Belichick: September may be an extended pre-season for Patriots

[moosekill]

Even is that is true and even its potentially intentional (for possibly several reasons) and even if it is true for just the patriots and no other team (and it would be good to compare) are you or were you unhappy with the final results?

Patriots teams have, in general, been built with a large number of good players, rather than a few omg players. This allows them to be able to weather the injuries that always happen during an nfl season better than most teams. Additionally, the patriots staff spends huge amounts of time preparing game plans each week to deal with specific opponents. They have very little game film to use on those opponents to start the year, so that advantage starts to become more apparent as the season progresses. Both of which would easily explain the small statistical difference from September onward.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Do you think its a coincidence that September had the lowest winning % by month during the Patriots dynasty?

No, but I've always thought the good teams get better over the season and the worse ones fade out. I never saw it as a conscious thing that a coach could control. Do you think there's something BB could do to somehow make his team play championship football in September and he was just like, "Nah."?

I think there's something to the Pats being really good at watching tape and seeing what their opponents do and finding ways to beat them. There's usually a lot less tape of what a team is going to do at the start of a season.

As for what BB said, it just takes longer than training camp and preseason for a team to establish their identity. They'll find out in real games what they're good at and what they're not. I think that's a reality that BB was commenting on.

 

[All3Phases]

No, but I've always thought the good teams get better over the season and the worse ones fade out. I never saw it as a conscious thing that a coach could control. Do you think there's something BB could do to somehow make his team play championship football in September and he was just like, "Nah."?

I think there's something to the Pats being really good at watching tape and seeing what their opponents do and finding ways to beat them. There's usually a lot less tape of what a team is going to do at the start of a season.

As for what BB said, it just takes longer than training camp and preseason for a team to establish their identity. They'll find out in real games what they're good at and what they're not. I think that's a reality that BB was commenting on.

Ok, so you agree, its not a coincidence. Not really sure what youre arguing tbh.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Ok, so you agree, its not a coincidence. Not really sure what youre arguing tbh.

Something can be a fact or trend but not a coaching decision or within a coach's control.

 

[Bruins29]

You Keep saying Facts suck, then admit my facts were right. I never said they were bad in September, I said historically they won at a lower clip in September then any other month. That is a fact

Who said I was referencing you?

 

[All3Phases]

Who said I was referencing you?

Ok so you agree with me, you commented on my post, then immediately posted that people hate facts...Sorry if I misinterpreted

 

[archstanton543]

Here, let Herm break it down for you

 

[All3Phases]

Something can be a fact or trend but not a coaching decision or within a coach's control.

I simply dont think its a coincidence, neither do you...which youve already stated. Its not the team not trying to win, could be as simple as the team not knowing what works for them going into a year.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I simply dont think its a coincidence, neither do you...which youve already stated. Its not the team not trying to win, could be as simple as the team not knowing what works for them going into a year.

Right. But this is a thread where people have gone back and forth tearing their hair out over whether BB is giving up on September because he said that he agreed that there might be some truth to the beginning of the season as a continuation of trying to form a team identity.

You said you thought this year's team probably can't afford to ease into the season (I don't disagree) but I don't think that's what BB is doing (which I don't think you disagree with, but maybe you do... it's hard to tell). So I guess what I'm asking is what do you think BB could do to not ease the team into the season? Or is it just a simple fact that it happens and people (not you) tearing their hair out over an innocuous statement could find better things to tear their hair out about?

 

[Grogan14]

I think it's proactive excuse making. BB never used to make excuses and Parcells certainly never did.
Do I think he wants to and will try his hardest to win the games....yes
But if he doesn't...he can pull this excuse out from the vault.

 

[All3Phases]

Right. But this is a thread where people have gone back and forth tearing their hair out over whether BB is giving up on September because he said that he agreed that there might be some truth to the beginning of the season as a continuation of trying to form a team identity.

You said you thought this year's team probably can't afford to ease into the season (I don't disagree) but I don't think that's what BB is doing (which I don't think you disagree with, but maybe you do... it's hard to tell). So I guess what I'm asking is what do you think BB could do to not ease the team into the season? Or is it just a simple fact that it happens and people (not you) tearing their hair out over an innocuous statement could find better things to tear their hair out about?

I think they could abandon the Shanahan offense as its not clearly working currently. Maybe they will. I think it could potentially help them in the long run, but in the short term, looks to be hurting them. I understand why people would be questioning this, just because I havent heard him deliberately say they take September as an extension of the preseason before, we kind of just assumed it...But maybe he has. I could definitely be wrong there.

As an extension to that, I feel like since 2020, there has been a lot more questionable things to come out of BBs mouth than in the past...Again, I definitely could be forgetting over the course of 20 years as well! But this, along with the quotes to Weiss a bout knowing going into the year that the team wouldn't be competitive because they sold out in the past was odd to me, its just something we never heard. But that is kind of besides the point!

 

[mike_usagisan]

I think it's proactive excuse making. BB never used to make excuses and Parcells certainly never did.
Do I think he wants to and will try his hardest to win the games....yes
But if he doesn't...he can pull this excuse out from the vault.

This is what he said:

"I think a lot of veteran players are aware of it. I've heard a lot of people comment on it. September is an extension of the preseason for your team, developing your team. I think there's some truth to that.
"But games start now so it's important to be competitive."

That doesn't sound to me like he's proactively making an excuse or saying that he's writing off September.

 

[Bruins29]

This is what he said:

"I think a lot of veteran players are aware of it. I've heard a lot of people comment on it. September is an extension of the preseason for your team, developing your team. I think there's some truth to that.
"But games start now so it's important to be competitive."

That doesn't sound to me like he's proactively making an excuse or saying that he's writing off September.

Remember, Sambam is an idiot who cant read

 

[Bruins29]

I think it's proactive excuse making. BB never used to make excuses and Parcells certainly never did.
Do I think he wants to and will try his hardest to win the games....yes
But if he doesn't...he can pull this excuse out from the vault.

Yeah you got it. You are so smart. Like wicked smaaaat.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Remember, Sambam is an idiot who cant read

People are mad at Bill for other reasons. I get that. But this statement seems like a weird thing to latch onto.

 

[Bruins29]

People are mad at Bill for other reasons. I get that. But this statement seems like a weird thing to latch onto.

He is legally re tarded so take it for what it is worth.

 

[Bruins29]

I think it's proactive excuse making. BB never used to make excuses and Parcells certainly never did.
Do I think he wants to and will try his hardest to win the games....yes
But if he doesn't...he can pull this excuse out from the vault.

This is such a stupid statement I dont know where to begin. How about the basics.

You are an idiot and a gutless worm.

 

[rochrist]

I think it's proactive excuse making. BB never used to make excuses and Parcells certainly never did.
Do I think he wants to and will try his hardest to win the games....yes
But if he doesn't...he can pull this excuse out from the vault.

Except he's said this same thing repeatedly over the years.

 

[ErniesPinkStripes]

"It is what it is"

 

[PScottman]

I think there's something to the Pats being really good at watching tape and seeing what their opponents do and finding ways to beat them. There's usually a lot less tape of what a team is going to do at the start of a season.

This is a salient, usually obscured point. If the postulate that Patriots tend toward a wider deeper "middle class" than "elite" class is considered mostly true then it makes sense that when a contest is much more reliant on the physical, athletic ability the Patriots will be at a disadvantage.

Meaning early year games are more vanilla, more generic, more fundamental and more reliant on pure athletic ability because there isn't the ability to gameplan (and bring in much more of the mental aspect) accurately because you can't study what the other team IS CURRENTLY doing, you can only rely on their past which is always a different team makeup.