The Best of Belichick: Nominations Thread

[Section30]

For me the signature of Belichick coached teams has been the absolute "play every second, exploit every weakness, limit mistakes" mentality.
 
I think it was expressed vividly in the Bears 2010 snow game in Gillette.The Bears come in at 9-2 and it is expected that it will be a hard fought game. The Pats proceed to score 26 unanswered points on the 3rd ranked Bears defense when the Pats get the ball back with 20 seconds left in the half. You can see dejected Bears players already heading for the locker room while Brady audibles a go route to Branch and he makes a 59 yard touchdown play.
 
I read stories about exPats players on other teams who are amazed at the lack of preparation, lack of adjustments, lack of team and on the field leadership. Most recently the post season article on Mankins where the other offensive lineman followed him around to learn how study and better prepare for the next game.
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12119027/logan-mankins-had-tough-season-away-patriots

 

[Van Everyman]

 
I believe the plan was to keep Branch on the team, with the holdout ultimately resolved like Mankins' was. The mistake was letting Branch and his agent talk to every other team thereby allowing the Jets with their almost insane Pats fixation to jump in and mess things up.

I don't remember this. Belichick let Branch talk to other teams?

 

[Toe Nash]

Filed under "great idea that didn't work out", Belichick has also been willing to let the other team score in an effort to get the ball back on Brady's hands--and willing to do it at the highest stage in 2012.

Agreed, but he did it too late IMO. Giants had the ball at the NE 18 at the two-minute warning and the Pats had two timeouts -- I think the chance of a successful FG is pretty high at that point, and that they should have let them score on the first opportunity. They waited until 3 plays had passed (one fortunately going out of bounds) and were only given a chance to get the ball back because Bradshaw realized too late that he should take a knee.
 
If nothing else, they should have let them score one play earlier (a run up the middle) and had one extra timeout.

 

[lexrageorge]

I don't remember this. Belichick let Branch talk to other teams?

Belichick told Branch's agent to go out and see if they can find a team willing to offer Branch the extension he wanted, and the Pats would then attempt to make a trade.  IIRC, the Jets jumped in with an offer, and while there was zero chance of the Pats trading Branch to the Jets, it did give Branch a chance to see if other teams would be willing to match what the Jets offered.  Seattle did, and the trade was made. 

 

[tims4wins]

For me the signature of Belichick coached teams has been the absolute "play every second, exploit every weakness, limit mistakes" mentality.
 
I think it was expressed vividly in the Bears 2010 snow game in Gillette.The Bears come in at 9-2 and it is expected that it will be a hard fought game. The Pats proceed to score 26 unanswered points on the 3rd ranked Bears defense when the Pats get the ball back with 20 seconds left in the half. You can see dejected Bears players already heading for the locker room while Brady audibles a go route to Branch and he makes a 59 yard touchdown play.
 
I read stories about exPats players on other teams who are amazed at the lack of preparation, lack of adjustments, lack of team and on the field leadership. Most recently the post season article on Mankins where the other offensive lineman followed him around to learn how study and better prepare for the next game.
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12119027/logan-mankins-had-tough-season-away-patriots

 
Game was in Chicago, but point stands. I remember turning down free tickets since it was so miserable.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Some great articles to chew on, in the spirit of this thread:
 
Belichick's use of David Romer's academic paper on punting vs going for it on 4th down, and also of Howard Sackrowitz's work on PATs vs 2-point conversions.  The NYT covered this as well, after the 2003 AFCCG where he went for it on 4th down on the first drive of the game, from Patriots territory.
 
In my initial post, I was looking for more details on Belichick's HOF-worthy plan to stop Jim Kelly and the Bills in SB XXV.  I found lots of detail in this article.
 
And the best one: a great, lengthy article from 2004 about Belichick's first year in the NFL as a 23-year-old assistant to the 1975 Colts, breaking down film and eventually running the scout team.  It gives a nice backdrop to Belichick's later defensive tendencies and ability to anticipate his opponent's moves.  I enjoyed the description of getting defenders to "flash color" in order to get Manning to scramble from the pocket in the 2003 AFCCG, making him a far less effective passer - and all the related mind games and countermoves associated with it.  Best line: "We held the sh-- out of Ben Coates" (in the 1994 playoff game, Browns vs Patriots).
 
edit: for the record, I've learned that if you google "belichick genius", you get a lot of whiny articles talking about how Belichick can't possibly be a genius because he let the Giants beat him, or other haters-gonna-hate stuff.  But if you google "belichick scheme", all of a sudden a shit-ton of fascinating stuff comes up.

 

[Saints Rest]

Flash color? Can you explain?

 

[mascho]

Flash color? Can you explain?

 
Flashing color is another expression for generating pressure. Quarterbacks sometimes "look for color" in front of them when determining if they are getting pressured...if they're wearing road whites for example, and start seeing a different color, defenders are breaking the pocket and it is time to move, throw the ball away, etc. There's a great description of this in Joe Montana's book "Audibles," which I'll go through now. But that's what he's referring to.
 
 

This is where I started to feel the color. Feeling the color is how I'm able to tell when I'm getting pressured in the pocket. When I come out of the hudde to take the snap from center, my eyes are focused straight ahead on the defense. I'm looking to see if the "D" is in a strange formation. At the same time I'm making sure my teammates are lined up correctly. Then I look at the defensive front. Many times they're lined up in a 34 (three linemen, four linebackers) and I call out the defensive front. Then I look over the defensive backfield to check their coveage. Some teams tip their hand This is called 'reading,' and it's still goign on when the ball is snapped. Many times a defensive back will take a step up toward our offensive line before the snap from center. This could mean a big play for the 49ers.
 
As the ball is snapped I picture the play. It's like a movie running through my mind. If the defense is showing blitz, I'm looking for our "hot" receiver. That's the receiver designated to get the ball if the blitz is on. Then I quickly determine what our number-one play is for a strong-side safety blitz or weak-side safety blitz.
 
Sounds like a lot to think about in a short amount of time, right? But a good quarterback damn well better be able to concentrate and think fast or he's in big - as in bone breaking - trouble.
 
When the defense puts on a strong rish I see the colors. I see only colors, not faces, helmets, arms, or legs. Just that wall. If the 49ers are wearing red jerseys and our opponents white, my vision picks up the color changes. If the wall of colors quickly changes from red to white in the first two steps of my dropback, things register automatically. This is especially tru for color changes up t he middle. I move out of the pocket fast when that happens. A lot of people, including Bill [Walsh] and my teammates, criticize me for bailing out in a hurry. Defenders rushing up the middle are on me so fast they can inflict pain in my rib area. If I was looking at an individual's face, my reaction would be slow. My method words.
 
Remember, what I've described takes place in three seconds. It happens faster than it took you to read about it. This reaction is instinct combined with years and years of practice.

 
 
Joe Montana - "Audibles" - pp. 141 - 143

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Flash color? Can you explain?

 
My description was meant to be a teaser for the great content in the article.  It's long (10-15min read), but well worth the effort.  Some of the tactics used to humiliate and emotionally crush Peyton Manning in 2004 were detailed - among many other great BB anecdotes.

 

[Hoya81]

The preference for left footed punters, simply because returners might be more inclined to muff because of the different spin.

I remember at least one game against Buffalo where they put in a defense with no down lineman and the Bills OL couldn't figure out who to block.

 

[Preacher]

I seem to remember Brady diving towards a gigantic Bears defensive lineman who was bobbling the ball, and then Brady swatted it away to make it an incomplete pass when everyone else was just standing around. I think it was originally ruled an interception, and Belichick challenged it. One of the best games I've ever seen, a 21 point comeback capped off by the incredible Patten catch (which I have not been able to find video of since).

I was at that game. The Bears were playing in Champaign that season as Soldier Field was being remodeled. I was going to University of Illinois at the time. The interception occurred with 47 seconds remaining (or at least that was what was left after the play). It was inside 2 mins so the replay was automatic but it wasn't announced in the stadium so the players were just standing around and the crowd had no idea what was happening but there was a turnover and we assumed a TV timeout. Many of the Bears fans left to go celebrate their victory. I was able to move down to about the 2nd row since the place was emptying out. The defender was deemed to never have possession because he was still bobbling it when Brady hit him and knocked the ball lose. The ruling on the field of an interception followed by a fumble recovered by the Bears was overturned to an incomplete pass. Two plays later, TD. Best part was my roommate didn't learn that the Bears lost until well after midnight. He was partying with all the other dumbass Bears fans. They were on like an 8 game losing streak or something. Great game. .

 

[XNOUGHT]

Also don't forget how Belichick handles Terry Glenn in 2001. Glenn was a massive premadonna then and this was right when Brady took over. He was a hell of a WR too. But Belichick shut him out and he was never heard from on the Patriots again. Most coaches would try to make that work but not Belichick.