When Bill Belichick “collapsed” with the Patriots, we all wondered how the operations, personnel and team would be different. It’s still early days, but it’s clear there’s a big difference between Belichick and the New Patriots Order (NPO – does it work?). They appreciate the importance of the quarterback position.
Remember this quote from Ian O’Connor’s 2018 book Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Coach of All Time about Tom Brady and how important he was to the dynasty? Not? An assistant coach told O’Connor, “[If] they give us one of the top 15 [NFL quarterbacks], we can do it. I don’t think the coaches look at Tom like others.
Football. Special. [Owner Robert Kraft] thinks Tom is the biggest gift, but the coach doesn’t.Ah, it’s as good as good milk. I would like to know who that assistant coach is. Given that comment, the sporadic treatment of Brady, the lack of planning after Brady, and his relationship with Mack Jones,
Belichick didn’t think the QB position would or should make that much of a difference. Like most of us, they look different than others. The new regime is clearly more focused on supporting QB1 than the Bills. Ben McAdoo is highly regarded for his quarterback work and ability to evaluate the position. He changed Eli Manning’s twilight years.
He hit the table, forcing the Giants to call Patrick Mahomes. Want more details? Our brave leader Bedard wrote about it this week. You can see it here. Plus, Alex Van Pelt played in the NFL. He has over 10 years of quarterback coaching experience on his resume. Like McAdoo, Van Pelt has shown he can work with and adapt to different types of QBs throughout the season. AVP was praised as a great coach and many flowers were thrown at him by former students.
Both McAdoo and Van Pelt are disciples of West Coast crime. The West Coast offense is known to be very QB friendly. It’s easier to read. There isn’t much line of scrimmage on the boards. The terminology won’t melt your brain. Everything has been simplified. The focus on the QB position doesn’t end there.
Eliot Wolff and Jerod Mayo decided to hire someone to coach the quarterbacks rather than an offensive coordinator. T. S. McCartney spends time in the QB room. Since 2012, the Patriots have had just one QB season, Jedd Fish, in 2020.
