There Comes a Time When You Have to Lose to Win, and for the New England Patriots That Time is Now...

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At 3-11, and heading into their week 16 game with the Denver Broncos, there's absolutely no reason for the New England Patriots to win any of their remaining three games. Now it should be all about being in a position to get the top draft pick in 2024, and that means losing out. 

Currently, the 2-12 Carolina Panthers are in position to get the number one pick, but because of their trade with the Chicago Bears for Bryce Young, the Bears are in position to get the first overall pick in 2024. If the season were to end right now, the Patriots would have the second overall pick, the highest draft pick they've had under Bill Belichick's leadership. 

With a record of 1-7 at home, and only one home game left to play, the final one against the 5-9 Jets, there's a good chance that's the only game they have a legitimate chance to win. The 7-7 Broncos (Christmas Eve) and the 8-6 Bills (New Year's Eve), will be tough games; both teams are still in the playoff hunt.  

Even on teams that have been eliminated, like the Patriots, players are still playing for contracts, some with their current teams, others trying to get the interest of new teams. No one taking the field on game day wants to lose or perform poorly. The only individuals who can control the game's outcome and manipulate losses are the coaches, and although that's something the NFL discourages, those orders can come from team owners, and since they sign the checks, those orders are hard to ignore. 

It was back in 2019 that Dolphins' head coach Brian Flores alleged he was offered $100,000 per loss by owner Stephen Ross so that Miami could secure the first pick in the 2020 draft. Flores claimed his refusal to comply was the beginning of the end for him in Miami. Two hours after Flores's lawsuit was released, the NFL dismissed it, claiming it was without merit. 

Former Browns head coach Hue Jackson claimed that team owner Jimmy Haslam incentivized losses and that his 1-36 record during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, which led to them getting the No.1 draft pick in 2017 and 2018, was exactly what ownership wanted. The Browns denied Jackson's charge calling his claim completely fabricated. 

With three games left, Coach Belichick has 163 regular season losses, and he has a good chance of tying the record (165). If he loses out, he would become the Losingest NFL Coach Regular Season while still with the Patriots. And with rumors swirling that Belichick will be coaching another team in 2024, potentially in the AFC, possibly the AFC East (Jets, Bills), he may want to squeeze out a couple more wins to prevent New England from having a chance at getting the number one or number two draft pick. 

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It's a strange dynamic for Belichick, closing out the 2023 season, and potentially a successful career in New England, needing losses to put his current team in a better position in the draft, but wanting wins to prevent his potential rival from getting the top pick. But that's Belichick's conundrum… 

Some insiders believe a strong Patriots' finish would give Kraft reason to keep Belichick, at least as head coach, while others in the know believe the decision to move on from him has already been made.

I've never been a big fan of losing out, but at this point in the season, with the many needs the Patriots have, there are absolutely no reasons for the Patriots to win even one of the remaining three games. 

At least for now, it's all just rumors and guessing games, but it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out for Belichick and the Patriots when their season ends…