In the offseason, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear that he wants to get back to the playoffs, after missing the postseason in two of the last three years. Kraft also said in June that his only football satisfaction will come from winning a seventh Super Bowl.
This year, it will be a stunner if the Patriots win seven games. Indeed, they’ve already lost seven of nine. Before Sunday’s game against the Colts in Germany, Kraft was interviewed by NFL Network’s Rich Eisen.
“This is our thirtieth year that I’ve had the privilege of owning this team, and I’ve never been 2-7,” Kraft said. “So it’s really disappointing and I hoped that things would be a lot better, as I know our fan base did. And I hope today is a chance to reset and make this a much better year. This isn’t what we were expecting to happen this year.”
Plenty on the outside expected it. After years of the Patriots being the Harlem Globetrotters of the AFC East, they’re now the Washington Generals. And their record confirms it.
Kraft did not address the status of coach Bill Belichick. With a contract that we now know runs only through 2024, it’s even harder to imagine Belichick staying beyond the current season. The real question is how the divorce will happen — firing, retirement, resignation, mutual parting, or potentially a trade (as a practical matter) to a new team.
