Patriots Bill Belichick Earns Milestone; Can He Catch Don Shula For Most Wins?
FOXBORO — New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was in good spirits as he made his way to the podium in the aftermath of his team’s 38-15 victory over the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday,
For the second straight week, New England’s talented young core has blended with its veteran leadership to put together a strong showing on both sides of the ball. In the process, they have evened their record at 3-3 heading into Week 7.
“Good team win for us here on the road,” Belichick said with a smile. “We got a lot of contributions from everybody – offense, defense, special teams. We played some complimentary football. We were able to make plays on defense or in the kicking game and then converted those on offense. It was good. The players really competed hard.”
While Belichick was understandably pleased with the win from a team perspective, the 70-year-old coach had a selfish reason to smile, as well.
In addition to gaining the victory over his former team (Belichick coached the Browns from 1991-1995), the “HC of the NEP” logged his 324th combined regular season and playoff win. As such, he moved into second place all-time, tying legendary Chicago Bears head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer George Halas.
Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins holds the record at 347. Only 24 wins shy of passing him, can Belichick stick around another, say, two seasons after 2022 to finish as No. 1?
Though 37 of his wins came as Cleveland’s head coach, Belichick has earned 287 (including six Super Bowl victories) while standing at the helm of the Patriots organization; navigating a two-plus decade run of success, the likes of which may never be seen again.
Still, Belichick is never one to indulge in validating the accolades which rightfully surround such an accomplishment. Instead, he gives the credit to his players.
“You can’t win games in this league without good players,” Belichick said when asked about tying the legendary Halas in coaching victories. “I’m very fortunate to have coached a lot of great players and have had a lot of great coaches on my staff through the years. A lot of those guys have gone on to have tremendous careers and players obviously – many of them are Patriots Hall of Fame or NFL Hall of Fame, or are going to be. Winning games in this league is about having good players and I’m very fortunate to have a lot of them. I had them in New York. I had them in Cleveland. I have them here.”
While Belichick may not be comfortable in embracing his praise, the players for which he is most grateful were effusive in their praise for their head coach.
“That is just a lot of hard work, a lot of hours, a lot of execution and a lot of attention to detail that he bestows on his players,” Matthew Judon said postgame. “We just go out there and execute. For him to tie that record and hopefully overcome it, that is really really nice.”
Patriots team captain Matthew Slater has seen his share of Belichick’s victories during his 14-plus seasons in New England. In keeping with his coach’s philosophy, Slater advised that Belichick was reticent to discuss his feat, knowing that there is still a win to be had before he takes sole possession of second place on the prestigious list.
“We did not talk about it because he tied. Hopefully we get a chance to celebrate him winning second place by himself sooner than later,” Slater said. “Unbelievable what he has done. I think that it is only fitting that we are here in Cleveland, the city that ran him out. He is proving all these years later that he is the best.”
In a true testament to the impact he continues to have on his players, ex-Patriot Julian Edelman took to Twitter to show his appreciation for the man who helped guide him to three Super Bowl championships.
Ultimately, Belichick’s prowess as an NFL head coach requires no embellishment. His enshrinement in Canton became a mere formality long ago. Whether he is praised as a ‘defensive genius’ or playfully mocked as a ‘diabolical manipulator,’ Belichick has succeeded beacuse he never looks past his immediate goal.
Belichick will have a chance to meet that goal while moving into sole possession of second place next Monday night at Gillette Stadium. Ironically, the Patriots will be hosting Halas’ former team, the Chicago Bears. Should the Pats earn the win, Belichick will need 23 more to break the record of 347, currently held by Don Shula.
Despite Belichick being keenly aware of the individual accomplishment which awaits him, he will be singularly focused on the 53 players in his locker room, and earning a team victory in Week 7.
Simply put, it is why he has succeeded so mightily, while others around him have not.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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