Bill Belichick: Has His Legacy Been Irrevocably Damaged?

Love him or hate him, Bill Belichick has developed a reputation as the best head coach in the NFL for the past decade and among the best of all time.

But Belichick and his New England Patriots teams have come upon some hard times in the postseason lately, most recently losing to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday.

It's gotten people wondering how exactly the loss has affected Belichick's legacy. It took a shot, sure, but can he retain his status as the best in the NFL?

Here are five reasons why his legacy is permanently tarnished and five reasons why he'll get it back.

Belichick Is 0-3 in His Last Three Playoff Games

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GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots passes in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants on February 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Get

It all started in Super Bowl XLII, when the New York Giants pulled off maybe the greatest upset in Super Bowl history.

Then in last year's Wild Card matchup with with the Baltimore Ravens, New England got run over, losing 33-14 at home.

With the loss to the Jets on Sunday, Belichick and the Patriots are now 0-3 in their last three playoff games. Has Belichick lost his playoff magic? He's on the worst postseason slide of his career.

Belichick Still Has a Ridiculous Playoff Record

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on in the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Until last year's loss in the Wild Card Round to Baltimore, New England had never lost two playoff games in a row under Bill Belichick. They won three Super Bowls in four years.

Belichick is 15-4 as a head coach in the playoffs. There are few coaches even in the same stratosphere in terms of playoff success and they have names like Lombardi, Landry and Walsh.

Belichick would need tremendous failure to devalue his success.

The Patriots Have Failed to Adjust to a Strong Pass Rush

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looses the ball as he is sacked by Calvin Pace #97 of the New York Jets in the third quarter of their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011 in Foxboro,

The New England offense has been incredible with Tom Brady pulling the trigger. It even found great success under Matt Cassel.

But the playoff losses have all stemmed from the opponents' ability to disrupt the Patriots with pressure. Belichick and his offensive assistants have failed to make pass protection adjustments to account for it.

The New York Giants sacked Brady five times in Super Bowl XLII. The Ravens sacked Brady three times and hit him three times as well in the Wild Card game last season. The Jets sacked Brady five times Sunday and hit him seven times.

Belichick has failed to adjust his offense to stymie the pass rush. Adjustments used to be a forte.

Belichick Has Lost Big Games But Only Because He's Always in Big Games

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CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots talks with a referee during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Patriots defeated the Bears 36-7. (Photo by Jonat

Losing big games is tough. What's worse is never being in them. Belichick seems to always be in them. His teams have played in five AFC Championship games and four Super Bowls.

Other coaches may have better postseason records as of late, but Belichick has been at the top for a decade. Others have come and gone but there the Hoodie remains, looking down at the rest of the league until a team finds a way to knock him off.

The Patriots and Belichick Are in the Same Good Favor They Used to Be In

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03 Feb 2002: Quarterback Tom Brady celebrates after Superbowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Patriots won 20-17, with a 48-yard field goal by kicker Adam Vinatieri with 10 seconds left in the game . DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credi

Remember after 9/11, that awesome story about those upstart, underdog New England Patriots that the country rallied behind? And then they chose to be introduced as a team for the Super Bowl. Everyone loved them.

And then they kept winning. And Tom Brady married Gisele. And grew out his hair. Now everyone roots against them.

This means that every loss for Belichick comes with stricter judgment. People are looking for reasons to dock his reputation, which will cause his legacy to take a beating.

The Patriots Will Have Chances to Redeem Themselves

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on as his team play against the New York Giants on September 2, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Pa

Do you think Bill Belichick is going to just roll over and retire after his and the Patriots' loss to the Jets?

I don't think so.

He'll be back, maybe better than ever with another opportunity to show his mastery of his profession. He'll continue churning out double digit win seasons and have his chances at vengeance on the biggest stages.

Belichick's Defenses Are Down

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 5: Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots grips the ball as he is grabbed by Arnaz Battle #83 of the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL game on October 5, 2008 at Monster Park in San Francisco, California.

Bill Belichick is a defensive coach, spending 12 seasons with the New England Patriots under Bill Parcells as a defensive coach and several of those years as defensive coordinator.

His own Patriots teams built their dynasty on defense. In their first five playoff appearances under Belichick, the Patriots were a top-nine defense four times. Then last season, they were 11th. This season? 25th.

If the Patriots continue slipping defensively under Belichick the blame will have to be put on him. He's missing players such as Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour and Tedy Bruschi.

Belichick Is Still Undisputedly the Best Coach in the NFL

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 10: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2010 AFC wild-card playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 10, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Imag

Tony Dungy is no longer in the NFL. Neither is Bill Cowher. Mike Tomlin, Mike Smith, Rex Ryan and others are great coaches, but none are challenging Bill Belichick's status of top dog.

It's obvious, too. There's no one with Belichick's pedigree and there hasn't been in some time. Knocking him off will take a lot of work. Like winning three Super Bowls.

Belichick Lost a Direct and Deliberate Challenge to Rex Ryan

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Head coach Rex Ryan of the New York Jets looks on during their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Imag

Rex Ryan was blunt when stating that Sunday's game was Rex Ryan versus Bill Belichick. He called Belichick out, admitted being out-coached the last time the Jets and Pats played and said he planned to be the better coach this time around.

He was.

Ryan's defense was fine-tuned. His offense was efficient. His special teams was solid. If Ryan and others continue to call out Belichick and win, fans will take notice.

Bill Belichick Has Become a More Likeable Character

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Head coach Rex Ryan of the New York Jets hugs head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots after the Jets defeated the Patriots 28 to 21 in their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011

Bill Belichick used to be despised by most fans. There was Spygate and the reluctance to shake hands with former assistants that beat him as head coaches themselves.

But Belichick has begun turning that reputation around. He doesn't trash talk. He demands the same of his team. And when Wes Welker crossed Belichick's line, he benched him for a series.

Belichick's embrace yesterday with Rex Ryan after the game was meaningful and showed a softer side of Belichick that reminds people that he's human. If Belichick gives people a reason to like him, failure will come with less criticism.

Belichick Can Regain Any of His Legacy That He's Lost

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FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 26: Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots reacts after defeating the Buffalo Bills, 38-30, at Gillette Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

If Belichick's legacy has taken a hit—it's debatable that it has—it can easily be refurbished. Belichick is still the winner of three Super Bowls.

He's still the coach that's taken his Patriots teams to five AFC Championship games in the last 10 seasons. He's solidified his name on a very short list as one of the greatest coaches the NFL has ever seen.

He'll continue to add to his legacy.