xwalker
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Fans/media focus on individual players.
Great coaches focus on players that win as part of a team.
Seeing the Patriots win another Super Bowl really highlights this concept.
Going back in time, the best example to me is Emmitt vs Barry Sanders. Fans/media love to heap accolades onto Barry Sanders; however, Emmitt has 3 rings. Knowing what we know now, if Jimmy could go back and had the option to choose between Emmitt and Barry Sanders, there is zero chance that he would pick Sanders.
The Patriots have a few great players (Gronk, etc.) but in general not that many players that the media constantly slobbers over during the season as being the greatest.
Obviously Brady is regarded as great; however, that's really because of all the Super Bowls. If he was on a team that didn't win, the media wouldn't be overly focused on him. He is much more about consistently than wow plays and doesn't do anything physically freakish.
Back in the day, fans/media constantly praised Dan Marino as the greatest; however, weak-armed Joe Montana and Low Passing Stats Aikman won the the Super Bowls, not Marino.
The 2018 Rams were similar to the Patriots in this regard. Their individual OLinemen were not really considered as great and some of them had been disappointments with previous coaches/teams. Their #1 TE was Tyler Higbee. Is Goff a great player? Gurley is a great RB but was limited due to injury issues. The WRs are top notch but not freaks. Obviously the DTs are great but the rest of the other individual players on their defense didn't get constant accolades individually (as of 2018).
Back to the Cowboys nineties Super Bowl teams, they were very deep and talented but didn't really have that many freak players that the national media would rank as the greatest ever, especially not on a list focused on freakish athletic ability. The athletic freaks were Deion, Leon Lett, Larry Allen, Erik Williams and Woodson and only EW and Woodson were starters on 2 or more of the Super Bowl teams. Note: There is probably another player or two from those teams that some might consider a freak.
The top 3 players from the Cowboys nineties Super Bowl teams tend to be lower on most "Greatest" lists than their accomplishments would otherwise suggest. Neither Emmitt or Irvin were close to being athletic freaks. Aikman's passing stats including TDs pale in comparison to Dan Marino's.
On the flip side, DWare, Dez, Tyron have all been considered athletic freaks but only Ware made it to the Super Bowl and was not even the top pass rusher on that team.
The good news is that that the 2018 Cowboys roster had the type of talent at most positions that is above average but not the freaks that fans/media constantly praise as the greatest. It's very similar to the type of roster that Belichick uses to win Super Bowls.
The bad news is that New England's roster might not have made the playoffs with Garrett as their Head Coach...
Great coaches focus on players that win as part of a team.
Seeing the Patriots win another Super Bowl really highlights this concept.
Going back in time, the best example to me is Emmitt vs Barry Sanders. Fans/media love to heap accolades onto Barry Sanders; however, Emmitt has 3 rings. Knowing what we know now, if Jimmy could go back and had the option to choose between Emmitt and Barry Sanders, there is zero chance that he would pick Sanders.
The Patriots have a few great players (Gronk, etc.) but in general not that many players that the media constantly slobbers over during the season as being the greatest.
Obviously Brady is regarded as great; however, that's really because of all the Super Bowls. If he was on a team that didn't win, the media wouldn't be overly focused on him. He is much more about consistently than wow plays and doesn't do anything physically freakish.
Back in the day, fans/media constantly praised Dan Marino as the greatest; however, weak-armed Joe Montana and Low Passing Stats Aikman won the the Super Bowls, not Marino.
The 2018 Rams were similar to the Patriots in this regard. Their individual OLinemen were not really considered as great and some of them had been disappointments with previous coaches/teams. Their #1 TE was Tyler Higbee. Is Goff a great player? Gurley is a great RB but was limited due to injury issues. The WRs are top notch but not freaks. Obviously the DTs are great but the rest of the other individual players on their defense didn't get constant accolades individually (as of 2018).
Back to the Cowboys nineties Super Bowl teams, they were very deep and talented but didn't really have that many freak players that the national media would rank as the greatest ever, especially not on a list focused on freakish athletic ability. The athletic freaks were Deion, Leon Lett, Larry Allen, Erik Williams and Woodson and only EW and Woodson were starters on 2 or more of the Super Bowl teams. Note: There is probably another player or two from those teams that some might consider a freak.
The top 3 players from the Cowboys nineties Super Bowl teams tend to be lower on most "Greatest" lists than their accomplishments would otherwise suggest. Neither Emmitt or Irvin were close to being athletic freaks. Aikman's passing stats including TDs pale in comparison to Dan Marino's.
On the flip side, DWare, Dez, Tyron have all been considered athletic freaks but only Ware made it to the Super Bowl and was not even the top pass rusher on that team.
The good news is that that the 2018 Cowboys roster had the type of talent at most positions that is above average but not the freaks that fans/media constantly praise as the greatest. It's very similar to the type of roster that Belichick uses to win Super Bowls.
The bad news is that New England's roster might not have made the playoffs with Garrett as their Head Coach...