Random Thoughts on Patriots

[dll2000]

People keep poaching off Patriots staff and it never really works out that great. They can't recreate Patriots way. 

Why? I think primarily that it is because Belichick has built a program at NFL level and programs aren't that easy to build or rebuild somewhere else.  He didn't do it all himself. Parcels started it and Kraft gave him leeway to get it done.  They lucked into Brady which bought them time to do it.  They also had courage to stay with Brady over Bledsoe when Bledsoe was still better player. 

You don't walk in a new building as a new HC and have same respect and deference  Belichick does.  GM and owner isn't going to do what you say or want.  If Nagy was Belichick Hunt would already be on team.  Players may lay down on you or break discipline and you can't immediately bounce them or cut high contract or high profile players as need be.  

Each new coordinator elsewhere is going run their system. In New England you run Patriots offense and defense, which is flexible enough to morph into any or all things and absorb new trends. So as long as Belichick is there the coordinators don't matter as much.  As long as they have been trained there. 

I think Chuck Noll built a program of sorts at Steelers that Rooney family has kept going through decades and kept them relevant through thick and thin, but that house seems to be dying now as nothing lasts forever. 

Programs win in football.  At every level.  They always have. Sustained winning anyway. And if winning is the goal, you should be trying to create a program. Even at NFL level. Belichick showed it can be done. 

That being said, I think one guy aside from Belichick and Brady that isn't expendable is someone no one talks about.   Dante Scarnecchia their o line coach.  They aren't the same without him.  Brady gets ball out fast, but this guy can make any 5 guys good and survive countless injuries and defections.  It's uncanny. 

He is 70, but I still throw money at that dude to get him if nothing else to learn his methods and build o line part of my program. 

[Nads786]

I’m so gald you mentioned their OL coach. I was just commenting to my brother that Brady’s line has been consistently winning the LOS for year after year.

Bellick and Brady are simply the GOAT.

[abstract_thought]

4 hours ago, Nads786 said:

I’m so gald you mentioned their OL coach. I was just commenting to my brother that Brady’s line has been consistently winning the LOS for year after year.

Bellick and Brady are simply the GOAT.

Their offensive line has had a few bad years but they manage to gameplan around their deficiencies.

That speaks to their player evaluation and personnel decisions - they covet players and coaches who provide them with a lot of flexibility and don't constrain the team to one specific style of play. I believe they value players' physical and mental traits differently than is common among other NFL teams. This allows them tremendous flexibility in their schemes. It's one of the reasons they can lose key players but still compete with the best teams in the NFL.

Part of this can't be re-created but I think certain tenets of their "program" could be adopted by any organization.

[dll2000]

5 minutes ago, abstract_thought said:

Their offensive line has had a few bad years but they manage to gameplan around their deficiencies.

That speaks to their player evaluation and personnel decisions - they covet players and coaches who provide them with a lot of flexibility and don't constrain the team to one specific style of play. I believe they value players' physical and mental traits differently than is common among other NFL teams. This allows them tremendous flexibility in their schemes. It's one of the reasons they can lose key players but still compete with the best teams in the NFL.

Part of this can't be re-created but I think certain tenets of their "program" could be adopted by any organization.

I praise their O line coach because according to Patriots insiders they suffered both when he left and when he retired.  

They recruited him back hard. 

He is a difference maker.

[Nads786]

1 hour ago, abstract_thought said:

Their offensive line has had a few bad years but they manage to gameplan around their deficiencies.

That speaks to their player evaluation and personnel decisions - they covet players and coaches who provide them with a lot of flexibility and don't constrain the team to one specific style of play. I believe they value players' physical and mental traits differently than is common among other NFL teams. This allows them tremendous flexibility in their schemes. It's one of the reasons they can lose key players but still compete with the best teams in the NFL.

Part of this can't be re-created but I think certain tenets of their "program" could be adopted by any organization.

I agree they are doing something different that other organizations are just not doing. I can't wait to read the book when it's published. It could be the next John Wooden book.

[Heinz D.]

1 hour ago, abstract_thought said:

Their offensive line has had a few bad years but they manage to gameplan around their deficiencies.

That speaks to their player evaluation and personnel decisions - they covet players and coaches who provide them with a lot of flexibility and don't constrain the team to one specific style of play. I believe they value players' physical and mental traits differently than is common among other NFL teams. This allows them tremendous flexibility in their schemes. It's one of the reasons they can lose key players but still compete with the best teams in the NFL.

Part of this can't be re-created but I think certain tenets of their "program" could be adopted by any organization.

You're getting into the heart of it there. Bellichick is the best GM in the league, basically. And the team is designed a certain way.