Bill Belichick isn’t kicking the “no days off” mantra to the curb any time soon.
Responding to recent criticism over the rigidity of the Patriot Way, the five-time Super Bowl-winning coach said piling on the W’s remains New England’s No. 1 priority.
“We feel what’s important to us is to win,” Belichick said Thursday during a press conference, per Pro Football Talk. “So that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Former Patriots defensive end Cassius Marsh blasted Belichick’s regime after getting a taste of it during his nine-game stint in New England last season, telling the San Francisco Chronicle “there’s nothing happy about it.” Eagles tackle Lane Johnson later chimed in: “You can have your rings. You can also have f–king 15 miserable years.”
In what should come as no surprise, Belichick could not care less about such colorful commentary.
“We’re focused on what we’re doing, trying to get better and taking each day we can to try to improve our football team,” Belichick said. “Not really focused on what everybody else is doing.”
Martellus Bennett with the Patriots in 2016Getty ImagesThough veteran players, including safety Devin McCourty and linebacker Dont’a Hightower, have said New England’s competitive methods aren’t for everyone, one-time Patriot Martellus Bennett weighed in on the growing controversy in unique fashion.
“Fun is relative. Some people have fun skydiving, others find it terrifying. Some people find clubs fun, others find dinner parties fun. Some folks find sex fun, others think it’s miserable. It’a all relative,” Bennett tweeted Thursday.
“After losing for 10 years, I found winning extremely fun. What it took to become a winner wasn’t fun but the results were and the guys I won with were plenty fun,” he continued.
Bennett, who announced his retirement in March, was part of the Patriots team that staged the greatest Super Bowl comeback in history, besting the Falcons 34-28 in February 2017 after overcoming a 28-3 deficit at halftime.
As for the Patriots still on the current roster, they’re off to a shaky start this offseason given the absence of stars Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Both of their futures were brought into question following New England’s Super Bowl LII defeat to Philadelphia in February, but the offensive duo will return for the 2018 season.



