Ernie Adams retired after the 2021 season...the Pats started their collapse in 2022. It's not a coincidence since Adams was the intel for the team on the various ways they cheated (bugging locker rooms, buying playbooks, stealing signals, jamming communications, etc). Belichek consistently said that Adams was wrong on stealing signals half the time...evidentially the 50% he was right made a significant difference.
Give me an explanation for the sudden collapse after Brady left. Cheating isn't going to do it because there's no reason for Belichick to suddenly change. The most obvious explanation is Brady. You know he won a SB the very next year with Tampa. No, the collapse happened immediately after Brady left. In 2019 the Pats were 12-4. Brady leaves and in 2020 they were 7-9. Keep in mind NE won 3 SBs, lost 2 SBs, lost 3 Conference Championships, lost one Division game, and lost one WC in the 10 years prior to Brady leaving with 11+ wins every year. He leaves they collapse. Cheating isn't explaining any of this.
They were 10-7 in 2021 (Adams last year), 8-9 in 2022, 4-13 in 2023. I agree that Brady was a huge factor, but I also believe Adams played a crucial part as well. Remember, he coached Brady. Plus, 2020 was COVID and teams had bubble practices, etc. I don't count that year in sports as being relevant because the season unfolded quite differently with players and personnel out, etc. By the way, I was wrong earlier- Adams retired after the 2021 draft. So he didn't coach 2021.
Brady was the primary factor. Nothing else explains the sudden collapse from 12-4 to 7-9 in addition to Brady winning the SB with Tampa the very next year (without Adams). And 2020 counts. Yes it was different, but statistically what it did was remove home field advantage. Home teams actually won one less game than away teams that year: 127-128-1. No reason for NE to just suddenly fall off a cliff because you play all games on a "neutral" field. What they lacked was a historically great QB.
Another piece of that puzzle is that Tampa Bay was 7-9 the year before Brady arrived and won the Super Bowl with them.
Yeah it's like the massive improvement you saw when Peyton Manning switched teams. I'm so glad Belichick kept coaching after Brady left because we saw who was more responsible for all those SBs. That guy's ego is off the charts. He's probably scheming right now how to get that all-time win record from Shula and which team to do it with.
Well the bright spot is Dallas is getting destroyed 20-0 before halftime those fan boards are gonna be fun to read after this.
Yeah #1 and #2 offenses (Dallas ended #1) vastly underperforming historical averages in the playoffs. Funny year. I know lots of Dallas fans, and among the ones I know at least half have been saying for 5+ years they'll never win a SB with Dak. I totally agree and am happy to see them lose.
Dolphins officially have the longest active playoff win drought in the NFL. Laughing stock of pro sports.
I get what you're saying, totally. However, I think we see the side of McDaniel that he wants to show to the media and public. I think we've seen him be a bit of a goofball at times in press conferences and such. He's kind of like Bellichick that way, but not a flat out prick. Just a little lighter about things. Yes he keeps it light at practice at times, that's not necessarilly a bad thing if you're preparing the team properly from a gameplanning and teaching standpoint. I haven't watched hard knocks, just seen some clips and I think we do see plenty of that serious side from him. Same with in other sit down interviews he's done. I don't think he's always the goofball he shows himself to be at times. I do agree though, I think if that "classroom" side of things isn't being taken more seriously, and a bit "tougher" then this team is never going to be able to leave the sunny confines of Florida to win games in December and to win playoff games when it matters. What I saw against KC was a team that had no drive, no killer instinct and no desire to play. Sure the weather maybe had something to do with that, but rather than being uninterested, you should be pissed off that you're even in that position to begin with. I think the other thing you have to remember is, this generation of football players is not like the last generation. I'd be surprised if Belichik has any success moving forward, and I don't think Cowher would either. His personality and attitude just doesn't work with the mentality of today's players. They'd check out on that quicker than you could snap your fingers. Heck, even Dan Campbell... for the attitude and front he puts on in front of the media he's put alot of priority into being relatable and supportive of his players similar to how McDaniel has done with Tua. You can be a great leader and head coach without being a Cowher and Belichick as long as you're taking the football x's and o's side seriously. Good points though.
Not to mention through good drafting they’ve got the foundation to be one of the best franchises over the next 5 seasons. Meanwhile we’re in salary cap hell with a roster that can’t stay healthy, can’t play decent football in Dec/Jan and doesn’t show up against good teams.
I thought "amusing" who their left tackle is after all our trading and they won a playoff game and we are still searching for a win.
By the way, fans are now getting amputations from the effects of this game. https://www.google.com/amp/s/ktla.c...ff-game-now-require-amputations-hospital/amp/
I just saw this posted elsewhere. That game should never have been played in those conditions. Hopefully the Chiefs and the league help these folks out.
This is why I’ve said the league doesn’t truly care about “safety”. They knee jerk react to make it seem they do, then back to business as usual.
That they have increased the season to 17 games and are pushing hard for the 18th gives the lie to any safety argument.
