Mike Giardi

Bill is a wise man — both book-smart and business-savvy. Since his dismissal as the Patriots head coach, he has seen the place he called home for 50 years no longer view him through the same prism as it would have even just five years prior. Instead, his past success - and boy, that resume is nearly flawless for two decades - became just that, a thing of the past. Belichick's ego, desire for complete control, and unwillingness to surrender even a shred of that derailed any notion of him being Jacksonville's, Chicago's, or New Orleans' next head coach (or any other job that opened in this cycle). Had he been willing to say, 'I'll just coach the football team,' there is no doubt that he would be near the top of the list in several spots. Instead, as Belichick studied the landscape and did his due diligence on potential landing spots, he understood that he wouldn't be anyone's first choice, or even second. And to him, that was pure lunacy. So rather than play along to get along and possibly topple

Game #14: Patriots (3-10) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7), 4:25 p.m. Location : State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.

Don't be fooled by the final score. Don't let the spinmeisters alter what you saw today in Arizona.

I don't think any of us had visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads. We knew this Patriots team wasn't playoff-bound long before they opened training camp.

Giardi is here to help you drown your sorrows. A reminder to refrain from commenting on other posts until the chat is completed.

Continuity along the offensive line doesn't matter when the talent you're running out there is subpar or so raw and inexperienced that it leads to a slew of errors.

"No, no. Again, for me this week, my focus is on this game. The Bills, here today,” Mayo said. “Things that happen at the end of the season, I can't control those things. So it's all about the Bills."

"It's tough. If it works, it's a non-issue. If it doesn't, you second-guess that call. But schematically, we had the right call on. We just didn't get the job done."

For nearly 21 minutes, the Patriots looked like the best team in the AFC East. Led by Drake Maye , they went to Orchard Park, New York, and repeatedly

Stop me if you've heard this - or a variation of this - from Jerod Mayo before.