It was a Monday in early January of 2000. The owner of an NFL team walked into a crowded press room of a stadium that no longer exists.

He read a simple statement that basically said things had been trending in the wrong direction and a change needed to be made.

He took no questions, then walked out. He had just announced the firing of his head coach.

A short time later, that now former head coach met the media outside in the parking lot, the media lined up behind a long bike rack buffer so the coach could walk along it and shake the hands of all the media after giving a short statement. A classy move.

We remember, and were there when Robert Kraft fired Pete Carroll the morning after the 1999 season ended at Foxborough Stadium. Carroll’s teams had gone 10-6, 9-7, then 8-8, the latter coming when the team was 6-2 at the halfway point. Kraft had asked Carroll to make some changes in his style going into the season, and it seemed everything was working but then it fell apart. The team was bounced from playoff contention on the next-to-last week of the regular season after losing to a bad Philadelphia Eagles team at a mausoleum called Veterans Stadium. After that game, Carroll stood in thought and stared as the players dressed at their lockers to leave. Of course he’s gone on to have success in college and the NFL that could land him in the Hall of Fame, and, like Bill Belichick, is coaching in his 70s.

His “trend” back 25 years ago was nowhere near as bad as it is now with the Patriots, 29-37 since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season. So what will Kraft do now? He certainly doesn’t want to “fire” a man recognized as arguably the best NFL coach ever, who has coached here the last 24 seasons. But he likely will have to, in one form or another. Kraft’s silence over the second half of the season has spoke volumes,and even Belichick said the other day, perhaps in a slip, he said “I’m sure there will be another time to talk about other things” and then said, “…This week is about preparing for the Jets. And then, you know, there are a few things that happen after this game that we have to take care of.”

Yup. Gone.

We won’t get into all the pros and cons, most of which are fairly obvious. But the celebrities hanging in the owner’s box or showing up at training camp, the sponsors, the notoriety do not happen for 4-13 teams. The business side of the franchise is telling the owner that something has to change on the football side.

There will likely be more leaks than what was in the Titanic on Sunday morning with what the future of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots will be.

Belichick, meanwhile, is operating as if its business as usual, as one would expect.

“Whatever success I’ve had, I’ve tried to go about my job the same way every week – win, lose, good years, bad years, whatever they are,” Belichick said on WEEI earlier this past week. “Each week, get ready to go for that week, do the best you can to help your team win, and after that game move on to the next one.And at the end of the season, that’s the end of the season.”

It’s the end of the season all right.

“But,” he added, “on a week-to-week basis, I don’t want to spend time or get caught up in what happened five years ago or what’s going to happen two years from now, and a bunch of other random stuff. Just working on the Jets. … I’m committed to the team that I’m coaching right now, the players that are here. They deserve y best every day and that’s what I’m going to give them.”

All good things come to an end. If Belichick is truly toast, it will be because the players he’s had the last four years, that he picked, especially on offense, haven’t been good enough. In any sport, in 90 percent of the time, the players make the coach look better than he or she may really be.

With change, it’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when.

We’re on to something or someone, we just don’t know for sure what, who or when.

At a bike rack near you.

Meanwhile, let’s make our final regular season picks:

PATRIOTS 14, JETS 3

Somehow, some way Bailey Zappe and Ezekiel Elliott will trudge through the snow, because the Jets you know really don’t want to be there, especially with Trevor Simien taking snaps at QB. Emotional day for many Patriots, including the head coach.

BILLS 24, DOLPHINS 17

It should be Tua Time. But instead, the Dolphins are banged up, party de to some bad Mike McDaniel lineup decisions during last week’s lopsided loss to the Ravens. Bills take advantage in South Florida.

JAGUARS 27, TITANS 13

Jags really need this one, especially after Pittsburgh won Saturday at Baltimore. And with Trevor Lawrence vs. Ryan Tannehill, they have the better QB. Question is what happens to Mike Vrabel after a potential 5-12 last place finish.

SAINTS 30, FALCONS 13

Two Dome teams fighting for their playoff lives. Thing is Atlanta just doesn’t have enough offense. Saints don’t either, but they certainly have showed that they can, especially at Gillette earlier this season.

PACKERS 20, BEARS 17

You buying this theory that the Bears won’t trade Justin Fields after the season and then not grab Caleb Williams in late April? Not us. Packers have more to lose here, and it won’t look good if they blow a must-win at Lambeau.

BUCS 40, PANTHERS 10

We picked Carolina last week, big mistake. Baker Mayfield’s revenge, also seeking a playoff spot.

LIONS 30, VIKINGS 13

Detroit players and Dan Campbell will look at the Vikings and see striped shirts instead of purple and white and take out their frustrations on poor Minnesota. Can’t blame Kirk Cousins.

LAST WEEK: 4-3.

SEASON: 74-45

Tom King may be reached at X @Telegraph_TomK, or via email at tking@nashuatelegraph.com

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