Patriots game plan process refresher course

[IcyPatriot]

I was glad i found it ... it's really a team process ... everyone has input.

A week inside the mind of the Patriots - The Boston Globe

FOXBOROUGH -- When Bill Belichick puts on his headset and starts pacing the sideline today, 10 days of preparation will begin to unfold in front of him.

What exactly happens in those 10 days?

There is film review. Team meetings. Individual meetings with players. More film review. Coaching meetings. Practices. Media obligations. Some more film review.

With the Patriots set to take on the Dolphins today, Belichick offered an inside glimpse of the game-planning process, through the lens of the head coach.

 

[JSn]

Re: Patriots Game Plan Process Refresher Course.

Thanks for digging this up. Great stuff.

 

[Patspsycho]

Re: Patriots Game Plan Process Refresher Course.

Fantastic find! Really enjoyed reading this.

 

[PatriotsFan86]

Very interesting, many thanks!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I was glad i found it ... it's really a team process ... everyone has input.

A week inside the mind of the Patriots - The Boston Globe

Yup, and that's a little different than what you will find with most teams and as a process a darned sight different that what you will find when the HC is dependent on coordinators hired to manage an aspect of the game based on their own system or track record with one, as opposed to those hired, taught and groomed to implement a system and scheme that emanates from the HC.

In NY for example, prior to implementing his new red, yellow, green light rookie QB managment system Rex Cryin' had NO involvement with anyone's offensive game planning. Didn't even understand the verbiage in Shotty's scheme (which he inherited). He was hired to be a PSL selling, figurehead HC and defacto DC of the NYJ. Replacing Shotty may require hiring a coordinator to install an entirely new system he is proficient in and teach it to a sophomore QB and his offense since Rex has none for that side of the ball... When Dungy was hired by Polian he inherited an offensive scheme and OC and Offensive staff fired former JC Mora, Sr. built and taught to young Peyton Manning, and Dungy's input and staffing was limited to the defensive side of the ball.

Here the system endures, only the names of the much maligned implementers change periodically... Within the scheme adaptations and evolutions occur over time born of necessity as it's own personnel and opponents strengths and weaknesses change over time. By and large Bill is the architect of that change since he has full control of football ops and ultimate say in draft and FA decisions and he spends his limited free time in the offseason investigating trends in the game and picking the brains of protogees and innovators.

There are hundreds of plays in a teams playbook entering every season yet each week only 70 or so are selected and practiced for that weeks game. Decisions are made in advance on playcalling options given down and distance as well as unique situational circumstances. Initial series are scripted. Teams determine a handful of pre selected best situational plays for 4th and short, 2 point conversion, 3rd and long and basically none for 3rd and 27...because there isn't ever a good one for that... Based on both their own teams strengths and any opponents trends and weaknesses picked up as a result of extensive film review. That's what's on that laminated card every playcaller covers his yap with when he's calling in the plays. It's all color coded and broken down to facilitate ease of playcalling. There are no plays on that card that the QB is uncomfortable with executing or lacks players to execute with (unless the OC has a death wish). There are also multiple option formations for running each play and often players are cross trained to run similar routes with dissimilar personnel groupings. And there are preferred personnel groupings for every play. We do a lot more with personnel groupings than some teams like say Indy who tends to run the same base personnel with few substitutions barring injury.

Add to that here we run a read and react offense that adjusts routes and depths and protections based on pre and post snap reads... and it's flat out hysterical to listen to all the armchair OC's moaning about how we should have simply, clearly called whatever was the opposite of the play that didn't just work...and how the OC sucks independent of how the players executed. When Bill reviews the coaches tapes of each game he knows exactly why a play did or didn't work. 9 times out of 10 it comes down to failure of one or more players to execute. Once in a while it's a lousy call or an unanticipated outstanding play by an opposing player or players.

Guys who do a consistently lousy job of playcalling generally don't last long and rarely get rewarded with a franchise of their very own...

This post 2006 season thread is just the beginning of one posters oddessy to head the can the coordinator campaign. It's become an annual equivalent akin to spamming. Read it to it's end where it even includes a thinly disguised cameo appearance by his predecessor, the banned legend in his own mind who elevated OC bashing here at patsfans to a comedic art form.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...josh-mcdaniels-handicapped-patriots-team.html

 

[maverick4]

Nice find, it's a great read.

I'm not sure you'd find many people who'd disagree that Belichick is heavily involved in film review, and in the game planning for every week. He obvious is. Unfortunately, this article doesn't imply that during the actual game the coordinators don't have autonomy or can impact the game based on their own style/preference, and call the plays.

This team's good 1st half stats are indicative of Belichick's influence on the overall pre-game work.

The 2nd half of games, not so much. As the game goes on, the coordinators influence the game more based on their tendencies and preferences. How do you explain the 2nd half failures this year that just so happen coincide with a new offensive coordinator? It can't be a talent issue since the 1st half numbers are so different. How do you explain how often this team seems to revert away from what worked for it to start the game? Belichick can't be doing 5 things at once, the coordinators are calling the plays.

 

[Tunescribe]

Nice find, it's a great read.

I'm not sure you'd find many people who'd disagree that Belichick is heavily involved in film review, and in the game planning every week. He obvious is. Unfortunately, this article doesn't imply that during the actual game the coordinators don't have autonomy or can impact the game based on their own style/preference, as you'd hope.

This team's good 1st half stats are indicative of Belichick's influence and the overall pre-game work.

The 2nd half of games, not so much. How do you explain the 2nd half failures this year that just so happen coincide with a new offensive coordinator?

It can't be a talent issue since the 1st half numbers are so different.

I hereby declare you the second coming of NEM. You write a bit better than he did, but unfortunately, your fundamental lines of reasoning are just as flawed.

 

[maverick4]

If some of you truly think that Belichick controls ALL the play calls during games, then why do you then paradoxically think that Josh McDaniels is a good coach and coordinator?

Either the coordinators have influence and get credit/blame, or they don't. Based on the claims here, McDaniels was just a robot following exact orders from Belichick for every single situation, so he can't be called a good coach.

Your contradictions are pretty amusing.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If some of you truly think that Belichick controls ALL the play calls during games, then why do you then paradoxically think that Josh McDaniels is a good coach and coordinator?

Either the coordinators have influence and get credit/blame, or they don't. Based on the claims here, McDaniels was just a robot following exact orders from Belichick for every single situation, so he can't be called a good coach.

Your contradictions are pretty amusing.

Does Belichick call all the plays? No. Is he responsible for the gameplan and philosophy, and does he hold his coordinators accountable for executing it? Of course he does. As much as I hate empty backfield on the first play of our second possession Monday night, if he wasn't okay with it we wouldn't still be pulling stunts like that.

Have you ever been anyone's boss, by chance? If you have, you'll understand the distinction: you're not staring over your employee's shoulder, making every move for him, but you're entirely responsible for the output, because it's based on your direction and your approval, and if it goes off course it is because you did not take proper care in correcting mistakes and guiding the way.

And you have absolutely no grounds for calling anyone out for what you perceive to be their contradictions.

 

[maverick4]

If you have, you'll understand the distinction: you're not staring over your employee's shoulder, making every move for him, but you're entirely responsible for the output, because it's based on your direction and your approval, and if it goes off course it is because you did not take proper care in correcting mistakes and guiding the way.

I do understand the distinction, but by the same token you would have to say Bob Kraft was a mediocre owner during the Pete Carroll years, which I don't buy.

Also, I do understand the distinction, but posters here keep claiming that every single play call and mistake on the field is by Belichick. Not his ultimate responsibility mind you (as you are arguing about), but that it is all Belichick's direct decisions and actions, either in-game or pre-planned.

So... you have no point as it concerns the first post/intent of the original thread starter.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I do understand the distinction, but by the same token you would have to say Bob Kraft was a mediocre owner during the Pete Carroll years, which I don't buy.

Also, I do understand the distinction, but posters here keep claiming that every single play call and mistake on the field is by Belichick. Not his ultimate responsibility mind you (as you are arguing about), but Belichick's direct decision and action, either in-game or pre-planned.

So... you have no point as it concerns the first post/intent of the original thread starter.

Buy it. He was a mediocre owner in the Carroll days. He was a savvy businessman with no scouting or cap savvy and a great fan but he didn't understand how to run a football organization efficiently and effectively. The good news was he was also smart enough and controlled enough ego wise to figure out he was heading down the garden path and he recognized in BB both the x's and o's genius and financial management accumen necessary to accomplish both goals while freeing him and his sons up to concentrate on getting a stadium built and market the brand.

 

[maverick4]

Okay let's stick with this analogy since you can't see how it defeats your argument. You say Kraft was a mediocre owner because of the team under Carroll and Grier, but I think we can both agree that Carroll and Grier who were bad at their jobs. You call Kraft a mediocre owner because he is the guy up top, but that doesn't mean he directly made all those other bad decisions.

Similarly, sure Belichick gets the ultimate responsibility. It doesn't mean he is directly making all the poor decisions on the field. His coordinators are doing a bad job, they aren't just robots following specific, comprehensive orders for all situations.

Are you seriously trying to claim that Belichick is directly making every single decision that takes place below his hierarchy level? And at the same time do you think Josh McDaniels was a good coordinator who deserves any credit.