Despite the tough loss to the Buffalo Bills, head coach Bill Belichick wants to return to the sidelines next season. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones even received special praise from the coaching legend.

Munich – He couldn’t imagine being on the sidelines until the ripe old age of 70, Bill Belichick once stated.

New England Patriots: Belichick plans return

Although the New England Patriots head coach will pass that mark in April, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. He will also return to Foxborough as head coach next season. “I think it’s safe to say that,” he explained Sunday when asked by reporters.

A day earlier, his team’s playoff duel with the Buffalo Bills was lost 17-47 by a very wide margin, and perplexity loomed over the Patriots. The coaching legend noted that he was still preoccupied with the defeat, but that he was now in a better position to assess the season as a whole.

“We had our weaknesses over the season, but that was certainly the least competitive game we played,” the 69-year-old expressed disappointment, “Is that really us? Or did we just have a bad night? I guess we’ll find out next season then.

New England Patriots: Special praise for Mac Jones

However, he doesn’t want to boil down progress over the course of the season to that one game, “Obviously it was the most important game, but there were 17 other important games as well. They all have to go into our assessment and then we’ll see what we need to do better,” he said, explaining the offseason approach.

Although it will be a “thorough process”, he said he is already looking forward to the new season. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones finally got some special praise: “He helped us a lot. I’m looking forward to working with him next season,” Belichick concluded.