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- Jul 11, 2005
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1. It’s really been an odd season. Think about it. Nothing much has really worked out as we thought in the when the season began.
a. It took Gronk 3 weeks longer to be ready than most (not I) believed….,,and the “delay” carried with it the usual unjustified media crap storm.
b. 2 of the guys that were on everyone’s “can’t get hurt” list, Mayo and Wilfolk, got hurt, Plus add Tommy Kelly, to that list, just when it it looked like he was going to be the perfect pick up as the inside pressure DT
c. The pre-season luster of Thomkins, Dobson, Boyce and Sudfeld, quickly was lost to the reality of the regular season
d. The “all world” OL has been anything but. We lose our 2nd best Olman for the season, our top paid guy is playing like a JAG, and it looks like last year’s Cinderella (Wendell) has turned back into a pumpkin
e. Brady picked this season to have his worst start since 2005. Bad decisions, inaccuracies ,and a boat load of excuses (being made for him NOT by him) marked most of the first half of the season.,
So here we are 7-2 without the entire middle of our Defense. Not only are we 7-2, we are 7-2 and just a mind numbing penalty and a god-sent downburst (and a pretty good defense) from being undefeated, and if the season ended today, our “little engine that could would have one of the byes.
So our all world QB's stats are pedestrian. Our all world OL has been inconsistent at best, and both the heart and soul of the defense is no longer available. So while in most recent years we'd be thinking about how we lost those 2 games, THIS year the discussion has been more about how we managed to win the 7.
2. I think we have all forgotten how hard it is to win in the NFL. This entire season has been a real eye openener as to how easy and quickly it is to fall from grace in this league. Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Giants are the three most obvious teams that have fallen off the map so quickly. But the teams like the Ravens have also found it hard to repeat as perennial winners. Something we take for granted so easily here,
The level of success that we’ve seen the last 13 is simply hard to comprehend. Think about it. The 9-7 hiccup in 2002, while the Patriot way was still in formation has been the ONLY “hiccup” in a record of double digit win seasons since that time. No other team is even close. And what makes it even more remarkable is that 9-7 “black mark” has been good enough on TWO occasions (IIRC) to get teams to superbowl wins,
3, Well how the hell do they do it? They are good at the draft but not great. We make as many talent evaluation mistakes as the next guy, We have a bunch of good players but so does everyone else. So how is it that this organization manages to put out winning teams EVERY year, regardless of the unexpected,
4, If I may be presumptuous, I think it comes down to a basic concept of the game of football that this organization understands better than the rest. One that makes the game so compelling for us to watch, and why we love it so much, That concept is that the production of the group CAN be greater than the sum of the individual parts. While its both simple and cliché, its true. A team can be better than the individuals that make it up. Far more than any other team game, football is a game where the the best TEAM, not the best players wins.
5. Easy to say but how does it happen and why is it so elusive to duplicate. What has Bill Bellichick and Bob Kraft put together here that has allowed this kind of consistent success to happen. Its not something that easily put together otherwise the failures of Romeo, Pioli, Mangini, and McDaniels in setting up their own programs wouldn’t have been so compelling. Only Tommy Dimitriov has come close to seeing the same kind of consistency in his program, but even he isn’t close.
6. OK lets try and break it down. Its not going to be easy. This is the subject that needs a book to even get close to a handle on, let alone a message board thread, but lets try anyway,
a. Leadership/coaching consistency -
There has been one message, one central core of truths that has been there from the beginning. It starts from the owner and is emphasized from the HC and the rest of the staff. Every player who wears the uniform understands what is expected of them. There are no surprises. Everyone has a role and excellence is expected, regardless of the role.
b. One language -
This might surprise some, but people forget how important communications are, both during the week, as well as during the game, and each system has its own language which is as different to the uninitiated as English is from Chinese.
Being able to communicate information quickly and concisely is often critical to the success of the battle. For the past 14 years, throughout several different offensive and defensive changes, the “language” has remained the same and is spoken fluently by all the managers and key personnel, Time and effort are set aside for all the players to learn this language and the improvements can be seen as more key players reach true “fluency”. Better production on the field, comes as a result as players move from being able understand basic commands to understanding subtle concepts. (See Steve Gregory as a good example)
While it doesn’t take long to learn how to be able to basically communicate in a new language, it takes time to be proficient enough to fully understand the “idiom” and subtlety. In other words, while you can quickly figure out how to ask for directions and get food, however it takes a lot more to be able to have a discussion on philosophy in a new language, The fact that the Pats have had just one “language” over this era is a huge and underrated advantage,
Being able to communicate complex instructions in a minimum of verbiage is a difficult task for any linguist, especially when you think you not only have to get your message across to your own players while a the same time disguising them from your opponent.
c. No fear of failure -
No team has done more more “outside the box” thinking in the league than the Pats. At a time where the 90% of the rest of the league was 4-3 based, the Pats were a 3-4 system. At a time when running games controlled offenses, the Pats came out with a 4 wide standard offense that changed the game. And just when everyone was showing their own versions of 3 and 4 Wide offenses the Pats go to 2 TE’s, and now that everyone is featuring their own TE’s I can’t wait to see what’s next. I have no idea what it will be be, but I’m pretty sure it will be different from the what the rest of the league is currently running.
d. Being able to game plan offensively and defensively week to week,.
This has got to do with the language issue as well as being willing to think outside of the box. Being able to communicate is critical to being able to come out with an offensive and defensive game plans that are match up specific to each team. While its one thing to find advantageous individual match ups for team each week, think about the complexity necessary to get your players into the correct matchups on specific downs and distances and still stay within a system that is understood by all 11 players, and to be able to communicate all that information in under a half dozen words. This isn't something that you can simply bring into a team environment, its something that has had to evolve over years.
It should be noted that when injuries and/or talent have been down enough so that the team has been unable to do this week to week planning and has been forced into very vanilla schemes, we have seen some almost historically bad weeks as far as yardage goes
The Pats have such a system in place and when they are able to truly game plan week to week it gives them an real advantage. It is here that they can make up a physical disadvantage they may have with this team.
e. Turnovers-
The Pats have had some historically bad defenses as far as yardage goes. Yet EVERY year, the team is ranked dozens of levels higher in scoring defense. In 2001 and 2003 the team ranked in the mid 20's in total yardage, yet were in the top 6 in scoring D. Even in 2011 with a D ranked in the 30's they were in the top 12 in scoring
How does that happen, you only have to look at the huge PLUS the Pats have every year in turnovers. I don't know how they do it. I don't know what they say or how they practice it. All I know is that some how, the Pats manage to get the ball from other teams while keeping it from them at a huge ratio.
It has occurred so consistently that it HAS to be something specific to this program. Like I said I haven't a clue to what they are doing, but it has to be something that other teams aren't doing otherwise the stat wouldn't be there every year staring us in the face. I'd be interested in hearing how others think they are doing it.
7. I can’t repeat this fact enough. The margin of victory in the NFL is VERY small. I doubt the talent margin is 5% from the best team to to the worst. So its not like the Pats are ever heads and shoulders better than the teams they play. They are a good team that takes some of the slight advantages that were discussed above and uses them wisely to give themselves just a slight edge on their opponent.
Don’t forget that there are a lot of tall buildings in Las Vegas that were build on the fact they have built just a 52-48% edge in their favor. In a sense that’s what the Pats have done, and in a league where the margin of victory is so incredibly small that that they have taken those tiny advantages and has translated them into a series of double digit win seasons that are hard imagine.
a. It took Gronk 3 weeks longer to be ready than most (not I) believed….,,and the “delay” carried with it the usual unjustified media crap storm.
b. 2 of the guys that were on everyone’s “can’t get hurt” list, Mayo and Wilfolk, got hurt, Plus add Tommy Kelly, to that list, just when it it looked like he was going to be the perfect pick up as the inside pressure DT
c. The pre-season luster of Thomkins, Dobson, Boyce and Sudfeld, quickly was lost to the reality of the regular season
d. The “all world” OL has been anything but. We lose our 2nd best Olman for the season, our top paid guy is playing like a JAG, and it looks like last year’s Cinderella (Wendell) has turned back into a pumpkin
e. Brady picked this season to have his worst start since 2005. Bad decisions, inaccuracies ,and a boat load of excuses (being made for him NOT by him) marked most of the first half of the season.,
So here we are 7-2 without the entire middle of our Defense. Not only are we 7-2, we are 7-2 and just a mind numbing penalty and a god-sent downburst (and a pretty good defense) from being undefeated, and if the season ended today, our “little engine that could would have one of the byes.
So our all world QB's stats are pedestrian. Our all world OL has been inconsistent at best, and both the heart and soul of the defense is no longer available. So while in most recent years we'd be thinking about how we lost those 2 games, THIS year the discussion has been more about how we managed to win the 7.
2. I think we have all forgotten how hard it is to win in the NFL. This entire season has been a real eye openener as to how easy and quickly it is to fall from grace in this league. Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Giants are the three most obvious teams that have fallen off the map so quickly. But the teams like the Ravens have also found it hard to repeat as perennial winners. Something we take for granted so easily here,
The level of success that we’ve seen the last 13 is simply hard to comprehend. Think about it. The 9-7 hiccup in 2002, while the Patriot way was still in formation has been the ONLY “hiccup” in a record of double digit win seasons since that time. No other team is even close. And what makes it even more remarkable is that 9-7 “black mark” has been good enough on TWO occasions (IIRC) to get teams to superbowl wins,
3, Well how the hell do they do it? They are good at the draft but not great. We make as many talent evaluation mistakes as the next guy, We have a bunch of good players but so does everyone else. So how is it that this organization manages to put out winning teams EVERY year, regardless of the unexpected,
4, If I may be presumptuous, I think it comes down to a basic concept of the game of football that this organization understands better than the rest. One that makes the game so compelling for us to watch, and why we love it so much, That concept is that the production of the group CAN be greater than the sum of the individual parts. While its both simple and cliché, its true. A team can be better than the individuals that make it up. Far more than any other team game, football is a game where the the best TEAM, not the best players wins.
5. Easy to say but how does it happen and why is it so elusive to duplicate. What has Bill Bellichick and Bob Kraft put together here that has allowed this kind of consistent success to happen. Its not something that easily put together otherwise the failures of Romeo, Pioli, Mangini, and McDaniels in setting up their own programs wouldn’t have been so compelling. Only Tommy Dimitriov has come close to seeing the same kind of consistency in his program, but even he isn’t close.
6. OK lets try and break it down. Its not going to be easy. This is the subject that needs a book to even get close to a handle on, let alone a message board thread, but lets try anyway,
a. Leadership/coaching consistency -
There has been one message, one central core of truths that has been there from the beginning. It starts from the owner and is emphasized from the HC and the rest of the staff. Every player who wears the uniform understands what is expected of them. There are no surprises. Everyone has a role and excellence is expected, regardless of the role.
b. One language -
This might surprise some, but people forget how important communications are, both during the week, as well as during the game, and each system has its own language which is as different to the uninitiated as English is from Chinese.
Being able to communicate information quickly and concisely is often critical to the success of the battle. For the past 14 years, throughout several different offensive and defensive changes, the “language” has remained the same and is spoken fluently by all the managers and key personnel, Time and effort are set aside for all the players to learn this language and the improvements can be seen as more key players reach true “fluency”. Better production on the field, comes as a result as players move from being able understand basic commands to understanding subtle concepts. (See Steve Gregory as a good example)
While it doesn’t take long to learn how to be able to basically communicate in a new language, it takes time to be proficient enough to fully understand the “idiom” and subtlety. In other words, while you can quickly figure out how to ask for directions and get food, however it takes a lot more to be able to have a discussion on philosophy in a new language, The fact that the Pats have had just one “language” over this era is a huge and underrated advantage,
Being able to communicate complex instructions in a minimum of verbiage is a difficult task for any linguist, especially when you think you not only have to get your message across to your own players while a the same time disguising them from your opponent.
c. No fear of failure -
No team has done more more “outside the box” thinking in the league than the Pats. At a time where the 90% of the rest of the league was 4-3 based, the Pats were a 3-4 system. At a time when running games controlled offenses, the Pats came out with a 4 wide standard offense that changed the game. And just when everyone was showing their own versions of 3 and 4 Wide offenses the Pats go to 2 TE’s, and now that everyone is featuring their own TE’s I can’t wait to see what’s next. I have no idea what it will be be, but I’m pretty sure it will be different from the what the rest of the league is currently running.
d. Being able to game plan offensively and defensively week to week,.
This has got to do with the language issue as well as being willing to think outside of the box. Being able to communicate is critical to being able to come out with an offensive and defensive game plans that are match up specific to each team. While its one thing to find advantageous individual match ups for team each week, think about the complexity necessary to get your players into the correct matchups on specific downs and distances and still stay within a system that is understood by all 11 players, and to be able to communicate all that information in under a half dozen words.
This isn't something that you can simply bring into a team environment, its something that has had to evolve over years.It should be noted that when injuries and/or talent have been down enough so that the team has been unable to do this week to week planning and has been forced into very vanilla schemes, we have seen some almost historically bad weeks as far as yardage goes
The Pats have such a system in place and when they are able to truly game plan week to week it gives them an real advantage. It is here that they can make up a physical disadvantage they may have with this team.
e. Turnovers-
The Pats have had some historically bad defenses as far as yardage goes. Yet EVERY year, the team is ranked dozens of levels higher in scoring defense. In 2001 and 2003 the team ranked in the mid 20's in total yardage, yet were in the top 6 in scoring D. Even in 2011 with a D ranked in the 30's they were in the top 12 in scoring
How does that happen, you only have to look at the huge PLUS the Pats have every year in turnovers. I don't know how they do it. I don't know what they say or how they practice it. All I know is that some how, the Pats manage to get the ball from other teams while keeping it from them at a huge ratio.
It has occurred so consistently that it HAS to be something specific to this program. Like I said I haven't a clue to what they are doing, but it has to be something that other teams aren't doing otherwise the stat wouldn't be there every year staring us in the face. I'd be interested in hearing how others think they are doing it.
7. I can’t repeat this fact enough. The margin of victory in the NFL is VERY small. I doubt the talent margin is 5% from the best team to to the worst. So its not like the Pats are ever heads and shoulders better than the teams they play. They are a good team that takes some of the slight advantages that were discussed above and uses them wisely to give themselves just a slight edge on their opponent.
Don’t forget that there are a lot of tall buildings in Las Vegas that were build on the fact they have built just a 52-48% edge in their favor. In a sense that’s what the Pats have done, and in a league where the margin of victory is so incredibly small that that they have taken those tiny advantages and has translated them into a series of double digit win seasons that are hard imagine.
