The football world was in unified admiration of Bill Belichick’s 324th career win Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, a victory in the city where his head-coaching career began more than three decades ago to tie him with George Halas for the second-most wins in NFL history.
But for Belichick what may have mattered just as much was he and his team’s relatively measly third win of the season, getting New England back to .500 after a 1-3 start to inject life and momentum into the team as it works into hopeful midseason form.
Because the true greatness of Belichick, a legacy that’s been established over dominantly consistent decades and highlighted by Super Bowl wins, is his week-to-week approach that’s the foundation of the legendary long term success.
“His ability to demonstrate competitive stamina year after year, day after day,” Patriots longtime captain Matthew Slater said this week on “Mut at Night” on WEEI. “His love for the game of football. His discipline. His overall approach. It really is remarkable.”
Indeed, in many ways the 70-year-old future Hall of Famer has enjoyed a renaissance in recent weeks, answering the coaching call when his team needed him most.
And let’s be clear, Belichick’s greatness has been very much called into question of late. Questions from his boss about why it’s been three years without a Patriots’ playoff victory. Questions from fans why they’re watching Tom Brady succeed in Tampa Bay while New England is mired in middling mediocrity.
This spring and summer was an offseason littered critiques, much of the angst focused on Belichick’s decision to put Mac Jones’ critical career development in the hands of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, career defensive and special teams coaches, respectively.
Belichick was well aware of the dubious noise in New England, leaving the coach to tell the Boston Globe just before the start of the new season, “Ultimately, it’s my responsibility, like it always is. So if it doesn’t go well, blame me.”
That blame game was picking up steam in September. Jones went 1-2 over the first two weeks, threw more interceptions (5) than touchdowns (2) and went down with a high ankle sprain in just the third game of the season to throw the entire year seemingly into turmoil.
Journeyman backup QB Brian Hoyer was called into duty, but swiftly went down to a concussion himself in Green Bay leaving fourth-round third-string rookie Bailey Zappe as the Patriots’ passer of the moment at Lambeau Field.
The going was getting about as tough early in the season as anyone could have foreseen, so Belichick rolled up the non-existent sleeves on his trademark hoodie and got to work.
Belichick has overseen the offensive collaboration with Zappe at the helm, all the world a watching as he’s taken a hands-on approach to the young quarterback’s development on the sidelines on game days.
Belichick has had a major hand in coming up with consecutive defensive game plans that have frustrated the perpetually frustrated Aaron Rodgers, shut out the NFL’s No. 1 offense from Detroit and bottled up Cleveland’s No. 1 rushing attack led by stud running back Nick Chubb.
Can it really be a coincidence that the last two times Belichick has had to unexpectedly turn to a mid-round rookie QB to make his first NFL start – Jacoby Brissett back in 2016 and Zappe this season – the Patriots have won each of those games in shutout fashion?
Nope.
Not that we needed it, but we’re being reminded of Belichick’s greatness. It's vintage Belichick.
Not that we should have doubted it, but we’ve seen in recent weeks just how far superior Belichick is to the likes of Dan Campbell and Kevin Stefanski.
“First and foremost, he’s very gifted. He has a gifted mind for the game of football,” Slater reminded us all of his career head coach. “He sees the game in a way that many others aren’t able to see it. He understands and teaches the game in a very unique way that I think has made him very successful.”
Successful to the tune of 324 wins.
But more importantly for the here and now, successful to the tune of three wins for a Patriots’ team whose season was hanging in the balance.
Blame Belichick? Maybe in the coming weeks, months or years there will be a time for that.
Right now, though, is a time to acknowledge his greatness once again.
Not so much for his career accomplishments, but for his role in this run of Zappe Fever that has kept the 2022 Patriots afloat.
Sure it’s just three wins. Just victories over the lowly Steelers, Lions and Bears, oh my.
Sure Belichick is just doing his job, as his famed slogan says.
It’s also just what New England needed.
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