long distance
Pro Bowl Player
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2015
- Messages
- 10,307
- Reaction score
- 27,270
some great stuff here . as always:
How to Beat the Patriots
____
quotes:
Since 2001, the Pats are 37-15 in the first month of the season. Meanwhile, they’re 58-10 during the month of December.
-
A few years ago, I was talking to a president of an NFL team who wanted to know about Belichick and his obsession with special teams. This executive was highly engaged in analytics and based on his research of the core special teams numbers, he saw no real correlation between having great special teams and a winning record. Yes, he acknowledged making field goals mattered, and he understood the value of field position. However, the time spent by Belichick’s team and allocation of cap resources to special teams for him far outweighed the gains. He kept asking, “Why would he risk playing highly paid players on coverage teams?” And this executive — an analytically inclined type — could care less how many titles the Patriots had won; his data did not support the value Belichick placed on the kicking game. And you know what? The value isn't in the data; it lies in the culture. Building a team’s toughness and quality of execution can't always be quantitatively measured.
-
The Patriots love to defer the toss and love to receive the ball to start the second half. Why? Because Belichick lives for in-game adjustments. He views the second half as an entirely new game — last season, they scored 55 points on their first drive of the second half, no. 1 in the NFL. You know what else they excel in? Getting the lead in the first half, one of the most important statistics in football. Last year, the Patriots led the NFL with a plus-133 point differential in the first half. The Falcons finished plus-101, the Cowboys at plus-91, and Seattle at plus-52. The first half for the Patriots is about getting the lead; the second half is about adjustments.
How to Beat the Patriots
____
quotes:
Since 2001, the Pats are 37-15 in the first month of the season. Meanwhile, they’re 58-10 during the month of December.
-
A few years ago, I was talking to a president of an NFL team who wanted to know about Belichick and his obsession with special teams. This executive was highly engaged in analytics and based on his research of the core special teams numbers, he saw no real correlation between having great special teams and a winning record. Yes, he acknowledged making field goals mattered, and he understood the value of field position. However, the time spent by Belichick’s team and allocation of cap resources to special teams for him far outweighed the gains. He kept asking, “Why would he risk playing highly paid players on coverage teams?” And this executive — an analytically inclined type — could care less how many titles the Patriots had won; his data did not support the value Belichick placed on the kicking game. And you know what? The value isn't in the data; it lies in the culture. Building a team’s toughness and quality of execution can't always be quantitatively measured.
-
The Patriots love to defer the toss and love to receive the ball to start the second half. Why? Because Belichick lives for in-game adjustments. He views the second half as an entirely new game — last season, they scored 55 points on their first drive of the second half, no. 1 in the NFL. You know what else they excel in? Getting the lead in the first half, one of the most important statistics in football. Last year, the Patriots led the NFL with a plus-133 point differential in the first half. The Falcons finished plus-101, the Cowboys at plus-91, and Seattle at plus-52. The first half for the Patriots is about getting the lead; the second half is about adjustments.
Last edited: