Bill Belichick: 'The Last 25 Years' Are Reason Patriots Fans Should Be Optimistic

For most franchises, going four seasons without winning a playoff game wouldn't register as much more than a blip, especially if there were two postseason appearances and a division title mixed in during that span.

For the New England Patriots of the Bill Belichick era, that may as well be an eternity.

Patriots fans could be forgiven if they aren't feeling optimistic after last season's 8-9 effort that left long-term questions at the quarterback position and the team looking up at the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.

But Belichick kept things simple when asked why fans should feel optimistic.

"The last 25 years," he said, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.

It's hard to argue that considering Belichick has led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC championships, a 262-108 record in the regular season and a 30-12 mark in the playoffs during his 23 seasons as the head coach.

Things may not be looking as rosy as they did when Tom Brady was under center for much of that run, but Belichick is one of the greatest coaches in the history of all sports. He has figured out challenges in the past, and he clearly believes he will have New England ready to compete again in the near future.