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The New England Patriots have had a great season thus far. Whether you like to sit on the fence, or plan on backing them to go all the way, the ‘Pats’ have a lot going for them at the moment. From strong defense to a deep roster, below you will find four reasons why the Patriots are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Discipline
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is well-known for his stern leadership style and a no-nonsense approach to discipline. Pick any interview with Belichik and the first thing you will notice is how seriously he takes his job. He knows that complete focus is the only way to succeed in the long term, which is exactly why he pushes the team to be as disciplined as they are.
Players are expected to remain 100% focused on football. Belichick doesn’t have time for tantrums or nagging players. If you want to remain on the roster, you have to demonstrate complete dedication to the team. Players are instantly called out if they are late or fail to prioritize their training. For example, when WR Randy Moss was late for a team meeting because of a snowstorm, Belichick immediately fined him for poor conduct.
Belichick is also highly sensitive when it comes to the Patriots’ relationship with fans, the press, and any other form of coverage. He will attempt to control all media narratives, which is why he is so adamant that players should not broadcast their personal lives to the press. Evidently, Belichick’s discipline extends to all areas of team management.
Drafting
Learning how to take advantage of the drafting system is critical to building a strong team. Luckily for the Patriots, Belichick has practically mastered the art of drafts. His experience and performance criteria, combined with a focus on free agents, have allowed the Patriots to build a deep roster of imposing players.
When recruiting, Belichick and his team don’t look for NCAA performance figures, which is what most teams tend to do. Instead, recruits are compared to NFL players directly. The Patriots scouting team uses this strategy to great effect, evidenced by the fact that they always seem to know which players are the best performers, especially in terms of future potential.
Aside from raw performance data, there are also specific qualities that the Patriots’ recruiting team looks for, such as leadership, dedication, and level of maturity. To put it simply, a prospective recruit’s personality has to ‘gel’ with the ones that are already in the locker room. With such a high standard for recruiting, never mind tardiness or unprofessionalism, it’s easy to see why the Patriots’ scouting process is envied so much.
Pedigree
The Patriots, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers, hold the record for the most Super Bowl wins with six victories in total. They also hold the record for the most Super Bowl appearances, having appeared 11 times in the last 20 years. The team also has the most wins in a ten-year period, the most playoff wins, and the longest winning streak in NFL history.
The Patriots are the only team to have completed a 16-game regular season undefeated, going 16-0 back in 2007. With the highest postseason win percentage, most consecutive winning seasons, and the most consecutive division titles, the Patriots are leagues ahead of their competition in terms of trophies, achievements, and pedigree.
Thanks to such a formidable reputation, the Patriots enjoy a level of reverence built on years of hard work, determination, and discipline. With a respected reputation comes the need to maintain a certain level of performance, which explains why Belichick and the rest of the team are so careful about maintaining the appearance of a top-flight football squad.
Synergy
From 2001 to 2019, with Tom Brady as quarterback and Belichick as coach, the Patriots experienced the best run they’ve ever had. Named the ‘Brady-Belichick era’, this period of Patriots history is widely regarded as one of the best combinations in the history of any sport.
With Brady on the field and Belichick at the helm, the Patriots claimed nearly every major Super Bowl record, including all the ones we mentioned earlier, like the unprecedented 16-0 run of 2007. Belichick’s ideas, executed by Brady, would lead the Patriots into a period of dominance that no other team has come close to competing with.
Fast forward to today and you can see that, although the Patriots aren’t as consistent as they used to be, their acquisition of multiple rookies and free agents (such as QB Mac Jones and tight end Henry Hunter) signifies their urge to remain ahead of the competition.
Story by Samantha Waites
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