Could this be the end?

If it was his final game, Belichick never gave in

FOXBOROUGH — It’s always about history with Bill Belichick.

He’s famously chasing the late Don Shula (347 wins) to become the winningest coach in NFL history (Belichick has 333). He donated his collection of football history books to the US Naval Academy in 2006. When it came time to tell his secrets to an author, Belichick favored the late David Halberstam, one of the great American history writers of the last two centuries.

Quite possibly, Belichick is now history in New England.

Sunday in a freezing, January snowsquall, Belichick coached his 429th and possibly final game with the Patriots, a 17-3 loss to the hated Jets in a largely empty Gillette Stadium.

Belichick reportedly has one year left on a contract that pays him around $25 million annually, but reports also claim he’s had no discussions with owner Bob Kraft regarding his future. The two are scheduled to meet Monday, a session that is expected to include Kraft’s combustible/fortunate son, Jonathan (Wonder if the Krafts will bring their high chairs to the meeting to remind Bill who’s boss?)

There’s something distinctly Churchillian about Belichick’s demise here in New England. Winston Churchill, Britain’s legendary prime minister reached unprecedented approval ratings at the end of World War II, only to subsequently endure a humiliating election defeat and submit his resignation to the king in the summer of 1945. Churchill was just a few months shy of 71.

Here in Fort Foxborough, 71-year-old Belichick’s been the Churchill of Patriot Nation, never surrendering, and delivering a succession of finest hours, each more satisfying than the one before. Bill’s “No Days Off ’’ was New England sports’ “Never Give In.’’

Traditional trimmings were in place on the day that might go down as Belichick’s last one in New England. We had the

Jets in town, the same Jets that Belichick was supposed to coach when he broke his contract in the winter of the 1999-2000 season. The Jets were also the team that made room for Tom Brady when linebacker Mo Lewis blasted Drew Bledsoe with a perfectly legal sideline hit in Week 2 of the Patriots first Super Bowl-winning season (2001-02).

We had snow falling — just like we did the night the Patriot dynasty was launched when Walt Coleman ruled a non-fumble on a Brady drop that would have bounced New England from the playoffs. The Tuck Rule Game, a snowy Saturday night playoff win against the Raiders in January of ‘02, was the last game ever played at old Foxboro Stadium.

When the Pats next played in Foxborough in September of ‘02, they were raising a Super Bowl championship banner in spanking-new Gillette Stadium and Belichick was on his way to eight more Super Bowls, five more Lombardi trophies, 16 more division flags, and 12 more AFC Championship games.

There didn’t seem to be a lot of brotherly love between Kraft and Belichick on the sideline during Sunday’s warm-ups. Kraft seemed to be making a point to shake the hands of all of his players, but got nowhere near his coach. Of course, we don’t know if they actually interacted behind the scenes..

Asked if he had different feelings while coming off the field after this one, Belichick answered, “Disappointed the way the game turned out, sure. Leave it at that.’’

When we followed with, “Do you expect to be coaching the team here next year?’’ Belichick answered, “Disappointed with the way the game finished.

“. . . I enjoy coaching,’’ he added at the end of his minimalist (five-minute) press conference. “It’s a disappointing season. I covered that in the opening statement. I don’t have anything to add. That’s how I feel. Still. I like coaching the team, coaching on Sundays, but the results weren’t good and I wasn’t happy with those.’’

There you go. Some sad words after a historically bad season.