Ted Johnson: Patriots fans are right to question Bill Belichick

Should New England Patriots fans be losing their patience with Bill Belichick, or are six Super Bowl titles enough to give the legendary head coach the benefit of the doubt?

After nearly two decades of excellence, the Patriots have come crashing back down to earth the last three seasons. The 2019 campaign -- Tom Brady's final year in New England -- ended with a wild-card loss to the Tennessee Titans. Belichick and Co. went 7-9 and missed the postseason in the first year of the post-Brady era, and last season ended with a wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.

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With what's sure to be an eventful 2022 offseason ahead, former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson isn't so sure fans should still have the "In Belichick We Trust" mindset.

"I think you have to be concerned if you're a Patriots fan," Johnson said Monday on Early Edition. "Just the way the seasons have ended the last three years. The team has gotten worse as the season's gone on. That's typically a trademark not for the Patriots, and that's what you're seeing here. You're seeing the in-game adjustments not being up to snuff, you're seeing a lot of special teams gaps, and you're seeing players not developing at the rate in which they used to.

"For so long, Bill Belichick got the unconditional benefit of the doubt because of the six rings, because of the success here. And now clearly, the way the seasons have been ending and how the team has looked, I think it's right for Patriots fans to kind of question, is Bill Belichick firing on all cylinders and as good as he was when he started here?"

Belichick has plenty on his plate as he looks to build a Patriots team that can contend in 2022. In addition to filling holes on the roster, he'll be tasked with sorting out responsibilities on a coaching staff that may be without official offensive and defensive coordinators.