In 2001, if the Patriots had started the season 5-3 everyone would have been ecstatic. In 2011, it's a harbinger of doom. A decade of dominance will do that to a fan base. Raised expectations are tough to control (see: 2011 Red Sox) and anything besides perfection is a letdown.
Of course, since that perfection was stolen in Super Bowl XLII they've been on a downward slope. The Matt Cassel-led 2008 version went 11-5 and somehow missed the playoffs; the 2009 team got blown out at home in the wild card round; and the 2010 Pats lost in the divisional round to the Jets after beating them 45-3 in their previous meeting. And that's not saying anything about the lack of a pass rush, the signings that haven't panned out, the coaching carousel behind Bill Belichick... it goes on and on.
This year began with such high hopes: The switch to a 4-3 defensive front, four new veteran pass rushers, rookie Pro Bowler Devin McCourty's continued emergence in his second year, new offensive weapon Chad Ochocinco and a beast of a defensive tackle known as Albert Haynesworth. We are exactly halfway through the season and they can all be counted as a loss.
Haynesworth was cut yesterday. He had all of 3 tackles this season. Ochocinco has only 9 receptions. McCourty is in the midst of a sophomore slump. With the exception of Andre Carter, the new defensive ends have done almost nothing. As for the 4-3 alignment? The defense is giving up the most passing yards of any team in the league.
What is finally dawning on Patriots' fans is that there is no quick fix. This is a serious problem and a plan needs to be laid out to rectify it. Start with hiring some coaches with actual experience and stop promoting from within. Bring in a new talent evaluator to assist Belichick with free agent signings and draft picks. Get Tom Brady a legitimate running back to shoulder the load.
It won't be easy but it needs to be done. Brady is already 34 and once he finally goes we are back to square one.
Showing posts with label tom brady. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tom brady. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Belichick + Brady = Best Ever
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are certain Hall of Famers. This weekend they added another accolade to their already storied partnership: Belichick & Brady have tied Don Shula & Dan Marino for the most career wins for a Coach/QB combo. Shula & Marino ended with 116 wins, 68 losses and zero championships. Belichick & Brady are still plying their trade and have 116 wins, 33 losses and 3 championships. Impressively, they have accomplished this feat in 35 less games, which also gives them the best Coach/QB winning percentage of all time. Also keep in mind that Brady missed the entire 2008 season. Who knows where they would have been by now. Hell, where will they be when they decide to call it quits?
Take a look at this bar graph from a couple weeks ago. I was surprised not to see Lombardi/Starr, Landry/Staubach, Walsh/Montana, Seifert/Young, Holmgren/Favre, Shanahan/Elway or Dungy/Manning on this list. (And the fifth pair is a complete shocker.)
What’s most fascinating is that the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts; it’s equal to the sum of its parts. They have both succeeded with each other, of course, but interestingly they have also done it alone. Belichick is a defensive coach. That’s where he’s made his mark since his Giants days with LT. He doesn’t mess with the offense. People forget now but this team used to be defensive minded. The early part of this decade the Patriots were predicated on defense. 2001 doesn’t happen without the defense shutting down the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Plus, let’s not forget that Brady-less season in 2008 when Belichick still managed to get the team to 11 wins.
Brady has been likewise. Belichick doesn’t tweak his performance because he works on the other side of the ball. Brady threw 50 touchdowns in a season (NFL record) and is currently on pace for well over 5,000 passing yards this year (would be another record). These aren’t marks that are matched by any QB in any offensive system. Only all time greats can touch these records and Brady is in that class.
Regardless of which one you argue is deserving of more credit, remember that it is a joint accolade. Football more than any other is a team sport and Belichick & Brady have turned the Patriots into one of the top teams in the league year after year. It is that consistency and the continued practice, studying and hardwork that has cemented their legacy as the best Coach/QB duo ever.
Take a look at this bar graph from a couple weeks ago. I was surprised not to see Lombardi/Starr, Landry/Staubach, Walsh/Montana, Seifert/Young, Holmgren/Favre, Shanahan/Elway or Dungy/Manning on this list. (And the fifth pair is a complete shocker.)
What’s most fascinating is that the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts; it’s equal to the sum of its parts. They have both succeeded with each other, of course, but interestingly they have also done it alone. Belichick is a defensive coach. That’s where he’s made his mark since his Giants days with LT. He doesn’t mess with the offense. People forget now but this team used to be defensive minded. The early part of this decade the Patriots were predicated on defense. 2001 doesn’t happen without the defense shutting down the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Plus, let’s not forget that Brady-less season in 2008 when Belichick still managed to get the team to 11 wins.
Brady has been likewise. Belichick doesn’t tweak his performance because he works on the other side of the ball. Brady threw 50 touchdowns in a season (NFL record) and is currently on pace for well over 5,000 passing yards this year (would be another record). These aren’t marks that are matched by any QB in any offensive system. Only all time greats can touch these records and Brady is in that class.
Regardless of which one you argue is deserving of more credit, remember that it is a joint accolade. Football more than any other is a team sport and Belichick & Brady have turned the Patriots into one of the top teams in the league year after year. It is that consistency and the continued practice, studying and hardwork that has cemented their legacy as the best Coach/QB duo ever.
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