Belichick is the problem and the answer

[Patters]

I have been saying this for a few years now. The problem with having as your coach the greatest coach of the era if not of all time is that everyone mimics him, everyone studies him, and everyone tries to design their teams to beat him. The reality is that Belichick has demonstrated his ability to build a winning team whether we have Tom Brady or Matt Cassell at the helm, and he has introduced all sorts of ideas such as the art of clock management, bend but don't break, situational football, drafting players, and so on, and as a result he has changed the NFL. I think to varying degrees all teams today are a lot more like the Pats.

Obviously there are very few good coaches, let alone great ones out there. Belichick has brought the Pats into the post-season for 10 out of the last 12 years, so we are I think the most fortunate fans in the nation. Thus, this is NOT an argument to replace Belichick. Indeed, he remains our best shot at winning another Superbowl, but is there a solution? Is there a way to make a consistently great team like the Pats less of target and less studied?

I don't think there's an answer, at least until a new great coach who revolutionizes NFL football comes along. I think we have to accept that parity among the better teams has returned, and the Pats will remain contenders as long as Belichick is at the helm. Sooner or later it will be our turn to win the Superbowl again--it will happen in that fluke year when we don't have injuries to key players like Gronk and Edelman, when we're a little luckier in the draft, and when Fate gives us a few breaks on the field of play.

In the meantime, let's be thankful that year after year we get to root for our team for a few extra weeks.

 

[Fencer]

Nobody can maintain the kind of edge Belichick had his first few years with the Pats -- not even Belichick.

 

[Tunescribe]

Nonsensical ruminating. The Patriots last night were a healthy Gronk and Talib away from this thread never existing.

 

[Chopblock CB]

Maybe he needs to have the answers to his own schemes when they are run against him...

 

[Fencer]

Nonsensical ruminating. The Patriots last night were a healthy Gronk and Talib away from this thread never existing.

Should we also assume that Ngata, Lewis, & Suggs were at full health?

 

[Tunescribe]

Should we also assume that Ngata, Lewis, & Suggs were at full health?

The point is that the Patriots lose a playoff game while missing key players and "fans" take a macro view of problem solving that's wildly off base. Ngata, Lewis and Suggs were absolutely healthy enough to be on the field the entire game. And, they played well. This loss had nothing to do with BB's schemes, Brady "choking," blah, blah, blah. Talib's injury was catastrophic. Kyle Love went down. Gronk would definitely have meant more points and better execution all around offensively. You need your top performers AVAILABLE in championship games, especially against a physical opponent like Baltimore. That was the essential difference.

 

[Pewsterbaby]

Nonsensical ruminating. The Patriots last night were a healthy Gronk and Talib away from this thread never existing.

Until proven otherwise, Gronk's style of play dictates he's an uncertainty to be serviceable late in the season. You can't rely on having him in the playoffs.
And Talib has health issues too.
And anyway, he's been unfairly appointed the savior of the entire defense.
He's one player.

The defense sucks. It's sucked for years and years now. Sucked for the whole second half of Brady's career. What a waste.
And it's because of Belichick's propensity for bringing on players he can control. They have nobody anyone fears. Defensive players need to be feared. That's half the battle & scheme. Super Bowl winning teams have defensive players who're feared.
Harrison, Bruschi, Vrabel, McGuiness, Seymour, Law were all feared.

These days, Belichick's a control freak who doesn't want defensive players with attitude. Too bad attitude's a prerequisite for winning the Super Bowl.

 

[Tunescribe]

Until proven otherwise, Gronk's style of play dictates he's an uncertainty to be serviceable late in the season. You can't rely on having him in the playoffs.
And Talib has health issues too.
And anyway, he's been unfairly appointed the savior of the entire defense.
He's one player.

One player who, with the current personnel, definitely was the defense's "savior." His ability in man coverage changed everything including the option to blitz. Very plausible that healthy Talib and Gronk would've keyed a different outcome -- they are that important.

 

[ausbacker]

One player who, with the current personnel, definitely was the defense's "savior." His ability in man coverage changed everything including the option to blitz. Very plausible that healthy Talib and Gronk would've keyed a different outcome -- they are that important.

Next man up Tunescribe. That's been the Patriots mantra for forever and a day.

 

[Steve102]

Until proven otherwise, Gronk's style of play dictates he's an uncertainty to be serviceable late in the season. You can't rely on having him in the playoffs.
And Talib has health issues too.
And anyway, he's been unfairly appointed the savior of the entire defense.
He's one player.

The defense sucks. It's sucked for years and years now. Sucked for the whole second half of Brady's career. What a waste.
And it's because of Belichick's propensity for bringing on players he can control. They have nobody anyone fears. Defensive players need to be feared. That's half the battle & scheme. Super Bowl winning teams have defensive players who're feared.
Harrison, Bruschi, Vrabel, McGuiness (is that a beer?), Seymour, Law were all feared.

These days, Belichick's a control freak who doesn't want defensive players with attitude. Too bad attitude's a prerequisite for winning the Super Bowl.

Normally I don't attack posts, but this is a load of crap. Belichick brings in guys who stick to the game plan and do not have personal agendas. Do you really think Spikes is under anyone's control? Talib?

 

[Patriot Missile]

Next man up Tunescribe. That's been the Patriots mantra for forever and a day.

Next man up doesn't exist with our secondary. Even if they resign Talib they need better depth at that position. I think Ballard will give us that at TE next season. But the secondary needs work.

 

[IllegalContact]

The point is that the Patriots lose a playoff game while missing key players and "fans" take a macro view of problem solving that's wildly off base. Ngata, Lewis and Suggs were absolutely healthy enough to be on the field the entire game. And, they played well. This loss had nothing to do with BB's schemes, Brady "choking," blah, blah, blah. Talib's injury was catastrophic. Kyle Love went down. Gronk would definitely have meant more points and better execution all around offensively. You need your top performers AVAILABLE in championship games, especially against a physical opponent like Baltimore. That was the essential difference.

not the way the pats played last night.......yet again, the pats decided to NOT take the approach of doing whatever it takes to win. they should have run the ball more as well as spread out the targets more in the passing game

 

[Steve102]

not the way the pats played last night.......yet again, the pats decided to NOT take the approach of doing whatever it takes to win. they should have run the ball more as well as spread out the targets more in the passing game

Who would you like to target that wasn't targeted? Brady was 29/54, the receptions break down as below:

Welker 8 for 117 yards
Hernandez 9 for 83
Lloyd 7 for 70
Vereen 2 for 22
Branch 2 for 16
Woodhead 1 for 12

On know on at least two occasions, Brady by-passed Woody for deeper throws, one I can recall would have been a first down. But as I see it, these are "our guys", it's who we had for personnel last night. I'm not being a smarta55, I'd like to hear your solutions.

 

[Patters]

Nonsensical ruminating. The Patriots last night were a healthy Gronk and Talib away from this thread never existing.

So, you really think that we still have the same advantage with Belichick that we had in the 2001 to 2006 era? You don't think that other coaches around the league have learned from Belichick and have studied the Pats. If there's nonsense, it's in your reasoning. It's quite obvious that teams copy a lot of what Belichick does, and it's quite obvious that in that way the Pats have lost some of the advantage of having so great a coach. And yes, if Gronk and Talib were there, we would have done better, but that's my point, there's parity at the upper level now, and we need better luck with injuries in order to win another Superbowl. Perhaps you should read a little more carefully before posting such snide remarks?

 

[NJPatsfan26]

So, you really think that we still have the same advantage with Belichick that we had in the 2001 to 2006 era? You don't think that other coaches around the league have learned from Belichick and have studied the Pats. If there's nonsense, it's in your reasoning. It's quite obvious that teams copy a lot of what Belichick does, and it's quite obvious that in that way the Pats have lost some of the advantage of having so great a coach. And yes, if Gronk and Talib were there, we would have done better, but that's my point, there's parity at the upper level now, and we need better luck with injuries in order to win another Superbowl. Read my post again.

this...

Yes it seems other teams have indeed figured us out.

So now what?

 

[abdul7]

Were we out coached in the 2nd half ?

Ok my one and only rant of the season !! Need to release what i feel after yesterday. So sorry becoz i know you are all sick in the stomach just the same way i am feeling as i write this. AAAAAAARRRHHHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !! OK now that i have let that out i feel kinda better sharing it with you. Second half ,,no points , couldn't stop anything , it just felt strange watching that. Were we out coached ? The second half were 2 different teams out there. We didn't execute and they looked liked the Home team.
Once Talib went out i was worried but the turning point in the game was Ridley's injury and fumble.
I guess i just started this thread to cry on your shoulders . Also watching the game i felt strange like they didn't have their MOJO ,,,scared to lose !!
Still i am proud of the season we have had. Before i go can i pay someone to break Pollard's leg ?
OK Rant over. God Bless you all friends. Abdul.

 

[Patters]

this...

Yes it seems other teams have indeed figured us out.

So now what?

Let's just enjoy the ride, the extra games we get every year, and sooner or later our turn will come again, when we enter the post season injury free, when a tipped ball lands in the hands of one of our corners, and then we win another Superbowl. The Pats, the Ravens, the 49ers, and a few other teams are all pretty even, and I don't see how that will change anytime soon.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Let's just enjoy the ride, the extra games we get every year, and sooner or later our turn will come again, when we enter the post season injury free, when a tipped ball lands in the hands of one of our corners, and when we win another Superbowl. The Pats, the Ravens, the 49ers, and a few other teams are all pretty even, and I don't see how that will change anytime soon.

Well said.

Guess its time to get creative again and keep them guessing.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Re: Were we out coached in the 2nd half ?

Yes, we absolutely 100 percent got outcoached.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Nonsensical ruminating. The Patriots last night were a healthy Gronk and Talib away from this thread never existing.

Poor excuse: "We would have won if we were completely healthy".

No team is ever completely healthy, some teams find a better way to deal with it than others.