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ATLANTA

Bill Belichick had his second interview for the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday. This brings him one step closer to potentially joining the team that faced their biggest defeat while he was coaching on the opposing side.

The Falcons had a virtual meeting with Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn. However, all attention was on Belichick as there were rumors that he was their top pick and had traveled to Atlanta on one of owner Arthur Blank’s private planes.

If Belichick were to join the Falcons, a team that has not had a successful season since 2017 and has never won a Super Bowl, it would be a surprising change of events.

Belichick was coach of the New England Patriots when they pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, rallying from a 28-3 deficit in the second half to beat the Falcons 34-28 in overtime after the 2016 season.

Atlanta qualified for the postseason the following year, but has not returned since. Arthur Smith was terminated mere hours after the conclusion of this season’s last match – a disappointing defeat against New Orleans, marking his third consecutive 7-10 season.

Belichick, whose six Super Bowl titles are more than any other coach, is coming off a 4-13 season — the worst of his career — that led to him parting ways with the Patriots less than two weeks ago.

His last year in New England was plagued by significant problems at the quarterback position. Mac Jones was taken out of the game and Bailey Zappe also had difficulties.

The Falcons faced similar issues with their key player, alternating between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke in a last-ditch effort by Smith to keep his job.

Should Belichick decide to join Atlanta, it is likely with the agreement that Blank, CEO Rich McKay, and general manager Terry Fontenot will be open to seeking a better quarterback option.

Having won 333 games in his career, including postseason matches, Belichick shows no signs of slowing down as he nears the impressive record of 347 wins set by the late Don Shula.

Belichick teamed with quarterback Tom Brady to capture a half-dozen rings over an 18-season span in what many consider the greatest dynasty in NFL history. For good measure, Belichick was a part of two more championship teams while working on the New York Giants’ staff under Bill Parcells.

However, Belichick’s image suffered a significant blow when Brady departed from the Patriots after the 2019 season and promptly obtained his seventh Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a competitor of the Falcons in the NFC South.

The Patriots have only had one successful season since then, which was a single playoff appearance in 2021. During this time, they have recorded a 29-38 record, which is not significantly better than Atlanta’s 25-42 record.

Besides Belichick and Glenn, the Falcons have also conducted interviews with Jim Harbaugh, the coach of Michigan, Mike Macdonald, the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, Brian Callahan, the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, Steve Wilks, the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, Ejiro Evero, the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers, Anthony Weaver, the assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the Ravens, and Brian Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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The Associated Press NFL coverage can be found at: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl.

Source: wralsportsfan.com