Vrabel vs Belichick

[Ian]

I feel like the problem was he went right in there guns blazing without the track record to back it up. He should have understood that building relationships with the media (and by extension fans) and his players mattered. Felt kind of like what we saw later from Matt Patricia with the Lions. Of course BB figured that out with the Patriots and the results speak for themselves.

I think in the end Modell reneged does not invite him to the Ravens because he was despised by people that matter more than liked.

The thing is that by all accounts, it didn't appear he had any issues with his players. Media, yes, but the players - Bernie Kosar aside - appeared to be on board and he had already shipped out many of the malcontents.

I agree with you on Patricia, and the same can be said for McDaniels. But Bill had been there long enough where he had flipped a lot of that roster and things were headed in a good direction. Up until Modell submarined the entire thing.

 

[condon84]

This is silly.

Vrabel is only halfway through his first season here.

You should just block all the Bill haters bro. They've broken your brain.

 

[JoeSixPat]

This is silly.

Vrabel is only halfway through his first season here.

You should just block all the Bill haters bro. They've broken your brain.

But if the question is, who is the better coach TODAY, then it's an easy vote for Vrabel

Let's put it this way.

How many teams would want to hire Vrabel as of today.

How many teams would wan to hire Belichick as of today.

No doubt with Belichick he brings a ton of baggage plus Bunny and Lombardi in tow. But does anyone here think he's a better coach in TODAY'S NFL?

I mean, I THINK most understand that no one is suggesting that a coach 10 games into his Patriots career has now exceeded Belichick's 6 rings. But I'm getting the sense that some think that's what the question is.

Ask EVERY Patriots fan RIGHT NOW - If you could have Bill Belichick back would you fire Vrabel and make it happen?

If he's the better coach the answer is an easy YES. If he's not, the answer is an easy no.

For me, I do NOT want Belichick back as coach, regardless of his 6 rings here.

I vote Vrabel - kindof surprised others aren't more supportive of him.

 

[PatsfanTN]

Take your pick. You can only have 1.

This is ridiculous. If you’re asking right now, current? The answer is clearly Vrabel.

 

[signbabybrady]

But if the question is, who is the better coach TODAY, then it's an easy vote for Vrabel

Let's put it this way.

How many teams would want to hire Vrabel as of today.

How many teams would wan to hire Belichick as of today.

No doubt with Belichick he brings a ton of baggage plus Bunny and Lombardi in tow. But does anyone here think he's a better coach in TODAY'S NFL?

I mean, I THINK most understand that no one is suggesting that a coach 10 games into his Patriots career has now exceeded Belichick's 6 rings. But I'm getting the sense that some think that's what the question is.

Ask EVERY Patriots fan RIGHT NOW - If you could have Bill Belichick back would you fire Vrabel and make it happen?

If he's the better coach the answer is an easy YES. If he's not, the answer is an easy no.

For me, I do NOT want Belichick back as coach, regardless of his 6 rings here.

I vote Vrabel - kindof surprised others aren't more supportive of him.

I intentionally left it vague so it's kind of a Rorschach test.

 

[EddardSnow67]

Bill Belichick in his "prime" was the greatest defensive coach that ever lived, one of the greatest program managers that ever lived, a decent to good talent evaluator and had absolutely no fear of jettisoning aging players whose value no longer justified their salary. So I would take that guy over anyone else, ever.

Bill at this point in time is just not close to that guy. So I would absolutely take Vrabel over Bill if we're talking about the here and now.

I don't think there's really another valid answer at the moment.

 

[Dec54]

I intentionally left it vague so it's kind of a Rorschach test.

You do love using big words to show off with. But I'm not too sure what inkblots have to do with the discussion.

 

[signbabybrady]

You do love using big words to show off with. But I'm not too sure what inkblots have to do with the discussion.

What you see reveals something about who you are as a Patsfan.

What did you see?

 

[p8ryts]

I do disagree with this. Again, he turned the franchise around and made them competitive before getting the rug pulled out from underneath him thanks to Modell moving the team. We all watched the documentary and saw what went down behind the scenes in that final season, they probably would have gone back to the playoffs and made a deeper run had that not happened.

That and we can argue his personnel decisions later in his career, but he put down the foundation that ultimately saw the Ravens win a Super Bowl in 2000. Someone posted the list years ago, and that staff was behind part of the group that was still on that roster.

Again, while his current decisions annoy me, I can't discount what he did and who he was earlier in his career. I think, at the end, he was a little worn down and looking for a faster fix rather than a long-term solution, and didn't have the patience he probably should have and that likely impacted his decision-making personnel-wise. And honestly, had Josh not left, it's possible they would have remained competitive, and the dive might not have happened as rapidly as it did.

But considering the fact that every Super Bowl came down to the wire, as much as we can credit Brady, they probably don't beat the Rams without Belichick as the head coach, or Philly, or Carolina thanks to how they played defensively. Not to mention, he made the players believe they could win, and he never faltered in the spotlight in big games. We see that every January, and it's definitely a fact that can't be discounted.

Sucks that he's gone a bit off the rails, but 73-year-old Bill won't make me forget or not appreciate what 50-something-year-old+ Bill did. Again, I don't think we win a title without him. Albeit, to flip it around, probably safe to say he sabotaged himself from winning 1-2 more. But it is what it is. I'm not going to be mad about not winning 7-8 vs the fact that they still won six.

Thank you!

 

[p8ryts]

I've been glad to see him steady things a bit there and would like to see him succeed at UNC. Again, I'm not a fan of where he's at personally, but I certainly don't hold any ill will against him and absolutely appreciate everything he did. Despite my annoyance with the sideshow he's created around him, I'd still like to see him do well and give us a nice little side thing to keep an eye on each Saturday. I hope they finish out the year on a positive note and that his career there continues.

I wonder what everyone would do if they were 70+ and a twenty year old came on and grabbed them by the crotch. I know what I would do.

 

[condon84]

But if the question is, who is the better coach TODAY, then it's an easy vote for Vrabel

Let's put it this way.

How many teams would want to hire Vrabel as of today.

How many teams would wan to hire Belichick as of today.

No doubt with Belichick he brings a ton of baggage plus Bunny and Lombardi in tow. But does anyone here think he's a better coach in TODAY'S NFL?

I mean, I THINK most understand that no one is suggesting that a coach 10 games into his Patriots career has now exceeded Belichick's 6 rings. But I'm getting the sense that some think that's what the question is.

Ask EVERY Patriots fan RIGHT NOW - If you could have Bill Belichick back would you fire Vrabel and make it happen?

If he's the better coach the answer is an easy YES. If he's not, the answer is an easy no.

For me, I do NOT want Belichick back as coach, regardless of his 6 rings here.

I vote Vrabel - kindof surprised others aren't more supportive of him.

Coaching was never the issue with Bill — it’s always been player acquisition, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Even now, UNC plays with solid discipline and technique (for a college team), and they clearly look well-coached. They just don’t have the athletes to compete at a higher level. Technique can only take you so far in college football.

If you handed Bill a Super Bowl–ready roster, he’d probably have that team deep in the playoffs. Even during the Patriots’ down years under him, the defense was still playoff-caliber — we just couldn’t score or run a competent offense once McDaniels left.

For example, if the Ravens or Bills moved on from their head coaches and brought Bill in (with a good OC), I think he’d take either team further in the playoffs — especially the Ravens. That said, I doubt either ownership group would touch him now. Between the off-field noise and his image issues, he’s kind of toxic at this point. Still, when it comes to pure coaching and preparation, it’s hard to find anyone more qualified than Bill.

 

[VrabelJr]

It's very likely that BB has a ho-hum decade long career as the HC of UNC and enjoys every minute of it. He's getting paid to teach and coach football in a decent place to live and under a much less intense magnifying class than up in NE. It's not a bad gig. Perhaps he's content with his standing in the game of football.

 

[signbabybrady]

It's very likely that BB has a ho-hum decade long career as the HC of UNC and enjoys every minute of it. He's getting paid to teach and coach football in a decent place to live and under a much less intense magnifying class than up in NE. It's not a bad gig. Perhaps he's content with his standing in the game of football.

When he first got fired I don't think this was the case. Currently I think this is very much the case. I think it would take a perfect situation to get him to move anywhere else. Not necessarily a perfect roster but a lot of the other things especially geographically and a proper franchise.

 

[p8ryts]

Excerpt from a NY Post article. "Hoyer, who played 15 years in the league for nine different franchises, noted the Patriots were “without a doubt” the best locker room he was a part of — and he knows a thing or two about what makes a bad one."

 

[h0c2000]

Rome knows.

 

[Boomer B]

Looking at this again, the way I am reading it, since the question uses the word "is", that means it is present tense - as in 'who is the better coach today', or 'who is the better coach in 2025'.

That’s how I read it. Who IS the better coach. Right now it’s Vrabel.

 

[Hyped]

"Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right and who is dead."

 

[Sect140]

It's very likely that BB has a ho-hum decade long career as the HC of UNC and enjoys every minute of it. He's getting paid to teach and coach football in a decent place to live and under a much less intense magnifying class than up in NE. It's not a bad gig. Perhaps he's content with his standing in the game of football.

UNC and its boosters aren’t paying Bill to have a ho-hum 10 year career, they are paying him to win the ACC conference title or at least compete for it, Bill knows this and he knows he will have to field a much better team next season.

 

[Clonamery]

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means".

 

[p8ryts]

UNC and its boosters aren’t paying Bill to have a ho-hum 10 year career, they are paying him to win the ACC conference title or at least compete for it, Bill knows this and he knows he will have to field a much better team next season.

And he will.