Big mistake: Dallas cowboys announced the departure of two key players…..

Belichick, Falcons Schedule Second Meeting – BELICHICK BLOG

Welcome to the home of the latest breaking news, juicy rumors and assorted tidbits surrounding the end of Bill Belichick’s legendary career coaching the New England Patriots.

With records of 31 playoff wins and six Super Bowls, along with 333 overall victories and three Coach of the Year awards over 29 seasons, Bill Belichick is one of the greatest head coaches in the history of the NFL and American sports.

As of last week, he is also the former coach of the New England Patriots and a coveted free agent.

While the Pats move on with new coach Jerod Mayo, Belichick seeks to land with another team next season.

The latest breaking news, juicy rumors and assorted tidbits …

JAN. 18 BELICHICK, FALCONS MEETING FOR SECOND TIME – With the Cowboys out of the equation, things seem to be adding up for Belichick to coach the Falcons.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones announced Wednesday night that he was retaining Mike McCarthy, eliminating the Cowboys as a potential landing spot for Belichick.

But after a face-to-face meeting last weekend – rumored to have taken place aboard Atlanta owner Arthur Blank’s $180 million yacht in the Virgin Islands – Belichick and the Falcons are scheduled to hold a second interview with the Falcons this weekend.

While the first meeting was apparently just Belichick and Blank getting acquainted, this one will be include the Falcons’ front office and encompass more details and perhaps even contract negotiations.

While the Patriots move forward with new coach Jerod Mayo, Belichick to the Falcons could pave the way for a fascinating, potentially historic 2025 game at Gillette Stadium.

Belichick is 14 wins from tying Don Shula’s all-time NFL record. In 2025 the Falcons are scheduled to play in Foxboro.

JAN. 17 MCCARTHY RETURNING TO COWBOYS – Juicy as it would have been for Belichick to attempt to co-exist with Jerry Jones, you can cross the Cowboys off the list of possibilities for the the former Patriots coaching legend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday night that Mike McCarthy will not be fired and is returning to Dallas in 2024.

Belichick was long connected to the Cowboys, but after meeting with McCarthy the last two days Jones decided to give another season to the coach that over the last three years has produced 36 wins and two division championships.

The Falcons are so far the only team that Belichick has interviewed with.

JAN. 17 GM COMPARES SAINTS COACH TO BELICHICK, ALL-TIME GREATS – In announcing that head coach Dennis Allen will be back next season, New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis stepped in … history.

Allen was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders before taking over the Saints. In five years he has never had a winning record or made the playoffs, going 16-18 in two seasons in New Orleans. Loomis, however, sees Allen’s 24-46 record as merely a potential – if not peculiar – path to Canton.

He laid out the modest coaching starts by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Chuck Noll, Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys and Patriots legend Bill Belichick.

“All of them Hall of Fame coaches,” he said. “The easy thing is to blame them. You gotta look beyond that.”

Records over first five seasons: Landry 18-46-4 (.281), Dennis Allen 24-46 (.343), Noll 33-37 (.417), Belichick 36-44 (.450). Landry led an expansion franchise, while Noll and Belichick inherited teams with five combined wins in the previous season. The Saints were 9-8 under Sean Payton three years ago.

Belichick’s Patriots did lose to Allen’s Saints, 34-0, this season at Gillette Stadium. We’ve taken the liberty of comparing Belichick and Landry, but Allen seems a stretch.

JAN. 17 MAC ATTACK: BELICHICK, KRAFT FOUGHT OVER QB – Publicly, Belichick and Kraft parted amicably last week. But last season the relationship between the Patriots owner and former coach wasn’t so hunky-dory.

In ESPN’s scathing postmortem story, in fact, Belichick and Kraft were so at odds over quarterback Mac Jones that the future Hall of Fame coach reportedly kept playing him out of spite … to prove to Kraft that his favorite player had further deteriorated.

Claimed a source close to Belichick in the story: “It was a (bleep) you to Kraft.”

Belichick, it seems, never wanted to draft Jones. He wanted, instead, Cal’s Davis Mills (who went to the Houston Texans and is now C.J. Stroud’s backup). When Jones made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, Kraft took pride in “his” guy.

Then Belichick sabotaged Jones by putting him under the tutelage of defensive-minded coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in 2022. After a season of regression, Belichick went to Kraft with trade proposals. The owner pushed back, and the team wound up hiring offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to repair Jones.

But last season was even worse. Jones regressed further, with Belichick serving him the indignity of benching him during games – including before the final possession of a winnable game in Germany … one the coach knew the owner particularly wanted to win.

Jones is under contract next season, but his confidence must be pudding at this point.

With Belichick gone, nothing would make Kraft happier than for Jerod Mayo’s new staff to be able to restore Jones’ Pro Bowl talent.

JAN. 16 BELICHICK HAS COMPETITION FOR FALCONS JOB – Belichick may wind up as the next coach of the Falcons, but he won’t run for the job unopposed. One night after announcing that they talked to the former Patriots coach about their opening, Atlanta said it had conducted an interview with Jim Harbaugh.

Harbaugh, who last week led Michigan to college football’s National Championship, also this week interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers.

There are currently seven head coach opening in the NFL, with the Cowboys and Eagles reportedly also considering firing their coaches Mike McCarthy and Nick Sirianni.

JAN. 16 MAC POSTS TRIBUTE TO BELICHICK – There have been stories in the last year that Belichick never wanted to draft Mac Jones in the first place (instead desiring Davis Mills) and put the quarterback on the trading block. And of course we saw this season where the coach unceremoniously benched Jones four times during games and ultimately yanked his starting job away and gave it to Bailey Zappe.

Despite those trials and tribulations, Jones had the class this week to give thanks to his former coach on social media.

Wrote Jones on Instagram:

“Coach Belichick has made such a big impact on my life. I grew up dreaming of playing in the NFL and that dream grew even stronger after I watched Coach Belichick and the Patriots win the Super Bowl in my hometown. My dream to play in the NFL came true when I was drafted to the Patriots organization and I am grateful to have played for and learned from such a legendary coach. Coach Belichick has impacted me and so many other players in immeasurable ways. I wish Coach Belichick and his family continued success in the future. #ForeverNE”

Jones might get a fresh start to compete for New England’s QB1 now that Jerod Mayo is the new coach.

JAN. 16 EAGLES ALSO INTERESTED IN BELICHICK – Because suddenly the Patriots’ horrible season doesn’t feel so horrible, Belichick has lots of suitors. So many playoff pratfalls, so many options.

Belichick has already formally interviewed with the Falcons. And before the “Bill to the Cowboys” heat full intensified in the wake of Dallas’ upset loss to the Green Bay, here comes smoke from the Eagles. After their embarrassing defeat in Tampa Bay that punctuated a collapse from a 10-1 start, Philly could be firing Nick Sirianni and also looking to talk to the future Hall of Famer.

There is scuttlebutt around the league that Belichick is on owner Jeffrey Lurie’s wish list. Pro Football Talk, in fact, thinks Belichick might be on the verge of leaving a 4-13 team to having his choice between rosters loaded with Super Bowl talent.

Writes PFT today:

“The question for Belichick could come down to balancing a Super Bowl-ready roster (like the Cowboys or Eagles can offer) against the possibility that Blank will break the bank and/or give Belichick full control of the team, clearing out the front office and letting Belichick do his thing. … Does Belichick look for a place where the deck is stacked to rack up wins or a place where he’d be offered considerably more power and cash?”

Seven teams currently have coaching openings. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is meeting Tuesday with Mike McCarthy. And after Monday night’s debacle the Eagles might also have an imminent vacancy.

JAN. 15 FALCONS CONFIRM BELICHICK INTERVIEW – So, maybe the yacht rumors were accurate after all?

The Atlanta Falcons announced Monday night they have indeed interviewed Belichick for their head coaching job. NFL Network reported that although the former Patriots coach met “in person” with Falcons owner Arthur Blank, no deal is imminent.

There obviously is interest. The Falcons are Belichick’s first suitor. But don’t expect them to be his last.

The Pats don’t play the Falcons next season, but they will visit Gillette Stadium in 2025. Think of the drama if Bill returned to Foxboro on the brink of breaking Don Shula’s NFL record for the most coaching wins?!

But just for fun, get those 28-3 punch lines ready.

JAN. 15 BELICHICK ODDS FAVOR COWBOYS; ON FALCONS’ YACHT? – They don’t call this time of the NFL calendar the “silly season” for nothing.

Former Patriots legend Belichick is soaring up the betting odds, now as the favorite to be the next coach of the Cowboys. But in the spirit of the wacky period between the end of the regular season and the Super Bowl, here comes a preposterous rumor