What does this mean for their football-lifer coach? He knows and we know that it was easy last year. The Patriots were at the top of their game. They were so much better than every other team. They had their way for 16 weeks, and again through the January playoff season. Was it maybe too easy? Did it stop being fun? Did the satisfaction ever fade?
Is this actually more enjoyable? Doing it the hard way?
We'll never know. The man with the headset is not given to public introspection. He's never going to tell us what he's really thinking. But those of us in the business of armchair sports psychology can't help but wonder if this is not just a little bit more of a challenge for Bill Belichick and his able staff. Is there not more satisfaction in winning with the handicap of no Tom Brady and a depleted backfield on both sides of the ball? Are we, in fact, witnessing Belichick's greatest demonstration of coaching in this minefield of the 2008 NFL season?
Bill won't bite, of course. And why should he? Nobody likes a smarty pants. Better to remain obtuse.
What's that you say? We're winning without Tom Brady? We don't have Rodney Harrison, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, or a D-back with any height or experience and we're still in first place? I hadn't noticed.
OK, that's not what he really said. This is what he really said:
"We don't even think about it. So, we have had guys get hurt before. That is part of football. Every team has injuries and every team has to deal with something. We just look at each game and try to figure out the best way we can be competitive with the team we are playing. I know this is hard for you to believe, but we don't ever sit there and say, 'If we had Jim Brown, then we could run this play; if we had Tom Brady, we could run that play; and if we had Willie McGinest, we could run another play.' We never sit there and say that. We just say, 'OK, here is what they are doing and what we are going to do.' You take your options and try to pick out the best ones."
Patriot players, trained in Bill-speak, echoed the sounds of the leader.
"Guys buy into the system," said veteran linebacker Larry Izzo.
