Sometimes it just takes a fresh set of eyes to diagnose what’s going on. Mark Schlereth was in the booth Sunday for the Patriots’ dismal loss to the Saints, and though the veteran analyst doesn’t call Patriots games often, he was able to identify exactly what’s ailing them.
Late in the third quarter, the camera panned to Bill Belichick on the sidelines, providing Schlereth with the space to explain why the Patriots now have a losing record —and have been a mediocre entity since midway through the 2019 season.
“How many uncharacteristic mistakes and blunders have the Patriots made today?,” he said. “From a blocked punt to a kick out of bounds to two interceptions to dropped footballs. This has got to drive Bill Belichick crazy. He’s such a perfectionist. This is the kind of thing he win games on — not making mistakes. And today, it’s cost him the game.”
It’s hard to more succinctly analyze the Patriots’ situation than that. New England committed a plethora of mistakes Sunday, including the aforementioned blocked punt in the first half and two brutal picks from Mac Jones. As play-by-play man Adam Amin mentioned, Damien Harris’ fumble also cost the Patriots their Week 1 contest against the Dolphins.
One of the hallmarks of the Patriots during their dynastic run was the fact they never beat themselves. But that is no longer the case. Given how slowly national narratives can change — especially when it comes to NFL broadcasts — it was refreshing to hear Amin and Schlereth up on New England’s new error-laden reality.
Schlereth also doesn’t hesitate to criticize players and officials, which is a rarity among color commentators. He rightly laid into Jameis Winston after he had tossed up a prayer in the end zone while he was being brought down, even though the throw resulted in a touchdown. A ticky-tack penalty on Nelson Agholor in the second half prompted Schlereth to remark he would “just let them play football.”
Still, there were some limits to Schlereth’s bite. He spent the majority of the afternoon lavishing Mac Jones with praise, even though the rookie QB struggled immensely. Towards the end of the contest, Schlereth said the two picks weren’t on him, which is completely inaccurate.
But from a big picture standpoint, Schlereth nailed the new and depressing normal in Foxborough. Usually in this space we criticize announcers for screwing up. But this week, Schlereth deserves credit for criticizing Belichick.
