The Patriots won the Super Bowl? On a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired?
Come on.
These were the same Patriots who walked around Smithfield, R.I., during training camp wearing T-shirts that read, ‘’Wanted: Winners.’’ The shirts were made because the team needed to be convinced that it could win, at least, eight games.
A Bill - not Parcells - coached the Patriots to a Super Bowl win? By completely ripping up his St. Louis game plan from Nov. 18 and adding something else?
Come on.
This is the same coach who once stood inside old Cleveland Stadium listening to fans pound on his door yelling, ‘’Bill must go.’’ His team wasn’t very good at the time, and the fans swore he would never be a successful head coach.
And don’t forget November. Belichick was questioned again, asked why he wanted to go with 24-year-old Tom Brady over 29-year-old Drew Bledsoe. He made the decision, stood by it, and watched Brady lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl win.
Really, who is writing this? Is this New Orleans or New Line Cinema?
But there they were last night, dozens of admirers by Belichick’s door. They weren’t pounding this time. They were tapping and speaking softly. A few of them had tears in their eyes. A few of them were able to sneak in and have a few words with the coach who was more than worth a first-round draft pick.
’’Team defense, team defense, team defense,’’ he said as he sat in the office. He was trying to explain how the Patriots were able to hold the Rams to 3 points through three quarters.
Belichick was understating. It was team defense in the sense that he used nearly his entire roster to shut down Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk. In the first meeting, Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel placed a linebacker on Faulk.
’’That didn’t work out for us,’’ Crennel said with a laugh last night.
In the Super Bowl, they decided to shadow Faulk with a defensive back in pass coverage. If teams say that Faulk is as good a receiver as a back, why not treat him like one and put a corner or safety on him?
