Bill Belichick appears to understand the AFC East paradigm has shifted

Belichick found fresh ways to keep the Patriots on top during the Tom Brady era, winning 17 out of 19 division titles, reaching nine Super Bowls and winning six of them. This is a different task, though, because the Patriots are no longer the league’s overpowering bullies. They’re the underdogs, even in their own backyard.

The AFC East has its new heavyweight. The Buffalo Bills have been divisional champions the past three years and are hungry for the kind of deep postseason success that has so far eluded Josh Allen and company.

The New York Jets, you might have heard, picked up some guy named Aaron Rodgers over the summer, and, coupled with some strong supporting parts and an elite defense, are expected to be both good and interesting this year.

In Miami, there is also significant optimism surrounding the Dolphins, with Tua Tagovailoa’s notable growth a reason for satisfaction, and an 8-3 start to last season providing a glimpse of what might be possible.

That makes three teams on a strong trajectory. Three quarterbacks who have the faith of their fan base.

New England, and QB Mac Jones, are perhaps the odd ones out, with serious question marks still hovering over Jones and legitimate queries about whether he is truly the right answer long-term following some second-year regression that produced 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Belichick was too savvy to give much away on Jones — those enlightening press conferences might come once every few years — and he was his usual cagey self when quizzed on the matter during his availability this week at organized team activities.

“We’re all trying to prove ourselves,” Belichick said. “It is the start of football season. We have all got a lot of work to do, things to learn, understand, improve on, work on. We’re all doing the same thing. Going through the process, building blocks, building the foundation, working with our teammates and getting better day by day.”

Just as much as the Beantown talk is about Jones, it is also about Belichick, now 71, and how long he might have left in the position.

Patience in the NFL isn’t really a thing, and the rope is short even for a coach who has won as much as Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft essentially admitted as much in March, stating “you either execute and win or you don’t.”

Kraft was a little more circumspect last week, adding: “I think we have the most difficult division in the NFL. The best balance of teams. All the other three teams are good. So, we’ll have our challenges, but I’m really hopeful about this team.”

If a poor season meant Belichick were to leave the head coaching role he has occupied since 2000, it would almost certainly be handled sensitively, and accompanied by the offer of transition to an overseeing front office role.

For now, the Patriots need some positive vibes as they prepare to swim in a division of sharks. The defense is strong, the receiving corps isn’t — which is why the visit of free agent DeAndre Hopkins last week generated excitement and speculation. Hopkins would be a powerful weapon for Jones to aim at, but he left without a deal. If the veteran receiver is seeking somewhere where he can be confident of a playoff run, the Patriots might have some work to do to show him that’s feasible in New England.

This kind of stuff isn’t normal for Belichick, after such a long stint at the top. For the first time in … ever, he’s going into a season where his team is the favorite to finish at the bottom of its division. Where just making the playoffs is seen as a somewhat lofty goal, but also a concrete floor in terms of what is wanted by the ownership.

That’s pressure. Something that is, as he pointed out those years ago, never far away. But, perhaps, especially sharp right now.