New England Patriots: It Was Always Belichick Over Brady

Everybody was getting bent out of shape about Tom Brady being suspended four games for the New England Patriots. Apparently they forgot Bill Belichick was head coach.

Brady is a great quarterback. The numbers alone make that impossible to deny. He’s set records. He has four rings and the universal admiration of both teammates and opponents alike. Even so, the bottom line is that there should always be an asterisk next to his accomplishments because he played under Belichick who has all but wrapped up the title of best head coach in modern NFL history.

Nothing has proven that more than how the Patriots have played when Brady is out. With their upset of Arizona in week one followed by a beat down of Miami in week two it’s the latest validation yet that perhaps the impact of Brady on the fortunes of the franchise is somewhat overrated.

Jimmy Garoppolo looked like a seasoned pro prior to his shoulder injury, throwing with accuracy and decisiveness. Even Jacoby Brissett their rookie looked sharp. What’s lost is how phenomenal the preparation and the play calling are in every game. That is where Belichick is great. No coach is better at accenting strengths and hiding the weaknesses of his own players. Conversely he’s a master at finding where an opponent is weakest and using adapting his roster to exploit it.

The best way to put to bed this Brady or Belichick argument is simple. Since 2001 when Brady became the full-time starter, the New England Patriots are 12-5 in games where he missed a start. Not only is that good enough to make the playoffs in the NFL, but it also includes a postseason victory on top of it. Conversely the Indianapolis Colts were 2-14 their first season without Peyton Manning.

That speaks to the machine that Bill Belichick has built. Even an important gear like Tom Brady can be replaced and the engine still runs. Maybe not quite as efficiently but it runs and it gets the vehicle where it needs to go. The mark of a great coach.