Patriots coach Bill Belichick is closing in on the all-time record for regular-season and total wins in NFL history. Before he gets there, he might set a couple of other records.
Belichick, as noted by John Breech of CBSSports.com, is actually closer to the all-time record for losses than for wins .
He’s currently fifth on the list of regular-season and total defeats, with 152 and 165, respectively. The record for regular-season losses is shared by Dan Reeves and Jeff Fisher, with 165. Tom Landry has the most total losses, with 178.
Belichick sits only 13 losses away from both marks. He needs, conversely, 30 regular-season wins and 18 total wins to pass Don Shula’s records of 328 and 347.
The problem for Belichick comes from the recent trend, following the departure of Tom Brady after the 2019 season. His teams have gone 7-9 in 2020, 10-7 (0-1 in the playoffs) in 2021, and 8-9 in 2022. That’s a three-year mark of 25-25 in the regular season, with a 26th loss in the postseason.
While the records for both wins and losses would be a testament to his longevity, he quite possibly will earn the more notorious record before he secures the more coveted one.
The bigger question is whether he’ll have the chance to catch Shula’s records for wins (or the records for losses) with the Patriots. In March, owner Robert Kraft was specifically asked whether Belichick can survive another season without a playoff berth, or whether he’ll stay until he catches Shula. Kraft’s ominous response suggested that he’s less concerned about records than he is about the team succeeding.
If the Patriots go, for example, 8-9 and miss the playoffs again, will Belichick be back with the Patriots? And if he has to start over elsewhere, can he win enough with a new team to avoid what would be just four more losses to catch and five more to pass the all-time records for regular-season and total losses?
These are all fair questions to ask as the Patriots settle into their status as a middle-of-the-pack team, with perhaps a total roster on paper that will make it hard to finish ahead of the Bills, Dolphins, or Jets in the AFC East.
Given the schedule this year, which beyond six games in the division features contests against the Chiefs, Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, and Chargers, it could be hard to avoid finishing in last place for the first time since 2000. Which could make it difficult for Belichick to make it to 2024 in New England.