideouts.
Trent Brown’s strange season in New England won’t include a Week 18 finale as he’s ruled out with what the team has called an illness. Brown did not practice throughout the week, and his absence likely means another start at LT for Vederian Lowe.
Joshuah Bledsoe, JaMycal Hasty, Sam Roberts, and La’Michael Pettway round out the inactives.
That means a return to the lineup for Jabrill Peppers, one of the bright spots on the defense for New England this season, after missing the last two games. — Touri
Mac Jones is inactive — 11:35 a.m.
About the Jets’ messy QB situation — 11:30 a.m.
It’s been a bizarre season under center for the Jets after losing Aaron Rodgers to an Achilles’ tear on the very first drive of the season. They were forced to turn back to Zach Wilson, the former No. 2 overall pick who was struggled throughout his time in New York. Wilson has played 12 games and thrown for 2,271 yards, 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Things were bad enough with Wilson that coach Robert Saleh turned to Tim Boyle, who went undrafted out of Connecticut after throwing one touchdown and 13 interceptions in college. Boyle was even worse, putting Wilson back in the starting role, but a concussion has ruled the third-year quarterback out of Sunday’s game.
With Wilson unavailable, journeyman Trevor Siemian will get his third start of the season. In four total appearances, Siemian has thrown for 654 yards, 2 TDs, and 4 picks this year. — Touri
Spotted: Josh McDaniels at Gillette — 11:25 a.m.
Farewell, Trent Brown — 11:15 a.m.
It’s hard to imagine left tackle Trent Brown will be back in New England next season, based on how this season is ending.
The 30-year-old Brown, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, started the season strong, but availability issues once again derailed him. Brown’s playing time had slowly decreased as a result of injury and personal reasons, before the team made him a healthy scratch in Week 16.
Headed into the season finale, Brown has been ruled out. He has been on the field for only 58.5 percent of the offensive snaps, which means he will not hit any of his playing-time incentives and miss out on up to $6.5 million. Brown’s lowest incentive benchmark was 65 percent of snaps.
With Brown’s likely departure, re-signing Mike Onwenu and finding another premium tackle should be a top offseason priority. — Yang
Players honor Matt Slater — 11:05 a.m.
Players are warming up in navy sweatshirts that say “Captain” and No. 18 on the back in honor of special teamer Matthew Slater, who is likely playing his last game. — Yang
Snubbed — 11:00 a.m.
The Patriots do not have a Pro Bowl selection for the first time since 2000.
The potential snubs are defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who has emerged as a disruptive force with a career-high 8.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and 54 tackles. Safety Jabrill Peppers also could be seen as a snub, despite missing the last two games.
Players are selected to the Pro Bowl based on votes from fellow players, coaches, and fans. The fact that the Patriots were one of four teams without a selection, joining Green Bay, Washington, and Carolina, reflects their lack of star power. — Yang
It’s time for ‘The Talk’ — 10:55 a.m.
The relationship had a lot of highs, but after 24 years it has evolved to a place where it may no longer be tenable. Circumstances have changed. The spark is gone.
But before Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick make any decisions about the future, they will have The Talk.
Kraft has said nothing publicly this season about Belichick’s future as the Patriots (4-12) plummeted to the bottom of the standings. They have one last inconsequential game to play, hosting the 6-10 Jets Sunday at 1 p.m.
Kraft’s silence has extended to Belichick, as well. Per a source, Kraft has left Belichick in the dark about his future and the direction of the franchise. They have not had any big-picture discussions all season.
“I’m looking forward to working, getting ready for the Jets here,” Belichick said Wednesday when asked if he has had any conversations with Kraft.
When Sunday’s game ends, that’s when the real action begins. Kraft and Belichick are expected to meet as early as Monday to discuss the state of the franchise and, directly or indirectly, Belichick’s future with the Patriots, according to a league source and ESPN.
But don’t expect a swift resolution on the NFL’s “Black Monday,” or the days after. Moving on from a legendary coach, as many inside the league expect to happen, is a delicate dance for Kraft. The expectation is that Kraft and Belichick will have multiple discussions over the next several weeks before any decision is set in stone.
Read the rest of the story here.
Is Bill Belichick the right coach to rebuild the Patriots into a contender? — 10:40 a.m.
Column by Christopher L. Gasper
Many great generals are forced to make a last stand. Sunday at Gillette Stadium is Bill Belichick’s last stand in the losingest season of his legendary career and potentially as coach of the franchise he etched into NFL history.
It’s challenging not to get sentimental about what could be Belichick’s final game as Patriots coach, fittingly against his forever foil, the Jets, a franchise that framed and facilitated his greatness. Anyone with an ounce of sentimentality demands the Patriots win this game. Being governed by that same emotion, one yearns for the Patriots to give the Hoodie another year.
Yet, one of Belichick’s greatest strengths as general contractor of the Patriots for the last 24 seasons has been his lack of sentimentality when someone no longer has a clear long-term fit or future with the team. Better to part ways a year early than a year late.
Applying Belichick’s own logic, the only question the Krafts should entertain when deciding Belichick’s fate is whether he’s the right guy for the job of rebuilding and restoring the Patriots to contention? Nothing else matters.
Read the rest of the column here.
If this is the end for Bill Belichick, he deserves gratitude — 10:30 a.m.
Column by Dan Shaughnessy
Is this really it for Bill Belichick?
After 24 years, 17 division titles, 13 AFC Championship games, nine trips to the Super Bowl, six Lombardis, Spygate, Deflategate, Mona Lisa Vito, and 10,000 “just doing what’s best for our football team” non-answers … is this really the end for Belichick as head coach of the New England Patriots? ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Thursday that Belichick, Patriots owner Bob Kraft, and team president Jonathan Kraft have a meeting scheduled for Monday. Putting beleaguered Bill in a room with combustible Jon is not likely to yield an amicable split.
Back at the turn of the century when Bill was hired, “Mr. Kraft” (a.k.a. “Robert”) was still plain old Brookline Bob and the ringless Patriots were playing in third-class Foxboro Stadium with aluminum bleachers. Myra Kraft was the franchise’s North Star, Gil and Gino were telling us where they ate dinner in Miami, and Scott Zolak was starting his media career with Bob Lobel after being cut by Dave Wannstedt in Miami. Tebucky Jones was trying to figure out what “press corner” meant.
Enter Bill Belichick, new HC of NEP. Hired in the first month of the 21st century.
I had dinner with Belichick and his PR consigliere Berj Najarian in Watertown a few weeks after Bill set up shop in Foxborough. Later that year, we met for a formal interview along with Bill’s then-wife Debby at the Nantucket Inn just before camp in August. We covered a lot of ground that night, and Bill fessed up to his grouchy persona, joking, “I hope you’ll enjoy my press conferences.”
Read the rest of the column here.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang. Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social. Chad Finn can be reached at chad.finn@globe.com. Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com. Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram at @katiemac.sports.