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- Sep 16, 2004
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Lets get the genuflection out of the way so the fanboys don't bust an artery. BB is the best coach. Kraft is the best owner. Kraft loves BB. Kraft lets BB run the football operations. Together, they have won a ton of games and are the model of the NFL....blah blah blah.
OK?
Good.
Now that that is out of the way, lets get serious here. The Patriots have a player evaluation problem (defense). The Patriots have a developmental problem (CBs that regress). The Patriots continue to ignore/fail in developing a pass rush. The Patriots defensive philosophy of bending while waiting for the opposing QB to make a mistake does not work against very good QBs. Can any of this be argued?
So what does Bob Kraft do about this? His head coach has assumed direct responsibility for all things defense...and the defensive weaknesses that are displayed year in/year out continue to hamper the goal of defeating playoff teams at year end. You know Bob Kraft is very conscious about both the perceptions and realities of his team, and I'm sure he is more than just worried about the defensive roster and scheme. The defense is his team's achilles heal.
Now we all know how much Bob Kraft loves to publicly state his business philosophy.....hire good managers, and hold them accountable. Shouldn't BB be held accountable for his defensive creation?
Suppose we are not talking about the Patriots, perennial winner. Instead we are examining Team X. Team X has an explosive offense, but their defense has league bottoms in pass defense, time of possession, 3rd down conversions. Team X has also spent multiple premium draft picks on defensive players that continue to regress and underperform, often being cut from the roster. Wouldn't most owners make management and coaching changes to correct these deficiencies?
Bob Kraft is in a delicate position. His Hall of Fame coach appears to have some holes in his swing....which may continue to hold his team back. Bob can't fire the D coordinator. He can't fire the player evaluator. But how hard does Bob push? Push too hard and BB may say this was never our arrangement...see ya. Don't push at all and the same mistakes may repeat over and over.
The NFL documentary of BB, "Football Life", showed what I felt was a peculiar relationship between the BB and Kraft. Kraft appeared to deflect to BB....and Belichick displayed the comfort level of being in a dentist chair when Kraft was in the room or on the field next to him. Who knows...maybe the cameras made everyone act goofy. But the clear impression was...this is BB's show and the Kraft involvement was limited to contract issues.
One last point to consider....Jonathan Kraft. He's the future and he has a voice now. He's seems emotional, and emotional people tend to react quickly.
Back to the lead in question...Does Robert Kraft have the resolve to intervene in some manner regarding football operations?
OK?
Good.
Now that that is out of the way, lets get serious here. The Patriots have a player evaluation problem (defense). The Patriots have a developmental problem (CBs that regress). The Patriots continue to ignore/fail in developing a pass rush. The Patriots defensive philosophy of bending while waiting for the opposing QB to make a mistake does not work against very good QBs. Can any of this be argued?
So what does Bob Kraft do about this? His head coach has assumed direct responsibility for all things defense...and the defensive weaknesses that are displayed year in/year out continue to hamper the goal of defeating playoff teams at year end. You know Bob Kraft is very conscious about both the perceptions and realities of his team, and I'm sure he is more than just worried about the defensive roster and scheme. The defense is his team's achilles heal.
Now we all know how much Bob Kraft loves to publicly state his business philosophy.....hire good managers, and hold them accountable. Shouldn't BB be held accountable for his defensive creation?
Suppose we are not talking about the Patriots, perennial winner. Instead we are examining Team X. Team X has an explosive offense, but their defense has league bottoms in pass defense, time of possession, 3rd down conversions. Team X has also spent multiple premium draft picks on defensive players that continue to regress and underperform, often being cut from the roster. Wouldn't most owners make management and coaching changes to correct these deficiencies?
Bob Kraft is in a delicate position. His Hall of Fame coach appears to have some holes in his swing....which may continue to hold his team back. Bob can't fire the D coordinator. He can't fire the player evaluator. But how hard does Bob push? Push too hard and BB may say this was never our arrangement...see ya. Don't push at all and the same mistakes may repeat over and over.
The NFL documentary of BB, "Football Life", showed what I felt was a peculiar relationship between the BB and Kraft. Kraft appeared to deflect to BB....and Belichick displayed the comfort level of being in a dentist chair when Kraft was in the room or on the field next to him. Who knows...maybe the cameras made everyone act goofy. But the clear impression was...this is BB's show and the Kraft involvement was limited to contract issues.
One last point to consider....Jonathan Kraft. He's the future and he has a voice now. He's seems emotional, and emotional people tend to react quickly.
Back to the lead in question...Does Robert Kraft have the resolve to intervene in some manner regarding football operations?