As another season approaches in the NFL, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will be back for together for a 21st season. Although the end is near, these two continue to consistently lead the New England Patriots to the playoffs and multiple super bowl appearances.
But, what happens once that ends? Tom Brady turns 42 in August and his window is closing very soon. Once he retires, the dynasty is going to continue. Now let’s explore why.
Bill Belichick: The football mastermind is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of football. How will Belichick continue the dynasty?
- Deja vu: Belichick has had success without Brady before. When Brady went down in 2008 with a torn ACL, the Pats still went 11-5 with Matt Cassel as the starting QB. They also had the seventh-best defense in the league that year.
- Defensive wizard: With Brian Flores taking the head coaching job in Miami, Belichick will take over the defensive play calls. The last time Belichick was the defensive play caller the Patriots ended the 2011 regular season with a record of 13-3 and made it to the Super Bowl where they lost to the New York Giants.
- Experience: Winning a total of eight super bowls does not happen by mistake. As long as Belichick’s in the league, no one can ever count him out.
- Great scout: As coach and GM, Belichick has an eye for talent that no other NFL personnel has. Many of the Pats’ draft picks pan out to be great under coach’s system.
Solid defense: As stated above, Belichick is great at building a solid defensive unit. What makes this unit so successful for the future?
- Grizzled vets: Dont’a Hightower, Stephon Gilmore, the McCourty’s lead the list of veterans that make huge contributions to this defense. Their leadership helps guide these young players to thrive under Belichick’s system. The Pats are still a free agent destination as long as they are competitive.
- Young guns: Belichick tends to draft and pick up young players who are not highly touted in college but succeed in the NFL. Deatrich Wise Jr., Derek Rivers, and J.C. Jackson all stepped up this past season and will keep this team competitive for years to come.
- Sleeper picks: With every draft comes some unheard of prospects that Belichick finds. For example, Jackson went undrafted last season and ended up with a huge role in his rookie campaign. Do not be surprised if that happens with mid-round picks like JoeJuan Williams and Chase Winovich coming up.
- It never ends: The cycle will continue as players come to the Pats to win an Super Bowl (or two) and then move on in free agency to get a big pay day. With Belichick at the helm, that cycle never stops.
How about offense? When Tom Brady decides he is done quarterbacking the Patriots, the biggest question will be, what happens to this Pats offense?
Here are some reasons why the Pats offense will still be successful without Brady.
- N’keal Harry: The 6-foot-3 rookie was one of the top receivers in this past draft. Under the offense led by Brady, Harry could be one of the best receivers in the league. Look at what Brady did with Julian Edelman or Chris Hogan and those guys turned out great.
- Solid wall: According to Pro Football Focus, The Pats offensive line ranked fourth in the entire league. Under O-line coach Dante Scarnecchia, this unit will continue their dominance as he is highly regarded at one of the best coaches at his position.
- Been there, done that: As stated earlier, the Pats went 11-5 when Brady was out for the entire 2008 season. Matt Cassel stepped up nicely under Josh McDaniels’ offense, showing that if the QB is the right fit, this team can still be successful.
The bottom line: As long as Belichick is at the helm in Foxboro, the Patriots will continue their consistency of greatness with their great defense and smart coaching. There will be missteps and bumps in the road but, as always with the Patriots, they will once again compete for a Super Bowl title.