idle thoughts - pre-TC epic edition

[patfanken]

• The most important topic of this piece will be an attempt to figure out just WHAT exactly has allowed the Pats to continue to have such a consistently high level of success in a league that is purposely designed to weed that out. Currently 5 good years is considered a good run. Well the Pats have had 17 consecutive winning seasons and are currently on a 6 year consecutive run of being in the NFL's final 4.
  
• BTW- This IS going to be long, but it's a topic that if it were done really well and thoroughly could easily be a book.....and a thick one. Well I'm not sure just how well I will do, and it certainly won't be as thoroughly investigated as it should be But in the end all this is supposed to do is get us through the next week. . So it's the last Sunday before REAL football starts, so grab a cup of coffee and lets start breaking it down.

• a. Talent- It's not about the talent (at least to the degree that common wisdom would make you think). I've been annoyed to the point of being pissed off by the mediots (and some fans) who have conceded the superbowl to the Pats just because of the perception that they have improved a superbowl winning team. Now I don't disagree with the idea that the Pats SEEMED to have improved on last year's team. But on the surface EVERY team has improved on paper. What aggravates me is the perception that the Pats have an overwhelming talent lead. That is simply not the case.
• 
  
• Just off the top of my head I can think of a half dozen teams who have better OL's on paper. There are likely a dozen teams with better WR corps ON PAPER, and roughly2 dozen teams that can roll out better DL starters. Our Secondary is top 5, and we have elite players at QB and TE, but so many other teams also have at least 2 elite players, most have more. Christ, we've had a top 3 offense for the last 3 years that had exactly one first round pick starting (Solder). We won the superbowl with a WR corps made up of 2 UDFA's, a 6th round pick in Edelman and the highest picked WR was a rookie 4th rounder. Most teams now can roll out at least 2 first round WR's each week.
• 
  
• Then add to the fact that the Pats have been drafting at the bottom of league in EVERY round for the last 17 years, (IIRC they've averaged 27th over that period) so there is no way you can say the Pats have more “talent” than the rest of the league (and that includes the 2 first and 4th roun picks Fraudger stole). So we have to start with the basic concept that the reason the Pats have won all these years is NOT about the talent.
• 
  
• Disclaimer, I have long believed that the “talent gap” in the NFL from top to bottom amounts to at best, 5%. So EVERY team has great athletes at every position. Most have great work ethics. They all watch tons of film, and they are coached by men who have worked decades to get to the top of their professions. I used to say that I know more football that 90% of the casual fan, yet only 10% of what an NFL coach knows. I can confidently say that at this point I'm down to 5%.
• 
  
• b. Coaching: This is the “go to” reason for most of us. BB is simply THAT much smarter than EVERYbody else. Well as much as I'd love to believe it , I don't think it is....for this reason, and I think BB would agree with me. The fact is that there is NOTHING the Pats do that can't be duplicated. There is a myth that BB is ultra secretive, etc. But the truth is he's been very open about the “Patriot Way”. Every year he brings in multiple groups of college coaches to watch the “Patriot Way” of doing things from the inside out. How they practice, what they look for, what drills they use, etc, etc, etc. Its all open to just about anyone who wants to look. About the only thing that Bill IS really secretive about are his game plans for each week,.
• 
  
• Recently I stumbled on a clip where the analyst (I think it was an NFLN guy) where he basically opined that, in a league that is by definition a copycat league, and has been dominated by the Pats for almost 2 DECADES, WTF hasn't anyone just copied what the Pats have been doing. I mean they HAVE had 17 years to come to the conclusion that maybe we might want to look at what they're doing and do it too.
• 
  
• So clearly the answer to our question is a LOT more complex that just simple explanations of “talent”, “coaching”, or “systems”. And as much as we'd like it to be that simple, it simply isn't something you can get to the bottom in a segment on BSPN or even a 30 for 30, let alone this puny post.. Ultimately I think it is about ALL those things plus the unique nature of the game of football that has allowed BB to create this “dynasty” that has lasted this long and doesn't seem like it's going away any time soon.
• 
  
• The game of Football - More than with any other team sport, individual talent has LESS to do with the final outcome of the game than footbal. More than in any other team sport can the sum of the group be better than the individual parts. Now that can be said for any team sport, but the fact you have 22 "starters" and everyone's success is SO dependent on so many other people, makes football unique in this aspect.
  
  BB would clearly be a great coach in ANY game he coached or company he ran, but the unique nature of football allows all his skills to become apparent. But rather than elaborate more on this (we've talked about it many times before) let's start to peal back the onion on what it all means.
• 
  
• d, Team building- I think that BB was among the first GMs to realize that the game had evolved to the point with the growth of players' size and speed made injuries to key players an inevitability not just bad luck. So early on in the 2000's BB worked harder than anyone to to build up the bottom third of the roster, while others kept concentrating on gathering starters at the expense of building depth. Scott Pioli's quote that “we are building a team, not gathering talent” is not just a pithy remark, but rather an ethos that everyone ascribes to now, but few seem to live by like the Pats
• 
  
• The best example of this was the 2015 where the Pats led the league (by far) with starter games lost to injury, and STILL came within a 2 pt conversion of winning the AFCCG. Of the 4 or 5 other teams who suffered close to what the Pats endured, none even made the playoffs. The Pats results (while disappointing to us) was really a great testament to how well BB builds his teams

 

[patfanken]

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e. Player acquisition- From the start BB has gone against “common wisdom” in how he added players who have played productive roles that few others wanted. When over 90% of the league was playing a straight 4-3. One of the reasons he stayed with the 3-4 beyond its flexibility, was because it required a skill set that was different what the other 29 teams were running, which offered BB a better chance to get the players he wanted even though they picked at the bottom of each round every single year.

Some what forgotten in his many great acquisitions over the years at the bottom of the draft and the FA scrap heap, is how quickly BB reacts to his MISTAKES. Best example is with Randy Moss. Bill LOVED Randy Moss, and Moss loved Bill, but almost to the day when Moss crossed the line from “WE” to “ME”, he was gone in a flash. Others like Jackson, Easly, Ocho, Martin, etc were gone almost as fast. As soon as Bill determines the guy doesn't buy in.....he's out regardless of how “talented” they are. (See Collins and Athomas). Its one of the things I love about BB is that he's fearless and that includes when he f*cks up. He has no problem axing his mistakes, owning them, and moving on.

At the same time when most of the league was paying for scouting services like BLESTO, the Pats were one of the few teams who were “independent”. Now as more teams run 3-4, and multiple front defensive systems some of BB's advantages have vanished, but I'm still pretty sure the Pats rely less on national type scouting services than any team in the league.

f. Teaching/ player improvement – BB has long understood that if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. That is why he is so dismissive about the hype about his team being better than last year's superbowl version, so they must be a lock at returning. This isn't just Bill being Bill. By Bill's definition, your team HAS to be better or it has no chance. Everyone else in the league got better this off season (at least on paper,) so if his team ISN'T better, its a recipe for failure.

Another aspect of this section is how well the Pats coach their players to be better and better as their careers go on. Since we already agree that they are ALL great players coming into the league, its what happens AFTER they get here is what matters. No one is required to come to the team and set the world on fire. What IS required is that they work hard and show improvement over the course of a season AND year to year. When that progression stops....then you are gone. So even a guy at the end like Ninko has to show improvement this year. So if its not in his physical play, it must be manifested in another ways, like fewer mental errors or more position versatility. There is a REAL expectation, even among Vets, that you have to keep working to get better at least some part of your game to keep your job, regardless of who you are.

So to create the atmosphere where such improvement can thrive BB has chosen a rather unique method of developing assistant coaching . Rather than recruit ex-players or successful veteran assistants most of BB's assistants have come from small college backgrounds with little or no pro experience. In essence they are all very smart football nerds, who for the most part started from the bottom as gofers and quality control guys,, who have learned the “system” and language from the bottom up, usually spending YEARS before they even get chance to be a rookie assistant position coach.

They are taught to see their responsibilities through BB's eyes and communicate Bill's expectations to the individuals on the team. And it's not enough simply to get them to execute their individual responsibilities, it's also about getting them to understand how what HE does affects the rest of the group on the field. So its not just coaching, its the DEPTH the of coaching.

 

[patfanken]

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g. Continuity - Continuity is an under appreciated advantage that BB has had over his brethren for more than a decade. Over this last 5 year run the Pats are the ONLY team in the league to have the same offensive and defensive coordinators. The coaches and players have now “spoken” the same language for the better part of 2 decades, and they've had the chance to perfect so many aspects of their approach so they've been able to handle ever evolving competitive environment of the NFL.

Bill hated the cut back in practice time the new CBA wrought, but instead of whining about it (much ), he learned to maximize the time he DID have with his players, so they are STILL the most disciplined and mentally tough team in the league. When Bill finally ran out of the kind of players he needed to run his 2 gap 3-4, he didn't live or die with “his system”, he simply moved on. He looked at his roster and saw more 4-3 types and went with it. No ego involved.

h. - Staying ahead of the curve – For more than 2 decades Bill has been on the forefront of SO many changes to the way football is played in the NFL. He was among the leaders in making the 3-4 the preeminent defensive alignment. The 2 TE offense he tried for a decade to implement before he finally succeeded in 2010. He had a designated 3rd down RB long before it was even called a “3rd down RB”. More recently we see more and more teams going to 3 safeties in pass defense, something the Pats have been doing for a while now. BB has led the league in creating the concept of position flexibility on both sides of the ball. Age old concepts of what a DE, or ILB or SS is and where and when they play is now blurred beyond recognition. 5 wide is another innovation that BB started when he realized it was futile to run against those great Steeler DL's, etc, etc, etc (feel free to add more)

i- Semantics - This is another underrated advantage the Pats have. Semantics are SO important to the success of a team that I wonder why it doesn't get more play from the media and analysts. The Pats have created a “language” that allows the coaches and players to communicate and understand each other both quickly and efficiently. Its gotten to the point where BB and his staff are truly able to create different offensive and defensive game plans week to week. Other teams play lip service to this concept, but the Pats have perfected it, and it is perhaps the greatest advantage that we have week to week.

Watch Brady get in and out of plays at the LOS, even in away games. The ability to communicate those changes to 10 other guys so smoothly and efficiently is awe inspiring to me sometimes. This might be the most complex offensive system in the league and they can change course in an instant if need be.

The same goes for defense. Hell, they rarely even huddle anymore. I've watched very closely at times and it seems like barely 4 or 5 words are exchanged. Yet somehow in those few words, a scheme has been communicated along with all the formation, motion, and situational adjustments. I would love to study what they've accomplished in this area. You could do another book just on this one area of the equation.

And how the Pats have evolved this language skill goes to why they are able to get their players to consistently improve on the practice field, as well as be able to make in game adjustments during game. If I can use an analogy I know very little about, its like the Pats have written a new programming language that is simply more efficient and flexible than what's been used by everyone else. And it allows them to have a distinct advantage over their opponents. Again this isn't an element that exists on its own. Continuity is a big part of it, of course, as well as coaching development, and Bill's vision, etc. Everything is so intertwined.

 

[patfanken]

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j. Tom Brady - You can't deny that having the GOAT playing the most important single position in the game hasn't been a big factor in the Pats long term success. No doubt that Brady would have been a successful QB regardless of what team he went to. But the fact is he wound up on the BEST team possible to maximize his individual gifts over a very long career is nothing less than Kismet.

Brady had been the living vision of what BB wants to see in all his players. Hard working, constantly needing to get better regardless of past successes, totally unselfish, win oriented, coachable, etc, etc, etc. BB has been very fortunate that his best and most important player is everything he wants in every other player on his roster.

BUT that being said, I can SOMEWHAT understand why some asshats have rated Brady below some others. It's hard to look at someone with the athletic gifts of an Elway or Rodgers and say Brady is on a par with them. Brady isn't on the same planet athletically, as most of the guys he's compared with. But part of that reasoning ignores what I started this post with, and that's the unique nature of the GAME itself.

You don't have to be the best athlete on the team to be a great QB. No one is even close to Brady when it comes to processing the game....ever. It's HIS great advantage, just like Rodger's athleticism and arm strength is his. Now Rodger's is no slouch at processing the game either, but not on the same level as Brady. At the level that football is played at in the NFL, the margin between victory and defeat is very narrow. Intangibles play so much more into the game of football, and Brady's intangibles are rarely cited as a reason he's the GOAT. It's not just that Brady has been so good, it is that he's been so good SOOOO long. No one has come close to this kind of sustained excellence in the history of the game. If Rodgers can elevate his game over the next 7 or 8 years, he might creep into the discussion, but until that time, no one is even a close second.

Sorry I drifted off into a defense of Brady as the GOAT, but the reality is that the happy accident that brought Brady to Pats is one that BOTH sides benefited from greatly, to the point where along with all the other factors we've discussed, the Pats have created a “system” of sustained success. It is like finding your soulmate and if your were lucky to find it then you know what I mean. It will never be just BB or Brady

But before I end this opus, I can't emphasize enough how narrow all these advantages bring to the Pats. But like in Vegas, if you can change the odds to 51-49 in your favor consistently you can win millions. And in football if you can create even the smallest advantage, long term success is inevitable as we have seen.

2. I happened to be at Patriot Place on Friday and I wondered over to the practice field and have some “BREAKING NEWS”. During OTA's the practice fields were aligned perpendicular to the stands. I'm happy to report that they can been reconfigured back to being parallel as they have been in the past. Don't forget you heard it here first.

BTW- given the popularity of TC among the fans, I wonder if any consideration has been given to adding some Bleachers along the outside of the 2nd field. I'd love to see more of what the O & D lines do during practice. It would also alleviate some of the congestion at the only gate to get in or out and as an added bonus make it easier for me to find a seat in the back row up high

3. Neuronet was nice enough to forward me an email link to Barstool. I plan to post something to Portnoy about a “clown out” for opening day. I hope I will get a response if only to give the reasons he WOULDN'T try to help make this a reality. Financially there is no downside I can see. Maybe he can point out some conflict of interest I'm not seeing.


4. I would be very happy if comparisons of how TB and JG are looking to the subjective and unprofessional eyes of observers at TC are kept to a minimum. Just the thought of Giardi telling us how great Jimmy looks every day is annoying just to think about. We've had myriad threads on this topic and the fact is that NOTHING is going to change this season, baring an injury to Tom. I just don't see how a new thread every day being of any value.

We'll see enough of the rest of the media focusing on this aspect of camp to tide us over, without participating in the nonsense too. JMHO. There are just so many OTHER intriguing things to see and talk about. Is Kony Ealy showing any explosiveness? Does Guy have the power to make an impact in the middle? Speaking of Guy, is the 3-4 going to make a comeback? Who is going to be this year's UDFA to make the roster? How do the draft picks look? Is Rivers the sleeper we hope for? Etc, etc, etc.

BTW- pardon for any format screw ups. I'm just to tired to figure out how to fix them. I'll try and do better next time.

1. 
   

 

[BobDigital]

Thank you for the write up. You really do give us great stuff and i love the details you put in. Agree with just about everything you said I will add a few more things.

#1 Tom Brady takes pay cuts. Brady should be the top paid player in the NFL and he would be worth it. He had been the best player at the most important position. Also he was under paid on his rookie deal a great amount being a sixth round pick. If Brady was picked by the Pats in the first where he should have been and maxed out his deals I have no doubt he would have gotten near 100M more by now. Having that extra money to play with over the years was a huge deal. Not to mention other players taking pay cuts here and there. While other teams have gotten home town discounts i doubt any has gotten more than 2000 on the whole.

#2 BB doesn't over pay. Another advantage is BB manages his cap better on the whole. He rarely hands out big contracts and when he does they tend to work out. He is fine letting players or sign elsewhere if he doesn't like the price. I think only McCourty and Mankins have forced him to over pay (for players who weren't bust). Mankins was a slight mistake but McCourty has actually turned out to be a great deal with the cap ballooning like it has. Also he has had only a few FA signings bust who had big time dead money. Making fewer mistakes like these while being more disciplined has helped a lot.

#3 He gets value out of players on their last years. Several times now he has traded vets who are good players for draft picks. He does it consistently and on the whole it helps the team in the long run but few teams are willing to do the same. Probably in part because those coaches feel less secure but this has helped the Patriots a great deal on the whole.

#4 Compensation draft picks - It is no turn of luck the Pats get more of these picks than anyone. They set it up to get them and I think that needs to be brought up.

I won't go into as much detail as you but i think these are things worth mentioning.

 

[Doctor DDS]

Besides having Brady, I really think that the Do YOUR job approach has been the key. BB's ability to find specific players to perform very specific roles ultimately elevates the position groupings much higher than their inherent "skill" level. In a league with a hard cap this is crucial to the overall success. Why pay Bell 12M a year to be your RB when you can get equal production from 3 role players?

 

[DarrylS]

PFK my go to guy for some deep, intelligent thoughts on the Pats both now and after every game.. Great post as usual.

Suggestion, change the title from "Idle Thoughts" to "Epic Thoughts"...

While most of us hard core fans know what a great coach BB is, this is not known universally across the NFL nation..

One thing that you did not mention is BB's ability to build a team, and how they come together as one unit when it counts.. his ability to know how to push a players buttons to help then achieve their best is also a hard to define quality.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

One part about coach/consistency that I hear pieces of from time to time is how BB is able to communicate information in a compact and effective manner. I'd love to get more details on this because it's another advantage of being in the same system for 17 years and always looking to improve.

While other coaches are reaching for picks to try to make it to year 3+ in coaching, BB doesn't have to worry about that. Playing catch-up is tough on teams and a big reason why the rest of the AFCE has had trouble. Rather thsn showing their own improve and being content with that, their owners are comparing themselves with the Patriots and coming up short.

You probably could add a section of culture. When you walk through that door, it's about 1 thing. Playing football/getting better every day/Doing your job and being part of the team as freelancers create opportunities for the other team more often than they get you the highlight on BSPN. How many coaches would have an UDFA playing the superbowl and more importantly ready to go (and yes, the biggest part of the is Malcom Butler, but it goes back to the coach allowing the guy to compete)

 

[ChessToCheckers]

Great post, PFK!

I might add that having an owner who, for the most part, stays out of football decisions is a strong advantage.

On the BB advantage, the Pats have a two-fold advantage here because he is also the GM! Hands down the greatest coach and football mind of all time!

On the Brady advantage, I couldn't agree more. Having a QB who consistently beats you BEFORE the ball is even snapped cannot be understated.

Team Confidence hasn't been explicitly mentioned, but I think it plays into the conversation. When you consistently improve, learn your job, and find yourself better prepared than the opposing team, it leads to Team confidence. Confidence is an intangible advantage on game day (also during second halves of Super Bowls ).

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Thank you for the write up. You really do give us great stuff and i love the details you put in. Agree with just about everything you said I will add a few more things.

#4 Compensation draft picks - It is no turn of luck the Pats get more of these picks than anyone. They set it up to get them and I think that needs to be brought up.

Ditto on the props for PFK. The comp picks dovetail with the point I was going to raise, cap management and allocation of resources. Rarely do the Pats overpay for a player and seem to have a certain amount of money per position and while they may tweak it a little ( redoing Gronk's contract for example) it isn't skewed in one direction. Some teams try " to keep the band together" and put themselves in cap hell like the 49ers did at the end of the Montana/Young/Rice era but what BB and his front office have done is continually plan far ahead so they have money left to grab a late season pick up or extend a player they want without having to cut key cogs due to cap problems... they have been ahead of the curve in almost all respects.
A perfect example is the limiting of bonuses given to UDFAs by the league . Teams are limited to $80,000 total .
Teams have $80,362 for UDFA signing bonuses
Now they simply guarantee a portion of a player's contract effectively giving them the same bonus money only saving themselves money because it comes off the salary. Instead of paying a bonus and salary, they are just paying salary ( assuming the player makes the team). If they don't make the team, you'd be out the money whether it was guaranteed or paid as bonus, if I'm reading that correctly. Other teams like the Eagles have followed suit guaranteeing portions of contracts for UDFAs to entice them to sign. Now that the Pats are doing it, watch the league outlaw the practice and the team will simply find another way to be ahead of the curve ( or game the system if you're a fan of another team).
The comp picks IIRC are the result of the Pats writing contracts that allow them to not pick up the option on a player, effectively releasing them but still reaping the benefits of a compensatory pick. Remember the most famous pick #199 was a compensatory pick. So thanks ( Todd Collins, Tom Tupa, Dave Wohlabaugh and someone else for signing elsewhere in 1999....)

 

[borg]

The key to NE's sustained success.....

One Voice

Looking at the list of Super Bowl winners the past 51 years, a few things stand out. Prior to the salary cap era, championship caliber teams were stacked with talent and more often than not led by an alpha male who ruled supreme within that organization, whether it was the coach or GM. Lombardi, Al Davis, Shula, Landry, Noll, Gibbs.
A funny thing happened after the salary cap was instituted...... fewer "legends" patrolled the sidelines.
Jimmy Johnson couldn't lift Miami with his legendary bravado. Bill Parcell's jumped from team. Mike Shanahan achieved alpha male status all-be-it with a great big asterisk attached.
The salary cap had become the great equalizer and the era of fiery speeches and surplus talent was over.

Enter Bill Belichick in New England.

Credentialed, cerebral......and most importantly, trusted by ownership. One can argue why Robert Kraft handed Belichick total autonomy over the franchise....Desperation? Keen insight? Faith? The fact remains, the salary cap had become a debilitating force for most teams in the new NFL and Belichick obviously connected with Kraft, the businessman, on a level few coaches could possibly ascend to. Bill Belichick brought an integrated approach to the organization while other teams compartmentalized their operations. ...Kraft bought in.

One Voice had been established.

Oh to be a fly on the wall inside the owner's suite on game day in the year 2000. We may never know how tested Kraft's faith was in Bill Belichick that first year as the losses piled up and the chorus of naysayers grew louder and shriller. I like to believe Coach Belichick was simply auditioning his roster to find out which players would be a part of his vision of the team's future. Interestingly, Drew Bledsoe solidified his standing as team icon with an enormous contract one year into Belichick's vision.

History will use the Bledsoe extension as proof Belichick is not only flawed but also lucky given the circumstances that sidelined Bledsoe and delivered Brady. Less discussed is the team friendly terms of Bledsoe's reported $104 million contract that left little financial aftermath once Bledsoe was dealt to Buffalo. The Belichick contract approach was on full display though we didn't know it at the time.

In Bill We Trust

Belichick's football acumen was firmly established during his NYG tenure but New Englanders had yet to believe in Kraft's guy. Belichick shredded his roster in 2000-01, drafted a statistically underwhelming D lineman in 2001, and bypassed more established QBs and installed the virtually unknown Brady to lead his offense. The football mind of Bill Belichick was in now overdrive culminating in a defensive game plan for the ages that humbled the Greatest Show on Turf.

In a five month span, Bill Belichick transcended from NFL enigma to its master.... further solidified in 2003 & 2004 having assembled his vision of a dominant team in the modern NFL.

Following 2004 SB, the significance of One Voice was vital to the team's sustained success. With success comes new opportunities and bigger salary expectations, and New England was in transition. The coaching staff turned over, salaries escalated, and the roster aged all too quickly. Teams like Pittsburg and Baltimore and Denver all spiraled downward after their bursts of success.....but Belichick with his integrated model pushed forward seemlessly through transition periods never letting cap issues and organizational losses cripple. And when organizational strife.....like Spygate, Deflategate, a serial killer......paralyzes most every team, Belichick maintained singular focus and his teams operated at heightened levels.

The power of One Voice

Eighteen years and counting, the Patriot Way is battle tested and certified. Few if any players walk into Gillette doubting Bill Belichick. He created the culture that demands sacrifice and singular focus. He controls the purse that enables flexibility and sustainabilty. He has his fingerprints on every facet of this organization ...all integrated to achieve one goal. And most importantly, Bill Belichick knows more football than anyone on the planet.

 

[oldrover]

Ian wanted me to let everyone know that bound copies of patfanken's post are available in the lobby.

 

[shmessy]

#1 Tom Brady takes pay cuts. Brady should be the top paid player in the NFL and he would be worth it. He had been the best player at the most important position. Also he was under paid on his rookie deal a great amount being a sixth round pick. If Brady was picked by the Pats in the first where he should have been and maxed out his deals I have no doubt he would have gotten near 100M more by now. Having that extra money to play with over the years was a huge deal. Not to mention other players taking pay cuts here and there. While other teams have gotten home town discounts i doubt any has gotten more than 2000 on the whole.

You hit the nail on the head right there, Bob.

Look at that, folks - - right there is the CHECKMATE to anyone who claims anyone else not named Tom Brady is the MVP of this league. The VALUE to the team, given everything he does for the franchise.

Rodgers? Matt Ryan, etc?

Sorry - - when you figure the hometown discount Brady gives the Patriots year in/year out, and what that frees up the franchise to do, then mere stats cannot tell the whole story.

The MVP of the NFL is Thomas Brady.


.

 

[borg]

You hit the nail on the head right there, Bob.

Look at that, folks - - right there is the CHECKMATE to anyone who claims anyone else not named Tom Brady is the MVP of this league. The VALUE to the team, given everything he does for the franchise.

Rodgers? Matt Ryan, etc?

Sorry - - when you figure the hometown discount Brady gives the Patriots year in/year out, and what that frees up the franchise to do, then mere stats cannot tell the whole story.

The MVP of the NFL is Thomas Brady.


.

You are completely correct....the combination talent/cost dynamic that is Tom Brady cannot be undersold in terms of value to the franchise and the advantages it affords NE. Brady will never receive proper acknowledgement for his financial sacrifice because of the combined size of the family bank account, but New England's opponents know the extent of the advantage created.
It's unprecedented in the history of the NFL.

 

[BTTA]

Well the Pats have had 17 consecutive winning seasons and are currently on a 6 year consecutive run of being in the NFL's final 4.

Just to see this again (because it is satisfying to look at):

AFC, 9 teams for 32 spots:
2001 New England Patriots 24 Pittsburgh Steelers 17
2002 Oakland Raiders 41 Tennessee Titans 24
2003 New England Patriots 24 Indianapolis Colts 14
2004 New England Patriots 41 Pittsburgh Steelers 27
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers 34 Denver Broncos 17
2006 Indianapolis Colts 38 New England Patriots 34
2007 New England Patriots 21 San Diego Chargers 12
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 23 Baltimore Ravens 14
2009 Indianapolis Colts 30 New York Jets 17
2010 Pittsburgh Steelers 24 New York Jets 19
2011 New England Patriots 23 Baltimore Ravens 20
2012 Baltimore Ravens 28 New England Patriots 13
2013 Denver Broncos 26 New England Patriots 16
2014 New England Patriots 45 Indianapolis Colts 7
2015 Denver Broncos 20 New England Patriots 18
2016 New England Patriots 36 Pittsburgh Steelers 17

Pats: 7-4
Steelers: 3-3
Colts: 2-2
Broncos: 2-1
Ravens: 1-2
Raiders: 1-0
Chargers: 0-1
Titans: 0-1
Jets: 0-2

(Even the spellchecker doesn't like the Steelers.)

On the Other Side, 13 teams for 32 spots:
2001 St. Louis Rams 29 Philadelphia Eagles 24
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 Philadelphia Eagles 10
2003 Carolina Panthers 14 Philadelphia Eagles 3
2004 Philadelphia Eagles 27 Atlanta Falcons 10
2005 Seattle Seahawks 34 Carolina Panthers 14
2006 Chicago Bears 39 New Orleans Saints 14
2007 New York Giants 23 Green Bay Packers 20
2008 Arizona Cardinals 32 Philadelphia Eagles 25
2009 New Orleans Saints 31 Minnesota Vikings 28
2010 Green Bay Packers 21 Chicago Bears 14
2011 New York Giants 20 San Francisco 49ers 17
2012 San Francisco 49ers 28 Atlanta Falcons 24
2013 Seattle Seahawks 23 San Francisco 49ers 17
2014 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22
2015 Carolina Panthers 49 Arizona Cardinals 15
2016 Atlanta Falcons 44 Green Bay Packers 21

Seahawks: 3-0
Panthers: 2-1
Giants: 2-0
Eagles: 1-4
Packers: 1-3
49ers: 1-2
Falcons: 1-2
Bears: 1-1
Cardinals: 1-1
Saints: 1-1
Rams: 1-0
Buccaneers 1-0
Vikings 0-1

 

[AtomicDawg]

Man this hit the spot PFK! I'm more than pumped for Wednesday now. Just want to add my 1 1/2 cents on your coaching segment.

I know this was discussed months ago, in fact it may have been the reason for this thread, but I seriously think BB IS better than everyone else. And you asked the question, if for 17 years BB and other players have been so transparent about "The Patriot Way, why haven't teams tried to copy it. Let me attempt to answer that.

I think some teams HAVE tried to copy what the Pats have done in terms of finding the right group of guys who "fit in" and can adapt to the coaching staff. But the fact of the matter is, like that song from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, "ain't nothing like the real thang." You CANNOT duplicate the ownership and the mentality that has been placed in this Patriots organization that success is only what you make it.

Another factor I believe contributes to other teams not being as successful is, well, frankly, they are stubborn. Take the AFCCG for instance. The Steelers have done the EXACT SAME THING to Brady for 16 years (blitz, get him off his spot, you know all the buzzwords and phrases), and what did they do? THE EXACT SAME THING!! Is that not the definition of insanity? Some teams just refuse to change and adapt. They feel as though they can get by with their talent and come what may, if that's how they die so be it. That strategy may get you to an AFCCG, like the Steelers did, but not past it. Meanwhile the Pats adapt and adjust every PLAY, not just every game or every season. That's why they are better than all the rest.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

If I were a sports writer, I would steal these thoughts and write a book with them in it. There is enough here starting with Ken's thoughts and others to write another book about the patriots. Excellent job people!

 

[slam]

Dave Gettleman got fired for trying to instill financial discipline because players weren't getting their big contracts for their declining years. Too many hurt fee fees.

John Idzik got fired after digging the Jets out of cap salary hell. Granted, he was the worst drafter in recent memory, but two years later they were right back in cap salary hell.
Other teams can't be the Pats because the owners are, by and large, impatient morons.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

@patfanken Is that Keshawn Martin you are referring to as a player who didn't buy in to the team concept? I was not aware of this...I heard his departure was injury related. Do you know something else?

 

[sean10mm]

Here's an older article that goes into more depth about the Patriots advantage in how they call plays.

Speak My Language

"As the players and schemes have changed, it's the way the Patriots talk that's continued their offensive dominance"

"But what’s allowed New England to maintain its success among the shifts is that its quarterback and coach aren’t the only things that have remained the same. The core of the Patriots’ offensive system has been threaded through its various stages, both stabilizing the transitions and allowing the next evolution. The design and organization of New England’s system is better suited than any other to adapt to an NFL game in which change — of personnel, of trends, of schemes — is the only certainty."