All a team needs are the right, high talent defensive players, to execute that scheme, and any high flying offense can be made to look inept.
You do realize comparing the NE Patriots of modern times to the Giants of their Superbowl era have a few differences right?
Like....
- The advent of free agency/salary cap on talent retention and acquisition
- The change in rules that promoted offense and shifting the NFL into a QB driven league
- The erosion of the run and shoot ( essentially what the Bills ran) as a non viable base offense in the NFL for ALL teams.
- The shift in the size/speed/skill of modern player compared to eras past
- The shift in strategy from having players using communication devices in their helmets to get real time info with coordinators and the like.
- The shift in modern professional sports to use metrics and statistical analysis to help shape short and long term decisions
There is no new game plan. The league and rules are pro offense. The only way to stifle a good NFL offense is to go back to basics. Run the ball with authority, hit the enemy QB over and over again and limit turnovers. On top of that, make the 2-3 critical plays per game and per season that is the difference between a championship or not ( the three rings the Patriots do have could be zero if 3 plays were different, if there were three more plays in their favor in 2007, they might have won a fourth Superbowl)
If you want to blame Belichick for something, here are more reasonable things, IMHO
1) Running up the scores in 2007. He didn't have to do it. It's bad form in the NFL to do it. The football gods are not kind to such arrogance. It's why the Jets are in for a long post season.
2) Refusing to commit to running the ball and creating a pass heavy offense that clearly does not sustain success in the playoffs
3) Ignoring the need for a more effective pass rush year after year. It's almost to the point where it's borderline Andy Reid behavior ( i.e Reid's refusal to run the ball, change anything)
4) Not getting established coordinators for offense and defense.
5) A series of poor drafts, prior to the last two years, that didn't extend the Superbowl run or give the Pats a chance to reload.
I grew up a 49ers fan. Arguably one of the greatest NFL dynasties and extended run of success in league history. They won 5 Superbowls in how many years of being a perennial contender? They had back to back HOF QBs ( one who is considered by many to be the greatest QB of all time or at least the most clutch under fire QB to play under center) , the greatest WR who has ever lived, operated in a QB drought era, played in a weak division and weren't sapped most of those years by free agency/salary cap, and they won 5 rings when they could have easily won 8 or 9 or 10. You just aren't going to win a Superbowl every year. Even the 49ers couldn't do it and they were loaded in a way most teams in the NFL could never be loaded in modern times. It doesn't work that way.
Three rings is a lot. Some of you sure don't act that way.
