Benedict: Why Belichick's Genius Can't be Replicated

[TheRainMaker]

This is me right now.

He and Carl Lewis need to do a duet immediately!

 

[Real fan 02]

Good stuff from Jeff Benedict (author of The Dynasty), who obviously is terrific and put out a great piece here as well:

Opinion | Why Bill Belichick’s Genius Can’t Be Replicated

The way this 24-year relationship came to an end tells us everything we need to know about why it succeeded.

www.nytimes.com

Thanks Ian. But I don't think me personally i really needed to read an article to know BBs genuis won't be replaced. He's the greatest to ever coach. We appreciate everything he's done as a coach. However everything in life runs it's course such as Bill and the organization parting ways. Thanks Ian much appreciated for sharing!

 

[lancerman]

I mentioned it before and we saw some talented teams go down this weekend due to bad coaching. Happens every January, and it probably won't be the last time we see it over these next couple of weeks.

I get he did a terrible job building the roster while also not setting himself up well continuity-wise on the coaching side. Not to mention, the issue with them scouting/drafting skill players has been a problem forever.

But on Sundays, there's nobody else you want out there more, and that's the asset that is going to be the most difficult moving on from.

That's why Dallas is a good fit. They are ready to win they just need the guy to keep the ship tight and make sure they hit their potential. As long as you keep Bill away from team building on a team that needs to focus on offense, you are fine. If the Patriots were loaded on offense and defense was the problem, like in 2011, I'd probably be against moving on from Bill. But when the offense is a problem for 5 years and declining, it's harder to look the other way.

 

[VrabelJr]

It won't be duplicated until another QB comes along who plays at an extremely high level for 20 years.

Can we get a clown emoji that automatically gets added to all of your posts?

 

[JayNM]

I've said this before:

one extremely underrated aspect of BB is how he used pure aspects of Microeconomy into roster building

Marginal analysis of what you have, how to replace (or substitue) without much trade-off, he literally brought many, many aspect of the area, which is extremely theoretical per se, not only into the real world, but applied to players in a football roster.

This is beyond amazing. Maybe I'm overreaching here, but everything he did, from not relinquishing quality from Special Teams, having good to great 3rd stringers and positional specialists, to more obvious roster moves, like cap management and the Brady contract, I trully think he used a lot of his bachellor's degree into becoming what he is.

It was not only football knowledge that made BB, Bill Belichick. The guy was special for real

 

[TheRainMaker]

Can we get a clown emoji that automatically gets added to all of your posts?

Scroll down and read my explanation.

 

[upstater1]

I've said this before:

one extremely underrated aspect of BB is how he used pure aspects of Microeconomy into roster building

Marginal analysis of what you have, how to replace (or substitue) without much trade-off, he literally brought many, many aspect of the area, which is extremely theoretical per se, not only into the real world, but applied to players in a football roster.

This is beyond amazing. Maybe I'm overreaching here, but everything he did, from not relinquishing quality from Special Teams, having good to great 3rd stringers and positional specialists, to more obvious roster moves, like cap management and the Brady contract, I trully think he used a lot of his bachellor's degree into becoming what he is.

It was not only football knowledge that made BB, Bill Belichik. The guy was special for real

Agree about how underrated his principles for building a football team were.

I think it just comes down to the fact that there are 22 players out there on the football field. If you believe in having high priced stars, you sacrifice depth. And vice versa. But if you lack depth, you're playing dangerously not only because of injuries, but because opposing coaches will find your weak links.

Sports with a ton of players on the field (soccer, rugby, football) are usually about looking for weaknesses. And this is always what Belichick tried to focus on; shore up his own team's weaknesses, look for the other team's.

Some of the playoff games this weekend showed opposite philosophies. Dallas has a ton of stars. The defense was ultra aggressive. We saw their CBs on an island getting toasted. No safety help. No use of space. On offense, it was the same thing. Great WRs with the QB repeatedly throwing into the teeth of the defense. You can get away with these approaches in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.

 

[JayNM]

Agree about how underrated his principles for building a football team were.

I think it just comes down to the fact that there are 22 players out there on the football field. If you believe in having high priced stars, you sacrifice depth. And vice versa. But if you lack depth, you're playing dangerously not only because of injuries, but because opposing coaches will find your weak links.

Sports with a ton of players on the field (soccer, rugby, football) are usually about looking for weaknesses. And this is always what Belichick tried to focus on; shore up his own team's weaknesses, look for the other team's.

Some of the playoff games this weekend showed opposite philosophies. Dallas has a ton of stars. The defense was ultra aggressive. We saw their CBs on an island getting toasted. No safety help. No use of space. On offense, it was the same thing. Great WRs with the QB repeatedly throwing into the teeth of the defense. You can get away with these approaches in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.

Absolutely

He had the brains, the instincts and the heart (albeit a cold one).

I first watched a football game because of Brady, but it was BB who made me fall in love with the sport. Heck, I might have endured Economics myself bc of the guy, he was as close to idol to me as anyone can be

It hurt to see the game passing him by, specially on theses aspects. I'll never forget when he traded for Sanu bc of this, it was so egregious on a value analysis stand point that it broke my heart a bit. Then the game became much more analytical and short-term prone (With signing bonuses and "void years") that I knew, deep down, he wouldn't be able to keep up by himself

 

[archstanton543]

Sports with a ton of players on the field (soccer, rugby, football) are usually about looking for weaknesses. And this is always what Belichick tried to focus on; shore up his own team's weaknesses, look for the other team's.

He used to do that. The reason he's no longer the HC of the NEP is because he chose to focus on areas that already had depth in the draft rather than fixing glaring weaknesses on the team.

 

[upstater1]

He used to do that. The reason he's no longer the HC of the NEP is because he chose to focus on areas that already had depth in the draft rather than fixing glaring weaknesses on the team.

Uh-huh. This must be why yesterday people were making the case that we need to draft a CB high because Jon Jones is 32 years old.

But let's ignore that for now. I'll say this: if you're a slave to your needs (Broderick Jones over Gonzalez) then you're a short termer who may get to the payoffs, but never win much. Why? Because you don't have difference makers on the field (Gonzalez).

 

[upstater1]

Absolutely

He had the brains, the instincts and the heart (albeit a cold one).

I first watched a football game because of Brady, but it was BB who made me fall in love with the sport. Heck, I might have endured Economics myself bc of the guy, he was as close to idol to me as anyone can be

It hurt to see the game passing him by, specially on theses aspects. I'll never forget when he traded for Sanu bc of this, it was so egregious on a value analysis stand point that it broke my heart a bit. Then the game became much more analytical and short-term prone (With signing bonuses and "void years") that I knew, deep down, he wouldn't be able to keep up by himself

I don't see how anything changed in terms of acquiring players. I see the same dynamic that it's always been in the FA period. Same level of acquisitions, same salary cap.

If anything analytics may be different, but I think analytics is relatively mindless. It's just gambling and not playing field position, but it also leads to decisions like JuJu over Jakobi

 

[archstanton543]

Uh-huh. This must be why yesterday people were making the case that we need to draft a CB high because Jon Jones is 32 years old.

But let's ignore that for now. I'll say this: if you're a slave to your needs (Broderick Jones over Gonzalez) then you're a short termer who may get to the payoffs, but never win much. Why? Because you don't have difference makers on the field (Gonzalez).

People don't know what they're talking about.

 

[upstater1]

People don't know what they're talking about.

You're signing on for a decade of short-term thinking and short-sighted approaches.

I'm actually excited by Jerod Mayo -- I only hope he can beat back the idiocy coming from management.

Ron Wolf's son is highly invested now in saving his job because the Kraft's are on the prowl. He's going to fill needs (and likely make the same kind of analytic calls that lead to Jakobi leaving and the drafting of Tyquan).

 

[Real fan 02]

You're signing on for a decade of short-term thinking and short-sighted approaches.

I'm actually excited by Jerod Mayo -- I only hope he can beat back the idiocy coming from management.

Ron Wolf's son is highly invested now in saving his job because the Kraft's are on the prowl. He's going to fill needs (and likely make the same kind of analytic calls that lead to Jakobi leaving and the drafting of Tyquan).

As long he doesn't ignore the scouts he'll be ok.. lol

 

[TommyD4207]

As long he doesn't ignore the scouts he'll be ok.. lol

Like he's going to have any say on personnel at all.

 

[upstater1]

As long he doesn't ignore the scouts he'll be ok.. lol

Well, I mean, he is a scout. But he loves him some analytics. What do you think the scouts are going to say? And by the way, the scouts aren't some gods here. They make many bad calls themselves.

 

[Real fan 02]

Like he's going to have any say on personnel at all.

I think he will. I don't believe for one minute he won't he's a HC all HCs have some say on personnelas far as imput, recommendations. If not then why make him your coach right. The organization probably won't have a GM anyways so they will have a collaborative effort expect mayo to be part of it.

 

[Real fan 02]

Well, I mean, he is a scout. But he loves him some analytics. What do you think the scouts are going to say? And by the way, the scouts aren't some gods here. They make many bad calls themselves.

Agreed all scouts are different like coaches, like players ect. There so much that's used in today's game. Sometimes gotta just watch the film.

 

[JayNM]

I don't see how anything changed in terms of acquiring players. I see the same dynamic that it's always been in the FA period. Same level of acquisitions, same salary cap.

If anything analytics may be different, but I think analytics is relatively mindless. It's just gambling and not playing field position, but it also leads to decisions like JuJu over Jakobi

He clearly started overvaluing position and skillsets that weren't as good. Overpaying for 2 TEs who did not produce, spending 2 high-ish picks in RB, not getting proper weapons for Mac Jones, not filling out OL with great athletiscism

Then on defense, he stills values "Stonewalls" and guys who hold position, while the game feels much more aggressive now. His re-signing of Godchaux still rings a bell, getting no athletic LB (he tried with Mapu, I guess), and going heavy on a bunch of safeties

And if we talk system, my point on the EP still stands... I think it's a bit outdated, the game is too dynamic for routes within routes to develop after the snap. Clearly the game is played by scheming and making space before the snap is even done. Juju over Jakobi is an example, Juju being more "explosive", but just not as good of a player.

Not to mention the financial side. While a respect not mortgaging the future, once Brady left, he HAD to be more proactive. He didn't, and we saw the result

 

[upstater1]

He clearly started overvaluing position and skillsets that weren't as good. Overpaying for 2 TEs who did not produce, spending 2 high-ish picks in RB, not getting proper weapons for Mac Jones, not filling out OL with great athletiscism

Then on defense, he stills values "Stonewalls" and guys who hold position, while the game feels much more aggressive now. His re-signing of Godchaux still rings a bell, getting no athletic LB (he tried with Mapu, I guess), and going heavy on a bunch of safeties

And if we talk system, my point on the EP still stands... I think it's a bit outdated, the game is too dynamic for routes within routes to develop after the snap. Clearly the game is played by scheming and making space before the snap is even done. Juju over Jakobi is an example, Juju being more "explosive", but just not as good of a player.

Not to mention the financial side. While a respect not mortgaging the future, once Brady left, he HAD to be more proactive. He didn't, and we saw the result

we could talk about this all day but what's the point? He's gone. I mean, just as an example, we spent a ton of picks on OL, and the most athletic one (Strange) is one who DIDN'T make an all-rookie team. The OL when it had Strange and Onwenu at RT, with Rham in the game, was blowing holes open and destroying teams this year.

As for FA and mortgaging the future, top players don't make it to free agency anymore. I mean, we grabbed Judon, Hunter Henry, Jonnu, these were the top guys at their position. Outside of Christian Kirk, JSS and Algholor were the top available. WHo could he have given the bag to other than Kirk?