Patriots Bill Belichick Sees Tom Brady In ... Mac Jones?
FOXBORO — When New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick invokes the name of quarterback Tom Brady, it is bound to bring some attention.
As the old saying goes, ‘these two go back a while.’
Belichick, in his first draft with the team, selected Brady as the 199th overall selection in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. In only Brady’s second season, Belichick named the Michigan product New England’s starting quarterback; standing by him even when incumbent Drew Bledsoe had returned from injury. Little did anyone know that a twenty-year run of unprecedented success was about to unfold.
The prolific player-coach tandem was among the most successful of its kind in professional sports. Together, they participated in 285 regular-season games, 41 postseason contests and a record-setting nine Super Bowl appearances. Their 219 combined victories is the most by any head coach/quarterback duo in the history of the NFL.
As such, when the ‘HC of the NEP’ mentioned Brady’s name while speaking about current Patriots’ starter Mac Jones, it sparked a trend through social media.
However, before the ‘Knights of Zappe’ prepare his effigy for daring to anoint Jones as the next Brady,
Belichick was simply stating that there are similarities between the two when it comes to evading the sack and even extending the occasional play with his legs.
“I think he's got a pretty good feel for that,” Belichick said of Jones during Friday’s media conference. “A lot of it is just really ‘feel’ and ‘decision.’ Some of it is athletic ability too, but a lot of it is just seeing it through the right time. Tom [Brady] did a good job of that. He didn't run very often, but when he did, like last year against us, he got us on that third-and-four or whatever it was … it's just decisions and recognition of the situation."
While Belichick’s comments are far from making a ‘like-for-like’ comparison, it is worth noting that the 70-year-old seldom mentions Brady when speaking on the prowess of his, or any other quarterbacks. Alongside ex-New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor, Belichick considers Brady as the “greatest player” he has ever coached.” He has often quipped that comparing other players to the likes of Brady or Taylor does an immediate disservice to the subject … as few, if any, are capable of reaching the bar set by each on offense and defense, respectively.
Having earned such elusive similitude from Belichick, one would think that Jones would be exuding confidence regarding his job security. Yet, the 24-year-old had nearly as many struggles as bright spots in New England’s 22-17 victory over the New York Jets last Sunday. Jones completed 24 of 35 passes for 194 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the complete game effort. While some of his difficulties can rightfully be attributed to questionable decision-making, the Alabama product found himself under constant pressure due to a subpar effort from New England’s offensive line.
As Jones and the Pats prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, they must devise a plan to neutralize a preventive unit which is capable of generating enough pressure on Jones with four-man rushes. The Colts rank sixth in Football Outsiders' rush defense DVOA, and 12th in pressure rate.
Still, Indianapolis is also among the NFL’s least-effective teams in blitz percentage. In order to counteract some of Jones’ troubles with strategic blitzes from the second and third levels of the defense, the Pats would be smart to curtail the vertical game in favor of perimeter runs and quick passes out of play action.
In other words, Belichick and Jones may want to take a page from the ‘Book of Brady’ as a key point of reference for this week’s game.
Should they do so, New England may find themselves in position to earn their second win in as many games. A victory would move the Pats to 5-4 heading into their Week 10 bye, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the process. It would also move Belichick one step closer to the all-time coaching-wins record of 347 held by legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula. Belichick earned his 325th head-coaching win in last Sunday’s 22-17 triumph over the New York Jets.
How fitting would it be for a “Brady-esque” effort from Jones to aid Belichick in his efforts to catch Shula?
Fitting … and ironic, considering Brady’s comments regarding his ex-Coach’s milestone from earlier this week.
"It’s a remarkable achievement by him [Belichick] and what he's gone through in his coaching career in as many years as he's been coaching and preparing his teams,” Brady told Jim Gray on his ‘Let’s Go’ podcast.
For those wondering whether Brady holds the same mutual aforementioned affinity for Belichick, the 45-year-old quarterback expressed effusive praise for his former head coach of two decades.
"He's going to go down as the greatest coach of all time,” Brady added. "He's put a lot into it and he's taught a lot of people the game of football in a very detailed way. He believes in the fundamentals. He believes in techniques. He believes in preparation, hard work, discipline, toughness, all the things that are sustainable over time. They're all great lessons to learn in life, too. He's an amazing coach, and again, I was very lucky to play for him all those years."
Despite the new era in New England, the principles of the ‘Patriot Way’ remain the same. While the pairing of Jones and Belichick will never reach the heights of his connection with Brady, the Pats head coach clearly sees a similar, undying will to win in his current quarterback. Though Belichick’s compliment was not meant to place Jones in an unfair category, it also was likely no accident.
Instead, it is his way of utilizing the successes of the past to cultivate a lesson for the present and future.
Jones must now prove himself apt to continue the Patriots tradition of ‘recognizing the situation’ to get the win.
Perhaps … the more things change in New England, the more they stay the same.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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