Posted December 07, 2021
By Sean Ring
Play the Game Like Bill Belichick
- The New England Patriots are 9-4 and own the best record in the AFC.
- After a 2-4 start, no one expected much from the Pats this year.
- With rookie quarterback Mac Jones and perhaps the NFLs best defense, Belichick may be building a second dynasty in the Northeast.
Parcells, Taylor, and the 86 Giants
We knew Bill Belichick was a genius in the 80s.That Giants defense was spectacular, led by the ferocious linebacker corps of Banks, Reasons, Carson, and Taylor.(Yes, I subvocalized that sentence in the late, great Pat Summeralls dulcet tones.)Lawrence Taylor was a phenom who terrorized QBs all day long. To me, hes one of the greatest athletes of all time. Hell never get that kind of credit because he didnt carry the ball.This was before the days of politicized football when the Redskins(!) versus the Giants was my favorite game all year.The contrasting maroon and blue uniforms added to the autumnal treat.Bill Belichick was the architect of that defense, under the watchful eye of Bill Parcells.After moving to New England, Cleveland, and the Jets, Belichick made his way back to New England as head coach on January 27, 2000.Since then, he has led the Patriots to 17 AFC East division titles, 13 appearances in the AFC Championship Game, and nine Super Bowl appearances, with a record six wins.Side note: When I left the States in 1999, the Patriots never won a Super Bowl, and the Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics hadnt won in ages. How times have changed!After Tom Brady left the Patriots, he won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020, and Belichick looked like he finally made a mistake.After starting 2-4 this season, most pundits were sure Belichicks best days were behind him.Then, to the horror of the rest of the NFL, the Patriots started winning again.After a seven-game winning streak that includes perhaps Belichicks piece de resistance in Buffalo, the Patriots are on track to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.Lemonade From Lemons
We want children to play team sports because team sports are a metaphor for life.Short of the horror of facing war, theres simply no better way to teach the crucial ideas of brotherhood, teamwork, strategy, tactics, psychology, motivation, and a whole host of others.Its a (relatively) safe way of simulating war, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Yes, creativity in a fast-moving environment is a form of genius.And its addictive. Wizened old men fade off in conversation when thinking of the great plays theyve made in the great games theyve played.But when we see a master at work, we immediately come together and admire his work in unison.Whether its Shakespeares writing, Mozarts music, or Michelangelos art, we sigh in appreciation.We do the same for sports achievements.Montanas touch when throwing to Rice, Nolan Ryans perfect wind-up and delivery, Barry Bonds sweet swing, Gretzkys goals, or Jordans zoning flow when decimating opponents are all examples of perfection in sporting environments.And every once in a while, the Master appears and shows all how its done.What Happened
Buffalo, NY. Wind-chilled temperature: 22 degrees. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph.Patriots at the Bills in Highmark Stadium.I wont recount the whole game. This isnt meant to be a football column per se.But whats remarkable about the game was not its, in Belichicks words, somewhat challenging environment.It was that Belichick adjusted his teams game plan before kickoff.Rookie QB Mac Jones, whos more relied upon not to lose games than win them, threw the football a total of 3 times. All game.After all, why would you ask your rookie star to throw the ball in that kind of environment?But as Sherlock Holmes would say, omne ignotum pro magnifico est. Its translated as everything unknown is taken as grand.Dr. Watson loosely translated it as everything becomes commonplace by explanation in the excellent Jeremy Brett television series episode of The Red Headed League.My point is that only a master would completely buck the passing trend. Only a master knows that hes got to play the hand dealt to him.Not since 1974 has the ball been thrown less in a game, and thats when the passing game wasnt a fraction of what it is now.What Belichick did was the equivalent of Captain Foleys move under Nelson at the Battle of the Nile.Do watch that linked video if you have a second. It perfectly illustrates how the British destroyed the French Mediterranean Fleet and left Napoleon stranded in Egypt.Of course, the Pats won the game 14-10 in a battle for the ages. The Bills defense simply couldnt stop the Patriots running attack.Wrap Up
If youre not an NFL fan, thats fine.The moral of the story is about bucking trends and being creative.Of course, Belichick has broken down game film since his father was an assistant coach at Navy.So one can argue that you need to know all the rules before you start breaking them.Maybe.But this is an excellent example of when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.And its an important lesson to become reacquainted with.Until tomorrow.All the best,Sean
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