Matt Chatham challenges conventional thinking on team performance

[BTTA]

Chatham: Why aren't Patriots playing anymore? It's not the...

I know, I know, paywall. But there's enough Athletic subscribers here to make this conversation worthwhile.

He's expressing something that's been lurking in the back of my brain for a while. In my work life I see this problem play out routinely, to the great detriment of organizations of all types, so it's natural that it would be my bias and lens as a sports fan and thus I'd be attracted to his article.

Here's a small, defining portion:

I’ve grown to believe that because of such an overwhelming focus by the NFL on free agency, draft, and fantasy football to seize fan and media attention around the calendar, football problem-solving conversation and content almost always flow from one of those three buckets. And lo and behold, the theme behind each of these worlds is basically just “get a different guy.”

Got a football problem? Well, let me see here … looks like you’ve got the wrong guy. A different guy will fix your problem right up.

Fantasy football (of which I’m an avid participant) hammers this football blinders view home even further: Ya didn’t win last week? Ya gotta get different guys! Click here, or listen to this, or subscribe to this, and we’ll tell ya the guys ya need to get to win!

It’s the sports problem-solving version of a tool belt filled only with hammers.
​

I asked him if the erosion of the coaching staff over the past few years might be a core solution, and am looking forward to his response.

 

[Sicilian]

I can't read the whole article, so I won't make a comment specifically on his reasoning (that I can't see). But I definitely think all fans, to some degree, tend to evaluate players based on what they see from them early, or on whatever first impression they had of them. Then there's a cognitive bias because we remember the times we were right, and forget the times when players exceeded our expectations by growing over the course of their careers. A tight end who didn't block well as a rookie "sucks at blocking and always will". Even if he improves through hard work and technique, every time he misses a block (which all TE's do), the narrative comes back. "See? GARBAGE BLOCKER."

This isn't exclusive to sports fandom. There's a reason people put a huge emphasis on first impressions. They are harder to overcome than any single event you show after them.

 

[Vindicate]

Chatham: Why aren't Patriots playing anymore? It's not the...

I know, I know, paywall. But there's enough Athletic subscribers here to make this conversation worthwhile.

He's expressing something that's been lurking in the back of my brain for a while. In my work life I see this problem play out routinely, to the great detriment of organizations of all types, so it's natural that it would be my bias and lens as a sports fan and thus I'd be attracted to his article.

Here's a small, defining portion:

I’ve grown to believe that because of such an overwhelming focus by the NFL on free agency, draft, and fantasy football to seize fan and media attention around the calendar, football problem-solving conversation and content almost always flow from one of those three buckets. And lo and behold, the theme behind each of these worlds is basically just “get a different guy.”

Got a football problem? Well, let me see here … looks like you’ve got the wrong guy. A different guy will fix your problem right up.

Fantasy football (of which I’m an avid participant) hammers this football blinders view home even further: Ya didn’t win last week? Ya gotta get different guys! Click here, or listen to this, or subscribe to this, and we’ll tell ya the guys ya need to get to win!

It’s the sports problem-solving version of a tool belt filled only with hammers.
​

I asked him if the erosion of the coaching staff over the past few years might be a core solution, and am looking forward to his response.

I'd like to understand how he applies this thesis to what the article is headlined as - "Why aren't the Patriots playing anymore?" aka "Why didn't they do well?"

Alas, I cannot see... So I have a hard time understanding the application of his concept to a nuanced degree.

 

[203Pat]

I generally skip Chatham's article as he is an over the top homer.

 

[holyredeemer]

I generally skip Chatham's article as he is an over the top homer.

Gotta keep that criticism of your favorite football team fair and balanced. I hear ya there! I’d hate for all of us sheeple to read too many positive articles and end up being brainwashed super fans!!! Not this time Krafty Bob....not this time.

 

[203Pat]

Gotta keep that criticism of your favorite football team fair and balanced. I hear ya there! I’d hate for all of us sheeple to read too many positive articles and end up being brainwashed super fans!!! Not this time Krafty Bob....not this time.

You can chug the Kool Aid all you want. I would rather read something with insight that I may learn from.

 

[jimnance]

You can chug the Kool Aid all you want. I would rather read something with insight that I may learn from.

I agree with your take on Chatham BUT he also writes some good stuff chock full of insight. Sometimes even hits on angles no one else brought up.
So I treat him like ESPN. People who NEVER oh God forbid it's a mortal sin, read or watch anything on ESPN are missing out on some the very best in the business. Reiss,obviously,Bruschi,Louis Riddick, the occasional outstanding 30/30. So I read/watch the good stuff and ignore the rest. Same with Chatham.

 

[BTTA]

I'd like to understand how he applies this thesis to what the article is headlined as - "Why aren't the Patriots playing anymore?" aka "Why didn't they do well?"

Alas, I cannot see... So I have a hard time understanding the application of his concept to a nuanced degree.

I think there's a word missing from the headline. It should read, "Why
aren't the Patriots playing well anymore?"

I'd like to help with that last sentence, but have no idea how to.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Matt Chatham wasn't a great player for NE, and he's always struck me as a "Pats are playing great, don't worry" type of guy like he knows way more than anyone else. I'll pass.

 

[203Pat]

I agree with your take on Chatham BUT he also writes some good stuff chock full of insight. Sometimes even hits on angles no one else brought up.
So I treat him like ESPN. People who NEVER oh God forbid it's a mortal sin, read or watch anything on ESPN are missing out on some the very best in the business. Reiss,obviously,Bruschi,Louis Riddick, the occasional outstanding 30/30. So I read/watch the good stuff and ignore the rest. Same with Chatham.

I agree with you about Chatham in the sense that he is good with X's and O's and some insight into the way the team does things. Where he loses me is when it's just a blind defense of everything the team does.

 

[Sciz]

He goes over three plays, but the ineligible downfield penalty is the big one to me. The Patriots, with all their flaws, probably win that game if Mason doesn’t commit a penalty on his 5,806th NFL snap that he was never called for in any of his prior 5,805 snaps. That’s a real outlier play that has nothing to do with roster building or talent level.

 

[Chevrolet]

What Chatham said could also be applied to the titans just as easily. If the Titans had only executed 2-3 more plays better, they would have won by 14 points. Every team has a few plays each game in which mental mistakes were made. Its virtually impossible to complete eliminate these because human beings screw up and make mistakes. What he misses is that better talent can overcome these inevitable mental and execution mistakes.

For example, Mahomes can easily compensate for a few of these brain dead plays in each game.. Chatham's premise that Patriots have adequate talent and it was just they made a few execution mistakes that prevented them from advancing is overly simplistic

Better coaching and better talent will always make up for execution and mental errors. This year the Patriots talent overall was lacking and the coaching staff did not do a great job.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Deep playoff runs are not a birthright.

Other teams draft, sign, and develop tough players and smart coaches too.

 

[primetime]

Only one team can win every year and football games often come down to a few plays. Sometimes the bounces don't go your way. The Patriots run is so remarkable because of how often the bounces have gone their way. Football's somewhat overanalyzed for how random the outcomes really are.

 

[captain stone]

Chatham has his head so far up Little Billy's azzhole that he's lost all manner of objectivity...
That, and his flippant, disrespectful "somebody somewhere once did something during the opening song" garbage makes him Permanently persona non grata. Feck him.