You’re tossing it right in my wheelhouse, here goes…
Taking Away What Opponents Do Best: I think Belichick’s skill is truly identifying what the opponents want to do in critical situations. Other coaches can do it to an extent as well, but I think Belichick is special in understanding what the keys truly are.
Every week before a game you’ll get a hundred “5 Keys to the Game” articles around the web. Usually they’ll be broad things like “Pass rush must get to the QB” and “Score more points than the other team”. But from what we saw on BB’s A Football Life, he’s far more specific. Like not letting Dustin Keller off the line of scrimmage. Or forcing Eli Manning to throw to Mario Manningham.
Of course we know Manning did throw to Manningham, but that doesn’t mean the key was wrong. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off to the opposition when they beat you with their third option.
He gives 3-5 crystal clear keys that are very specific for each game. When the Patriots accomplish those things they usually win.
Limiting Distractions: Two things on this one, first is that in Foxborough it’s all about football. That’s one thing that players who have come through the system mention as opposed to the rest of the NFL. Everything is geared toward winning football games. Things as simple as having healthy and good-quality food which you would think would be the standard around the billion dollar NFL.
Second, this relates directly to Bill Belichick’s press conferences and how he deals with the media. You see it every week, a reporter asking a question when he clearly knows what answer he wants and Belichick not giving it to him. Belichick is always balanced in his analysis of the team in front of the media. “Some things were good, some things could’ve been better”.
He certainly doesn’t make the media’s job easier and they don’t like that about him, but I read all the press conference transcripts and the questions that interest me most, ones about football, he’s usually happy to dive into, especially on Fridays.
Simply put, Belichick sees the press conferences as part of the game. Not giving away any information about injuries, not revealing any concern or excitement about his team. BB is always competing. Always.
It’s easy to say "Do Your Job" and just about every team says that now, but how many players truly know what their job is across the rest of the NFL. Belichick simplifies everything for his players. This is what we have to do. Each of you has this specific job. If we all do that we will win.
As for consistently improving the team over the course of the year, it relates back into the other two. Belichick is honest and fair with his criticism toward his players and staff, and they try to acquire guys who love football, who want to improve, and can handle the criticism and address their issues moving forward.
In simplest terms, I think playing football for the Patriots is about clarity. The message and coaching from Belichick down through his small staff is always clear and never done through the media. It’s about football, and if players aren’t on the same page, being all about football, they won’t last long.
One last thing is that BB is huge on situational football and the Patriots have won plenty of games because of it. When you see footage at practice he’ll often spend time just throwing out random situations and forcing his team to react, adjust and execute. This is a huge part of his coaching style.
One of my favorite BB quotes sums it up. It’s also the sound bite we use to close the podcast:
“This is a football team. It’s not a bunch of guys running around out there in the same uniform. This is a football team. And for 60 minutes you’re going to have to deal with all of us and it’s going to be a long night.”
