Paul Brown's Football Inventions vs Bill Belichick 's overall brilliance

[ausbacker]

A lot of what people say BB had innovated such as the Hurry Up offense and the deferring if they win the coin toss came from college football. This is not a dig at BB, rather that's one of the best traits he has. He is not so egotistical to think that he has all the answers and is very much willing to continue learning from other coaches.

Another thing about inventions, while extremely important, the ability to understand the breakthrough and use the new information is also important. That's true in football or in life. While I'm certainly not one of those who thought or still thinks Steve Jobs was a God, one thing you can't take away from him was his ability to change how we use technology (the original IPhone as an example) that allows us to make good use of the benefits of the invention. He didn't invent the mobile phone nor the PC but he did make it more accessible and useful to most everyone.

The point of this is comparing a person who invents new things versus someone who understands how to make use of the invention is not necessarily an either/or type of situation to me. Both are important.

Belichick's ability to create a Swiss Army knife team is the thing that most stands out in my mind. The week-to-week we'll be what we need to be to win mentality and approach is miles ahead of the rest of the league. Also, his knowledge and use of the rules to use them to his advantage is something few, if any have a complete grasp of. If we're discussing Belichick's "ingenuity", then it simply has to be the cerebral aspect of football. I'm not sure we'll ever see another football savant like Belichick.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Did anyone put the emphasis on deferring the kick off before BB? The only times I can remember prior to BB is if a team had a dominant defense and wanted to set a tone. BB does it for strategic reasons. Tries to get the last drive in the half and the first drive in the next.

I believe the rule change that allowed for deferring the choice (which is what's actually happening, not deferring the kickoff -- though in practice that's what often happens) in the NFL is relatively recent (in the last 10 years), so it's not fair to compare the past to BB on that one.

Before the change you could not defer the choice. If you won the toss you were required right then and there to choose either to receive or to defend an endzone. Then the other team was required to make that same choice at the start of the second half.

With the new rule the team that wins the coin toss can force the toss-losing team to make that choice then and there and then the toss-winning choice makes the choice at the start of the second half.

 

[glm]

Here's an article from 11 years ago during the 2003 playoffs that gives great insight of Bill and his background. Partly explains how BB's background in economics has helped him be so effective in the salary cap era.

PRO FOOTBALL; For Belichick, An Economy Of Thought

 

[Gumby]

Higher goalposts
The IR and Return position
Goalline cameras (Not yet but he is the lone voice advocating)
As someone Else alluded to he is first to dedicate a roster spot to a ST-only player

I also think he was instrumental in main parts of replay system, but has not yet won out on all plays reviewable practice (but when either he or gotohell is gone they'll adopt)

The stand around defense
The other defenses with odd numbers of DL or LBs
He brought the 3-4 back into vogue and then went to the sort of 4-3
Is the 'elephant' position LB his invention, Taylor's, or predates them both?

Who can forget the change that he was instrumental in causing by others doing whatever they could to stop him: The 5-yd chuck rule, PI changes, the eligible /ineligible receiver rules

 

[Tony2046]

I believe the rule change that allowed for deferring the choice (which is what's actually happening, not deferring the kickoff -- though in practice that's what often happens) in the NFL is relatively recent (in the last 10 years), so it's not fair to compare the past to BB on that one.

Before the change you could not defer the choice. If you won the toss you were required right then and there to choose either to receive or to defend an endzone. Then the other team was required to make that same choice at the start of the second half.

With the new rule the team that wins the coin toss can force the toss-losing team to make that choice then and there and then the toss-winning choice makes the choice at the start of the second half.

Thanks for that clarification. I appreciate it.

Here is an interesting article regarding the rule change in 2008.

’Tis Better to Kick Than Receive in NFL Coin-Toss Shift

After the rule was implemented in 2008, 97 of 256 teams winning the toss that season deferred their choice to the second half. The number rose to 141 of 256 in 2012 and to 166 this year, according to statistics provided by the NFL. Those teams had an 88-78 record this season for a .530 winning percentage.

While deferrals have climbed 27 percent in the six years the rule has been around, Pereira said he expects it to eventually reach about 90 percent.

“I do think we’ll get there in some point in time because more and more young coaches are getting in the league and see the opportunity to end up with the ball two times in a row,” Pereira said.

And another from Fox Sports:

Majority of NFL coin toss winners now defer choice of whether to receive until second half

The number of teams that won the opening coin toss and chose to defer has dramatically increased since the rule was adopted for the 2008 season — from 38 percent to 68 percent

The year-by-year breakdown since 2011:

2011: 41 percent
2012: 55 percent
2013: 65 percent
2014: 68 percent (through Sunday’s day games)

And yet another that focuses on BB.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/26/s...he-game-for-belichick-its-no-tossup.html?_r=0

On Sunday, the Patriots won the coin toss against the Detroit Lions, and Belichick deferred, giving the Patriots the ball to open the second half. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is a decision he has made 48 times out of 50 since 2008, when the N.F.L. started giving teams the option to defer. He has also deferred in playoff games, including during the Patriots’ 21-17 Super Bowl loss to the Giants after the 2011 season.

The only two times Belichick has not deferred were the first game of the 2008 season against the Kansas City Chiefs and the fifth game of the 2013 season against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the 2008 game, quarterback Tom Brady sustained a season-ending knee injury on the Patriots’ second series. The 2013 game featured a driving rainstorm at the end of the game, a 13-6 Cincinnati victory.

So basically BB has deferred approximately 96% of the time while the rest of the league deferred approximately 49%.

​

 

[Fencer]

Nobody will make innovations as sweeping as Paul Brown's again. Not even close. That said, it's OK to be even more impressed by BB's innovations than by Brown's. Both parts of what I said are because of the great difference in the state of the game in their respective eras.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Whenever Belichick is asked about the subject of Innovation in football coaching while in press conferences, he will talk about Paul Brown for hours.... It's obvious that Paul Brown is Belichick's historical inspiration.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

A lot of what people say BB had innovated such as the Hurry Up offense and the deferring if they win the coin toss came from college football. This is not a dig at BB, rather that's one of the best traits he has. He is not so egotistical to think that he has all the answers and is very much willing to continue learning from other coaches.

Another thing about inventions, while extremely important, the ability to understand the breakthrough and use the new information is also important. That's true in football or in life. While I'm certainly not one of those who thought or still thinks Steve Jobs was a God, one thing you can't take away from him was his ability to change how we use technology (the original IPhone as an example) that allows us to make good use of the benefits of the invention. He didn't invent the mobile phone nor the PC but he did make it more accessible and useful to most everyone.

The point of this is comparing a person who invents new things versus someone who understands how to make use of the invention is not necessarily an either/or type of situation to me. Both are important.

It's so true - the guy has that scary quality of being a master of his craft while still having the curiosity of a student. There was a great article about when John Lynch was brought on board the Pats... Basically belichick only signed him to extract information about the Tampa defense from Lynch'S brain. His passion for football knowledge is his scariest weapon.

 

[DarrylS]

I was a Cleveland Fan before the AFL and Paul Brown is a good memory.. at that time we did not talk about race in sports, but he always found good black players and he played them.. Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell.. the controversy over trading Bobby Mitchell for the rights to Ernie Davis kind of broke Paul Brown's back.. that was before his Leukemia was even known about..

Football was so different, and much more violent with not much regard for personal safety, Jim Brown never wore hip pads.. images of blood running down the face of Y.A. Tittle, not sure they would have let him continue to play in this day and age.

The complete Paul Brown Coaching tree... interesting to see the heritage of BB..

http://www.sports-central.org/images/brown_tree_2008.jpg

 

[PP2]

My favorite thing about Paul Brown and BB is how much both of them thought about football. They were always thinking 24/7 about how to get better, and both pushed the envelope. Ironically enough, the league made rules to restrict both of them. For Paul Brown, an example was prohibiting direct coach to QB communication to try and limit his impact on the game.

 

[1960Pats]

I don't know for sure how much credit should go to Ernie Adams for some of these innovations, but my guess is that his overall contribution is substantial.

 

[1960Pats]

This article is about one of the minor BB innovations that doesn't get much play by the media or get copied by other teams that I know of. That is, the way he brings in practice players for the sole purpose of mimicking the players his team will face that week.

Why Belichick Really Is a Mad Scientist

 

[Kjmass1]

There are an average of 6 punts in an NFL game.
There are an average of 8 kickoffs in an NFL game.
There are an average of 7 extra points every game.
There are average of 4 FGs every NFL game.

Even though it represents say 15% of all plays/game thats 25 plays a game. Field position, returns, blocks....all have a tremendous impact on a game.

I think in a presser a couple of weeks ago he talked about this as it relates to picking up 50-70 more yards a game in field position makes a huge difference for the offense and defense.

The logic and reasoning why he puts so much emphasis on it is totally justifiable.

Someone had posted a spreadsheet in another thread about offense efficiency. Pats average starting position was the 36 yard line. I think the Cowboys were at the 22. Huge advantage.