patfanken

As the week starts to slow to a crawl, I'm just sitting around thinking pretty much everything that can be said about this game has already been said.....again....and again....and again. So if I'm going to actually contribute something meaningful, I'm going to have think "outside the box". Unfortunately for me that would take a brilliance and creativity that has long since exceeded my capabilities. HOWEVER it did get me thinking about things in general that are "outside the box" and then it occurred to me.

Its not as if we can think any more highly of Bill Bellichick than we already do, but if you want to add a little more frosting to that cake, think about this. In the last decade BB has been the driving force behind THREE significant, perhaps even "revolutionary" trends in the NFL.

1. When the Pats won the 2001 Superbowl using the 3-4 defense as its base, only one or two other teams in the entire league used it. Flash forward to 2011 and now a MAJORITY of teams use 3-4 as a base and more teams flock to it every year. BB's success helped change the entire landscape of NFL defenses in just 10 years

2.Love it or hate it BB is really the one to blame for this era of "pass crazy" numbers, not Bill Polian as most people think. Bill didn't b!tch and moan, when Polian pushed through the rules that were designed to foil the way he wanted to play defense. NO WAY! Instead he went to school over the next few years and brought the "spread offense" into the NFL and unveiled it in 2007 with historical effect.

Pretty soon more and more teams added similar offense strategies and the passing numbers across the league started to soar. Now BB didn't "invent" the spread offense or anything, just like he didn't "invent" the 3-4 defense. But rather, he was the first to successfully utilize the principles and popularize it, and THEN it started to spread across the league.

3. AND today, we are in on the ground floor of BB's NEXT revolutionary trend. "The 2 TE offense".

NOW it makes sense all those years BB spent drafting TEs. I wouldn't be surprised if BB didn't have this kind of offense in mind for years. All it took was getting the right personnel to implement it. And don't think that it will stop here. Over the next few years the "copy cat" NFL will be scouring the college game and basketball courts looking for their OWN Gronk/Hernandez combination to terrorize NFL defenses.

The Ravens have the seeds todo it in Pitta and Dickson, but THEY haven't utilized them like we have our TEs........YET. I hope they wait until next year before they do. As we have seen with our 2, it is hell on a defense because of all the favorable match ups you can create. Now that BB has shown how successful this offense can be, the rest of the league will be soon to follow.

So in closing - While I am no longer capable of "thinking outside the box", BB. in his quiet, under the radar, unassuming way, has used "thinking outside the box" to launch 3 of the most significant trend of recent NFL history.

GOD, are we lucky to have him and his cohorts

VJCPatriot

Well the question with the two TE offense is whether you have the talent or personnel to duplicate it. The Patriots hit the jackpot in the draft with Gronk and Hernandez. I'm not sure that kind of drafting is duplicatable. However you do see that the offensive role of the TE has definitely expanded in the NFL. And now teams that already have one really good TE, such as Jimmy Graham in New Orleans might be thinking, what if we had TWO good tight ends? But again there are only so many great tight ends coming out in the draft each year. But I think the value assigned to this position will rise as NFL GMs and coaches realize how valuable and versatile weapons they can be for an offense.

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robertweathers

Pats flipped/flopped 3/4 4/3 as indicated by the starting lineup.

Hamilton DE
Seymour DT
Mitchell DT
Anthony Pleasent DE
Vrable OLB
Bru MLB
Phifer OLB

Johnson and Cox didn't see much time b/c BB wanted more edge setters and speed on the field.

The certainly took on a 3/4 look w/ Willie Mac came in and played the "elephant" role.

If only Arthur Love. Dave Stachelski, Jabari Holloway panned out!!

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“I'm not really concerned about the other 31 teams,” - Bill Belichick

"If a player has talent and doesn't succeed, that means that they either don't want to be successful or I have failed as a coach." - Bill Belichick

Titleistman

The onlly problem with the Ravens doing the TE attack is Joe Flacco is not a cerebral QB like Tom Brady. He couldn't read a situation even if John Madden used an illustrator for him before each snap. If you look at the elite QBs who can do this type of offense they all have brains or are extra special with football intuition...of course you have to be accurate as well.

everlong

I want the 5 TE offense. 4 Gronks and 1 AH who doubles as a run threat.

When they play the Saints next I want Gronk flipped to defense to cover Graham like Brown and Edelmen to the slot.

Gronk vs the entire Jets team? Gronk 42-7.

What if you shrunk Gronk down and had Mini-Gronk? Still Gronk 27-10.

(SNL Da Bears and mini Ditka reference for those not old enough)

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"When Peyton Manning was a kid he used to go to bed at night and dream about throwing the winning touchdown for the Saints in the Superbowl. And on Sunday he did."

There's only two conclusions for Patriots fans on rookies. They are either a bust or being fitted for their bust in Canton.


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borg

Great post. I too have been mulling over the Brady/BB dynamic some lately. Let's add these to the list

Slot receiver.

Troy Brown became the receiver of choice and the training wheels for Brady's young career. Keep it simple for the young QB...and move the chains. Then BB identifies a unique player, brings him in, and next thing we know the slot receiver is the next great weapon in the NFL. Welker becomes the standard by which all others are measured. ....culminating in a '11 season where Welker leads in catches and 2nd in yds.

The big/fast/deep threat. Nothing new here....except the record setting scoring production in Brady to Moss' first year

And now year 2 of the revolution of the BB multiple TE offense. Record setting once again.

They have vision, they refit, they execute, they set records, they win.......then other teams follow

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"In the end, Belichick juiced Moss like an orange, and once all the good pulp was squeezed, he tossed Moss aside. "


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Trocadile

In 2001, the Patriots went to a 4-3 defense out of necessity when Johnson and Cox were injured. Without other viable ILBs, Bruschi took over as MLB. The team started playing better (I think there was a change at QB that had something to do with it) and because of that BB stuck with the 4-3 even when Cox and Johnson were healthy, not only through the Super Bowl but into the next year, when (hello, Steve Martin!) the defense stunk, and BB eventually went back to the 3-4 as base.

In any case, contrary to the OP, the 2001 Patriots did not usher in an era of 3-4 popularity since all their success came out of the 4-3 base.

robertweathers

Yep. Agree completely.

__________________
“I'm not really concerned about the other 31 teams,” - Bill Belichick

"If a player has talent and doesn't succeed, that means that they either don't want to be successful or I have failed as a coach." - Bill Belichick

randomk1

Off the Grid is that you?

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Three out of Four. Back-to-back.

NSPF

You know, when you put it this way, it sounds less like BB is super revolutionary and more like he's just really freaking unbelievably good, and can win with whatever type of team he has. Under BB the Pats have been successful as a defensive team, a run heavy team, an unleash the dragon team (deep pass), a small ball slot receiver centric team, a mid range passing team, a two tight end focused team, a spread offense team... The only thing they haven't done well is run an option offense.

Whatever horses BB has, he seems to change the team's identity and plays to their strengths. The amazing thing is that no matter what type of team he puts together, the results have been historic. Obviously BB didn't invent two tight end formations, slot receivers, deep threats, etc., but he has managed to use them more effectively than anyone else in the history of the NFL.

Of course, that Tommy kid he has playing quarterback might have something to do with it.