Poor Bill Belichick – he’s been handed a C+ team. His starting quarterback and one of his key defensive players are suspended for the first four games. His best defensive player was traded away during the off-season. His All-Pro tight end, Rob Gronkowski, will most likely miss another week or two due to a hamstring injury.
Any other coach facing these odds would be a favorite as a Vegas first coach fired prop bet.
Best Coach in the NFL is Bill Belichick
And if you were say the Patriots, with an unknown quarterback, no Gronkowski, and two backup offensive linemen would actually get a road win against an Arizona Cardinals team that included a rejuvenated Tyrann Mathieu and the newly acquired Chandler Jones, most fans would have said the Patriots would have had no chance. But most Patriots fans second reaction would be, “If there were any coach that could pull it off, Belichick would be that coach.”
Belichick is the same coach that turned a depressing Matt Cassel into a competent quarterback. The future Hall of Fame coach is now doing the same with his fresh faced backup Jimmy Garoppolo. On Sunday, his Patriots overcame a overwhelmingly superior Cardinals team through sheer brain work. The proof is in the below breakdown, with player/group ratings included.
Breakdown, With Player/Group Ratings
Jimmy Garroppolo – C-, Carson Palmer – B+
Patriots offensive line – C-, Cardinals offensive Line – B
Patriots running backs – B-, Cardinals running backs – B+
Patriots receivers – B, Cardinals receivers – B+
Patriots tight ends – B-, Cardinals tight ends – C-
Patriots defensive line – B-, Cardinals defensive line – B-
Patriots linebackers – B, Cardinals linebackers – C+
Patriots secondary – B+, Secondary – B+
Belichick Had A Simple Stratgey
In no other sport could a coach overcome Bruce Arians, last year’s MVP runner-up (Carson Palmer), an immortal Larry Fitzgerald, and that furious Cardinals defense with a mediocre team right. Yet Belichick did.
And it was with a simple strategy: dominate time of possession (33:59 to 26:01), run more plays (66 to 59) and throw the whole kitchen sink at Arizona. At some point during that second quarter even the announcer remarked on how many different plays the Patriots had called up. It was like every new play enacted came with a high success rate.
Belichick Puts His Stamp on Patriots Games
No other coach has his fingerprints all over a game like Belichick. No other coach, but Belichick, could have devised a beautiful plan to overcome the Legion of Boom when the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl like Belichick. The Patriots head coach decided to not challenge the best secondary ever. Belichick helped the Patriots be successful but having them string together drives and by attacking the linebackers with tight ends and running backs.
Over the next three games, Belichick’s Patriots might lose more personnel to injuries, suspensions, or whatever else. But just know that they’re never going to be out of any of those games. They have the best coach ever. And that’s good enough to overcome any odds.
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