When we look back at those games, we can honestly say it was the most recent instance of Belichick completely climbing into the head of an opposing star quarterback and owning him for an extended period of time. Belichick discovered something about Manning that no other coach could discover during that four-year stretch. For all the film that No. 18 studied, and all the timing routes he threw, he thrived on familiarity. He wanted to win the game through his preparation. He needed a sense of comfort and timing.
Belichick gave him neither. We all remember the 2003 and 2004 AFC championship games in which the Patriots had several defensive series when they rushed one defensive lineman and dropped 10 men in coverage. Even though Manning had as much time as he needed in the pocket, he couldn’t get the mental clock out of his head. The happy feet would resurface, he’d tap the ball angrily with his left hand, and he’d rush an inaccurate throw in the face of zero pressure. Last Sunday night, we heard Rodney Harrison tell a story on NBC’s broadcast about the 2004 AFC championship game. In preparation, Belichick told Harrison and Law they would switch positions for a week. Harrison would play cornerback and Law would play strong safety. Manning panicked the moment he saw a defensive look he had never seen on film. Even Harrison’s NBC colleague, Tony Dungy, admitted that his former quarterback went the entire game without being able to identify the Patriots’ base coverage scheme.
For those types of reasons, Manning started his career with six consecutive losses in Foxboro. After Tom Brady earned the Patriots’ starting quarterback job in 2001, the Patriots won six straight meetings against the Colts. The turning point came in 2005 when Belichick no longer had the horses to play any head games with Manning. Law had moved on, Harrison was hurt and Belichick’s secondary boasted players such as Duane Starks, Michael Stone and Ellis Hobbs.
Source:
http://thanksforplaying.weei.com/general/will-belichick-ever-dominate-manning-again/
