AFC Notes: Bill Belichick, Drake Maye, Garrett Wilson, Jets, Patriots

Bill Belichick

• According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Patriots HC Bill Belichick mentioned he’s had a “couple of good conversations” with the University of North Carolina and will see where talks progress.
• Belichick said if he took a college job “it would be an NFL program” that gets players ready for the next level and life after football. (Jonathan Jones)
• Regarding the possibility of Belichick signing with North Carolina, Rapoport said the rumors are real “at the very least” and it does seem like Belichick could get the job if everything is aligned. 
• Rapoport, citing people he’s spoken to on both sides, said Belichick could potentially get the head coaching job. 
• Rapoport mentions that it doesn’t seem that Belichick achieving the NFL’s wins record is his most important goal and, in the end, he wants to be a head coach again. 

Jets

The Jets fell to 3-10 on the season after an overtime loss against the Dolphins where they felt they made enough plays to win. New York WR Garrett Wilson talked about the Jets always finding ways to lose and how surprising the results are compared to their preseason expectations. 

“When you’re up in the fourth quarter all of a sudden it starts to feel like we have a losing problem, like a gene or some s—,” Wilson said, via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. “It’s not like we’re going out there and getting our butt beat from start to finish. No, we have a chance to win the game, we’re supposed to win the game, odds are in our favor and we find a way to lose.”

“How shocking is it? If you had told me that in training camp I would’ve been shocked. As far as how the season’s went and stuff like that, I ain’t that shocked. If you had told me that in training camp after the way we prepped, the way we practiced, the way we handled business when we had the other teams come in, I would’ve been like: Yeah, you’re lying. Hell no. We put it together, but one of my takeaways from this is we gotta win when the season comes. Winning in the offseason is winning in the offseason. Winning in training camp is winning in training camp. Let’s win when it matters.”

• When appearing on Up & Adams, Jets WR Davante Adams compared being traded from the Raiders to New York, saying he still thinks he made the right decision: “It’s just like you’re going to war… but you got a knife and everybody else got a rifle. And somebody hands you a rifle… And you go to shoot the rifle and it jams up… You did the right thing by grabbing the rifle. It just didn’t work the way you intended it to.”

Patriots

Patriots first-round QB Drake Maye has provided a glimpse of positivity for New England’s season as he has shown promise to be the franchise quarterback they drafted him to be. Patriots QB coach T.C. McCartney outlined how Maye has already improved into the leader of the offense. 

“He is coming into his own. Becoming the starting quarterback, that allows you to be a little more outgoing in his leadership style,” McCartney said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “But I think he just relates to the guys well; I don’t think he has to try really hard to do it. The better you play early on, the easier it is.”

Maye spoke about starting the season as the backup and having to earn his stay as the team’s starter.

“Starting the season, obviously you plan on wanting to be the starter. Then, handling adversity when I’m actually in there playing,” Maye said. “So it’s handling the difficult times, bouncing back, and knowing at this position that these guys look to me. I’ve got to keep an upbeat mindset and personality because these guys follow me, listen to me and respect me.”