What is BB's biggest mistake as head coach/GM of Patriots?

[sb1]

Colts had NE's number

Pats were 1-4 indeed against the Colts in that time period but I wouldn't say they had our number they were just a better team than us other than 2007. Pats played them pretty well though regardless, all 4 losses were by a score and in one of the Patriots losses Brady did not play.

If any team had our number over the years it was the Dolphins in Miami and Broncos in Denver. Those teams often were not better than ours and they'd still somehow beat us. Your chiefs were a tough opponent as well more often than not.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I think Bill was correct on that one. At least the part about Branch.

Branch was never a #1 Wr. He put up mediocre stats in Seattle because Brady made him look a lot better than he actually was

Nah, he was Brady's guy and it really ticked off Brady that he was traded. We are lucky the team didn't implode like it eventually did in 2019. Their offense was pretty mediocre all year and it was a miracle they even ended up in the AFCCG. If Branch and Givens were back, they contend for HFA.

I was too young to be watching football back then. But I researched. I honestly think they win the SB in 06 if they have Branch. He was able to consistently get open and was a deep threat.

Two things that plagued that team. 1. WR's were very pedestrian. 2. LB's couldn't cover TE's and it reared it's ugly head in the AFCCG known as the "Eric Alexander" game. He somehow kept getting isolated on every Colts TE who kept catching big pass after big pass. Manning found that weakness and beat it like a drum. It was horrifying to watch the Pats couldn't do a damn thing about it.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

No confidence in the kicker after that missed extra point. Man..I just looked it up. Gostkowski was an issue in 4 straight championship games. 2015 in Denver.

Belichick overthinks things, to his detriment at times. He got Ghost to replace Adam, and the kid was very good, if not lights out (who is?). Bill let Ghost stand on the sidelines repeatedly in huge championship games, putting Brady in an awkward, team-hurting, chances-of-winning-the-game-hurting, extremely low likelihood of making it, bad position for any quarterback when he would have trotted out Vinatieri without hesitation even when Adam had missed earlier in the game. By essentially taking points off the scoreboard, Belichick beat himself, more than once.

He never learned with Stephen. But every coach is human, and not perfect. Berry, for example, never learned to stop starting proto-Bledsoe Tony Eason in must win games ahead of active, healthy, available, vastly superior quarterbacks like Steve Grogan and Doug Flutie.

 

[MahomestoKelce]

Belichick overthinks things, to his detriment at times. He got Ghost to replace Adam, and the kid was very good, if not lights out (who is?). Bill let Ghost stand on the sidelines repeatedly in huge championship games, putting Brady in an awkward, team-hurting, chances-of-winning-the-game-hurting, extremely low likelihood of making it, bad position for any quarterback when he would have trotted out Vinatieri without hesitation even when Adam had missed earlier in the game. By essentially taking points off the scoreboard, Belichick beat himself, more than once.

He never learned with Stephen. But every coach is human, and not perfect. Berry, for example, never learned to stop starting proto-Bledsoe Tony Eason in must win games ahead of active, healthy, available, vastly superior quarterbacks like Steve Grogan and Doug Flutie.

Opposite of Bill. Who correctly choose Brady over Bledsoe in SB 36.

But yes every coach does make mistakes. Reid has made some critical ones. But generally the great coaches (Reid & Bill) don't make these mistakes often.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

If any team had our number over the years it was the Dolphins in Miami and Broncos in Denver. Those teams often were not better than ours and they'd still somehow beat us.

This has been the case since the AFL. The altitude in Denver is a big advantage, and the Orange Bowl was huge for the Dolphins. We actually beat them once during the jinx streak in the early 70's - but the game was played in Tampa.

Grogan, Flutie and Brady won some big games down there, but this is indicative of how great those players are.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Nah, he was Brady's guy and it really ticked off Brady that he was traded.

Tom was ticked about other things that ended up working out: Milloy, Welker, etc.

But this is a precursor of the fundamental dysfunction which ultimately drove him out of town.

Their offense was pretty mediocre all year and it was a miracle they even ended up in the AFCCG.

It wasn't a miracle. It was Tom.

Brady has a history, in his life, high school, college, the pros - of being put in unfortunate circumstances beyond his control, and through determination, a positive attitude and willingness to move on and work with what he's got, succeeding nevertheless.

I think Bill was correct on that one. At least the part about Branch.

No. The Patriots needed Deion much more than he needed them. Belichick new it. And he let his emotions make him do the wrong thing. "Nothing to see here, this is how we do business, treat him like any other player..." But Branch was NOT JAG. Butler neither. Belichick screwed himself.

I do give Bill credit for making decisions and moving on from them. We won championships in dramatic fashion, but we just blew several more.

 

[TheRainMaker]

It wasn't a miracle. It was Tom.

Brady has a history, in his life, high school, college, the pros - of being put in unfortunate circumstances beyond his control, and through determination, a positive attitude and willingness to move on and work with what he's got, succeeding nevertheless.

He threw a pick that should've ended the game in SD, but Marlon McCree defied Schotty's coaching to just fall down if they were to get a late game INT. SD was flat out the best team in the NFL that year and had Schotty simply ran LT in the 2nd half, it was game over.

 

[SteveKiner]

I didn't have as much of a problem with 4th and 2 as some people do. I think Faulk got there but even if he didn't it was understandable. Maybe a different playcall other than that one would have caught the Colts by surprise.

I didn't think going for it on 4th and 13 instead of a FG in the Super Bowl was a wise decision

Those 4th down attempts in the AFCCG in Denver. If we kicked the FGs instead we get to beat Cam in the Super Bowl.

The two Brady philly specials were Josh's call but if they were Bill's idea then they belong on any "worst" list. Brady is the GOAT you don't need to run goofy gimmick plays that involve a 40 year old QB catching passes

Chung fake punt in that Jets playoff game

The Eagles dropkick was dumb

"New England wins the toss and they elect to kick..."

this

 

[condon84]

He threw a pick that should've ended the game in SD, but Marlon McCree defied Schotty's coaching to just fall down if they were to get a late game INT. SD was flat out the best team in the NFL that year and had Schotty simply ran LT in the 2nd half, it was game over.

Can't fault McCree. Brady caused that fumble.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

He threw a pick that should've ended the game in SD, but Marlon McCree defied Schotty's coaching to just fall down if they were to get a late game INT. SD was flat out the best team in the NFL that year and had Schotty simply ran LT in the 2nd half, it was game over.

Chargers had the best record and home field...but...they were way overhyped and treated like royalty by all the media.

The opposite of how we were treated in, say, 1976.

Patriots have never had to worry about being overhyped.

Chargers had a good, solid team. LT was very good. But, they were not dominant. They had things go their way during the season: healthy, and the breaks went their way.

Patriots on the other hand had experience all over the place. Yes, Tom threw the pick. But it's no coincidence that Troy made the big play; the winning teams make the big plays when they have to be made.

Yes, Schotty needed to run LT. But most coaches - including McDaniels - fail to do this, and needlessly have their QB drop back in the pocket. To lose the ball, and the game.

Not surprised at all the Pats won that one. The absence of Branch wound up finally killing us in Indy the next week.

 

[SteveKiner]

2. LB's couldn't cover TE's and it reared it's ugly head in the AFCCG known as the "Eric Alexander" game. He somehow kept getting isolated on every Colts TE who kept catching big pass after big pass. Manning found that weakness and beat it like a drum. It was horrifying to watch the Pats couldn't do a damn thing about it. were very pedestrian.

I still have nightmares

 

[zydecochris]

I have an issue with your Jackson take.

He is a remarkable and UNIQUE talent, BUT if we had drafted him it would have required Bill to do what Baltimore did, design a completely different offense to fit those talents. That doesn't mean just X's and O's. that means getting a different set of players that are needed to complement that talent. A guy like James White wouldn't fit. Big FB's and TE's who can play in the backfield. In other words, an entire offensive rebuild and throw away an offense you have been building for 20 years.

Baltimore was desperate enough to do all that. Their offensive history was one of despair and futility anyway. They had nothing to lose. And to their credit they have built and offense that with a very good defense makes them a very competitive team. One I may add that hasn't won a playoff game yet with Jackson as the QB.

No, .on Jackson wasn't a bad decision. He simply wasn't a fit HERE. Like Mac Jones, he was lucky enough to get to a team where he WAS a good fit.

We will never know, but I don't agree with your assumption that Belichick couldn't maximize a talent like Lamar.

I would think of it a bit differently. We all know that BB is a great coach, and I think you are right that he could maximize a talent like Lamar. What Ken said was a bit different, (paraphrasing) that BB wouldn't want to completely change the offense for someone that was still an unknown quantity. Every draft choice is a crap shoot, and so naturally if BB spends a first round pick on a QB unless it is for a sure deal (which Lamar was NOT coming out or else he wouldn't have gone 31st) why not spend the first on one that fits his system like Mac Jones, instead an unknown that would require a complete change of the offense.

That said, if the Ravens traded Lamar to the Pats for a 7th round draft choice, and Lamar agreed to play for the vet minimum, I'm sure BB could figure out how to use him. If nothing else for our Red Zone problems.

 

[maust]

I didnt ask for your resume. You are a board troll. If I had not seen about 500 like you in the past, it might have worked. As I said you act is not even new.

Odds are good no small share of that 500 was actually this same (ahem) member. Every year Stevenson shows up with a different screen name but the same belligerent nonsense.

Terrible troll at that.

He should be banned.

He has been before and will be again. It's only a matter of time before he goes Full Stevenson and gets bounced again. Lil Chris creates a new id then shows up peeing on the floor, It happens at the start of every season. It's all sort of like an annual reminder to check the BS detector batteries

 

[realtime]

Drafting Harry over AJ Brown, DK and Deebo Samuel still annoys me.

Drafting Jordan Richards over Tyler Lockett still annoys me even more.

 

[Kulko]

No offense but your poll looks like it was built by a 14 year old.

1. Brady wasn't going to be offered a multi year deal. He may have, but his attitude changed years earlier. Brady wanted some kind of control even though he had it all with the TB12 facility and the whole thing in terms or what he'd already accomplished. I would imagine we'll hear later Kraft putting the TB12 facility on the property, meant Brady would expect more and more to satisfy his weird desire for more attention.
2. Butler had the flu, showed up late, told coaches to F Off, and then somehow cried after being told he wasn't in the starting lineup. He was unstable at that point. I don't understand how people can bring this up. Butler went off the rails and word was he faked the flu and arrived so late as contract leverage. The guy was delusional and wasn't the same after that.
3. BB gave Garoppolo a 7.5 mil 2018 contract to stay like a retainer, and since Brady and Jimmy had the same agent, Brady knew about this.
4. Lamar Jackson is not good for a future QB. I have no interest in a running back as my QB who runs play design and thinks it can be consistent.
5. Thuney, paying Flowers and Hightower instead, and 2 more rings makes this a very dumb premise.

My thinking exactly.
Reading through the list I wondered, where the hell the mistakes were. Some people don't get concepts of expected outcome and relative cap cost.

I clicked the Garopolo trade, because at that time I thought it to be wrong, but in hindsight it looks quite okay to me. Even when you are sure that Jim is a better QB than Mac will be, which I am not totally sure about, I find it hard to believe we would have been winning a superbowl with him as the starter. And him sitting behind Tom, was not going to fly, apart from the cap cost it obviously was going to have.

 

[JayNM]

@Mods can i please add another option to this pool?

 

[archstanton543]

@Mods can i please add another option to this pool?

If it's the Ray Lewis option, yes.