Burdge: Latest Super Bowl Odds Provide Little Optimism For Patriots Fans

Bill Belichick spoke with the media on Monday at the yearly AFC coaches' breakfast in Phoenix and it was a classic performance from the Patriots’ head coach. 

There were the same old non-answers and vague answers and a very non-committal response to a question about Mac Jones, with Belichick saying, "Everybody will get a chance to play. We'll play the best player” when asked if it’s fair to say Jones and Bailey Zappe will be competing for the starting QB role.

But then Belichick was asked why Patriots fans should be optimistic heading into this season.

His response? “The last 25 years.” 

We'll address that response in a minute, but Vegas’ answer to this question is basically, “they shouldn’t be.” 

The Patriots now have the longest preseason odds to win the Super Bowl under Belichick at +7000 at Caesars. These odds are longer than those of the Jets at +1400, the Jaguars at +2500 and even the Lions +3000. That’s not great, Bob. 

Here’s the thing though, the last time the Patriots entered a season at least 50-1 was in 2001 and they won the Super Bowl that year. But they also had Tom Brady. The Patriots are coming off a season in which they missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, so I’d subtract a couple seasons off of that “25 years” comment. 

One could spin that comment as a hint that maybe Brady is coming out of retirement to play for the Patriots because that is the only way that statement is valid. He doesn’t have Brady anymore and Brady was the major reason for all the winning in New England in the past two decades. And now Belichick isn't even committing to the starting quarterback he has in Jones.

So unless Brady makes the wild move of coming back to football and quarterbacking the Patriots once again, there really is no reason to be optimistic right now.

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