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Quick hit thoughts/observations on Belichick: A Football Life part two

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Part two of Bill Belichick: A Football Life took us through the end of the disappointing 2009 season. Some of the things I took note of:

– Did it get any more awkward than Belichick and Mr. Kraft’s interactions? None were worse than after the playoff loss when BB just trudged right by him. Love Mr. Kraft for giving BB the freedom he has, but it’s clear he’s just a passenger with the money.

– How great was it to see BB celebrating the AFC East championship in the empty Gillette parking lot? Seemed like he had a little buzz going too. Can you imagine coming upon that tailgate in the wee hours after the game? Shows how much he enjoys winning.

– How come no Ed Reed man-crushing before the playoff game this time?

– Obviously the BB pirate costume will go down as one of the great comical moments of his career. Get ready to see more pirates at Gillette this season, especially around Halloween.

– One of the most interesting parts of part two, and something I never really connected the dots on, was the influence of the type of players BB watched growing up at Navy on the types of players he covets for the Patriots. Hard-working, disciplined, willing to do whatever was asked from them, ready to sacrifice all for the team. It’s an easy connection to see now, but I just never put it together.

– I felt like a negative nelly when I tweeted that the Patriots playoff hopes were being carted off with Wes Welker after he tore his ACL, but it looks like the Patriots players agreed with me, hence them mailing it in against Baltimore.

– Interesting that they didn’t touch at all upon Late Gate, one of the only mini-controversies of the season that they avoided.

– Was there anything better than the ending? With BB seemingly acknowledging that he has a lot of coaching left in him? That’s what I call ending on a high note.

Bill Belichick: A Football Life – The Final PatsPropaganda Review

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As I savored the final moments of Bill Belichick’s A Life in Football, I realized that the 2009 Patriots season now had a new special place in my heart.  Before this show, 2009 was the most disappointing seasons of the Belichick coaching era but now it will forever be the one (and perhaps only) season that we got a small glimpse behind the curtain of the Bill Belichick-New England Patriots machine.

In a strange way it was almost more poetic to see a horror show season from the inside. We already have some some small glimpses the scenes for the seasons that went right. They’re called the Three Games to Glory DVDs.

You truly see what teams and coaches are made of when their backs are against the wall and we saw plenty of that with the 2009 Patriots season. Belichick couldn’t find the answers. The team couldn’t battle through adversity. And it was clear that changes were needed.

The best parts of the documentary for me were seeing Belichick speak to and about his team. Hearing how he motivates. And how ruthless his critical eye can really be when he turns it on himself and his operation. 

These are the moments that make great coaches, and they’re the ones that we on the outside never get to see. To be a fly on the wall for some of those moments was truly fascinating and special.

I am greatly appreciative to NFL Films for making such a definitive piece on Belichick that should put to rest a lot of the clueless speculation as to what Belichick is really like off the field.

Regardless of how much effect it did or didn’t have, Spygate tarnished Belichick image for a lot of NFL fans. But I believe that this documentary should win him back some of the good will he lost. Those who previously saw Belichick as an evil genius who lived in a cave with nothing but game film, playbooks and a burning hatred of the media now have a new appreciation and understanding of the kind of coach that he is.

The bottom line: Bill Belichick is one of the all time great NFL coaches. He has his own style, but it’s clear that it works. And it seems like he will continue to make it work for the foreseeable future.

We’ll have our quick hit thoughts on part two coming later today.

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Welker: We’re getting killed out there. Stupid ACL!

Welker’s GF: Does this mean we can go soon?

Far Right Guy: Welker’s girlfriend is hot, brau. Mmm lettuce.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/welker-were-getting-killed-out-there-stupid/

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The most fascinating part of the documentary is that NFL Films recorded Belichick in meetings during the week of the Texans game discussing which players he’d hold out to keep them healthy for the playoffs. During the week, Belichick seemed to be leaning toward keeping Welker inactive because he was worried about an injury.

“Maybe Welker, too,” Belichick said when listing players who would be inactive for the Texans game. “I don’t know how smart it’d be to put him in there to get lit up another eight or 10 times like he usually does.”

Later, Belichick is shown in another meeting suggesting that Welker and Randy Moss would both play but get only limited action.

“Even if Welker’s healthy, I think there’s a point in this game where you can just back off,” Belichick said, before adding of Moss and Welker, “Those are two guys we can’t really afford to lose.”

Sure enough, the Patriots did lose Welker, and Belichick is shown in his office afterward looking devastated about it. This great look at a great coach also includes the coach’s mistakes.

ProFootballTalk previewing part two of Bill Belichick: A Football Life

https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-most-fascinating-part-of-the-documentary-is/