We're all aware of what he said a few days ago as it's been all over the internet. Here is a statement from a poster that pretty much sums up my thoughts on it from
this site: "
Even without a perfect 19-0, the Patriots 2007 season exposed and tarnished the reputation of the 72 Fins. Every journalist began analyzing the Fins schedule for the first time.
What? They were only playing a 14 game regular season schedule back then? In the modern 16-game era, it’s around the 13 or 14 game mark that a few undefeated teams lost their first game.
What? The Fins played only 2 teams during the regular season that would finish with a winning record and both at 8-6?
What? The Pats in recording their 18th victory to no defeats went where no team — not even the 1972 Dolphins — went before? And to get there they beat a 5-0 Dallas team IN DALLAS (remember the “Duel in Dallas?”). A 7-0 Manning-led Colts team, IN INDIANAPOLIS. A playoff bound Redskins team, 52-7. A playoff bound Steeler team by 3 TDs (despite a guarantee of victory by a Steelers player). And they beat the eventual SB champion Giants in the final game of the regular season (when the Giants were starting to heat up) IN NEW YORK. They beat San Diego TWICE, the second time while San Diego was on an 8-0 run.
What? All this winning occurred AFTER the videotaping was revealed and stopped?
No wonder Don Shula is mad.
Many homer fans of rival teams amuse me by floating the argument that the videotaping is the difference between winning 3 Super Bowls by 3 points and losing 2 Super Bowls by 3-4 points. When in actuality, there’s a confound. The Patriots also turned over their all-world defense between 2004 and 2007. Belichick was never able to find the right mix of players to duplicate the skills of Bruschi, Vrabel, McGinest, Law, J. Green (who always had that timely sack of Manning in relief of Seymour), Pfifer, etcetera.
Most dynasties end after 3 in a row or 3 out of 4. (The Cowboys were nowhere to be found for years and the Steelers were dormant in the 80s). Belichick’s teams continue to threaten year after year.
How does he do it? Many other Patriots fans can probably provide more compelling answers than I, but to me it’s all about designing a new game plan every week to target an opponent’s weaknesses and anticipated strategies. (“This is what THEY are going to try to do, knowing this is what OUR weaknesses are”). And it’s drafting and developing the talent to be able to morph into whatever the defense needs to become from one game to the next — from one play to the next — to give that play the best possible chance of a favorable outcome."
