CouchCoach
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There has only been one HC master staying in contention during the cap era and while everyone wants to emulate him, few ever do. He's the only HC that actually looks at it as a team of 53. He doesn't look at it as 22 starters and backups, every player is expected to play and every player is accountable for his mistakes, including the QB, and the owner stays the hell out of the football part of it.
Kraft is smart enough to know what he doesn't know and leave that to ones that lay their butts on the line to do that. In that regard, he has quite a few contemporaries in the NFL, the majority of them. Kraft understands that buying a football team didn't make him a football man. Who's the smarter businessman? Kraft measurers success on the field and the Joneses measure it in the ratings and revenue and really don't have to accomplish much to maintain that. Jones bought his team to make money and win football games. Kraft bought his team to win football games and make money.
But if you want to emulate the Patriots, you have to start with belief and trust. One of the most impressive things I've ever seen in a football game was when they were down 28-3 to ATL and I watched the coaching staff and sideline and wouldn't have known this team is down 25 in the game of the year. Belichick, Patricia, McDaniels and the other coaches were doing exactly what they preach to the players, just do your job. They kept the players focused on their jobs by doing their own and just took the game back. I do not think any other coaching staff does that or any other team.
It's not just Belichick and his mad scientist view of defensive football. Back when he was with the Patriots with Parcells, Kraft saw it, he saw the mad scientist at work and when Parcells tried to orchestrate that Jets deal, Kraft swooped in and stole Belichick and gave him the one thing he'd lacked in CLE that had defeated him, control. He had such belief and trust in him that he was willing to entrust his football team to him.
Many here, erroneously, attach all of Belichick's success to Brady and think without him, none of this happens and I could not disagree more. That's follow the ball thinking, Brady is part of it, and part that Belichick was willing to part with had Kraft not gotten Brady to go along to fit into Belichick's cap formula, the best one ever created. Belichick is a run first D coach and a throwback to the old NFL. He'd just as soon win games 13-10.
Kraft is smart enough to know what he doesn't know and leave that to ones that lay their butts on the line to do that. In that regard, he has quite a few contemporaries in the NFL, the majority of them. Kraft understands that buying a football team didn't make him a football man. Who's the smarter businessman? Kraft measurers success on the field and the Joneses measure it in the ratings and revenue and really don't have to accomplish much to maintain that. Jones bought his team to make money and win football games. Kraft bought his team to win football games and make money.
But if you want to emulate the Patriots, you have to start with belief and trust. One of the most impressive things I've ever seen in a football game was when they were down 28-3 to ATL and I watched the coaching staff and sideline and wouldn't have known this team is down 25 in the game of the year. Belichick, Patricia, McDaniels and the other coaches were doing exactly what they preach to the players, just do your job. They kept the players focused on their jobs by doing their own and just took the game back. I do not think any other coaching staff does that or any other team.
It's not just Belichick and his mad scientist view of defensive football. Back when he was with the Patriots with Parcells, Kraft saw it, he saw the mad scientist at work and when Parcells tried to orchestrate that Jets deal, Kraft swooped in and stole Belichick and gave him the one thing he'd lacked in CLE that had defeated him, control. He had such belief and trust in him that he was willing to entrust his football team to him.
Many here, erroneously, attach all of Belichick's success to Brady and think without him, none of this happens and I could not disagree more. That's follow the ball thinking, Brady is part of it, and part that Belichick was willing to part with had Kraft not gotten Brady to go along to fit into Belichick's cap formula, the best one ever created. Belichick is a run first D coach and a throwback to the old NFL. He'd just as soon win games 13-10.
