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Belichick way proven to breed wins, success

The Associated Press

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks on as his team stretches before practice at the Oval Cricket Ground in London

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 25, 2009

TAMPA - In case you had any doubts, it's always been Belichick.

People wondered how New England coach Bill Belichick would survive when coordinators Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis departed after the 2004 season.

So Belichick went out and won 49 of 64 games in the next four seasons without them.

Some people said it was quarterback Tom Brady who was the key, so Brady went down with torn knee ligaments in Game 1 of the 2008 season and the Patriots finished 11-5 with neophyte Matt Cassel under center.

When personnel guru Scott Pioli joined the Chiefs in January, observers wondered what Belichick would do without his confidante.

So New England seized the top spot in the AFC East at 4-2 heading into today's matchup against the reeling Bucs at London's Wembley Stadium.

"It starts with our ownership and they hired probably the best coach in the history of the NFL," Brady said in a conference call this week. "He has controlled the personnel and he brings in the players he wants, players that fit in."

And if they don't fit in, they're gone.

Just ask Joey Galloway, the former Tampa Bay receiver who was just jettisoned by Belichick.

Your reputation may precede you to New England, but it doesn't define you.

Have you heard a peep from Randy Moss since he became a Patriot?

Corey Dillon was labeled as a whiner in Cincinnati, but the veteran running back kept his mouth shut and his legs churning for 1,635 yards as he helped the 2004 Patriots to their third Super Bowl win in a four-year span.

After 20 years as an NFL assistant and 15 years as a head coach, Belichick sits atop his profession like few others before him.

Only George Halas and Don Shula top his .630 winning percentage among the 17 coaches with at least 150 victories.

Belichick's 15-4 mark in the postseason trails only Vince Lombardi's 9-1 record. And for a span that covered 2003-08, the Patriots went 82-18, the best 100-game stretch for any franchise in NFL annals.

"He's learned from his mistakes, he's corrected them and now everybody is trying to figure out how to beat him," said Belichick's counterpart today, Bucs coach Raheem Morris. "Nobody knows Coach Belichick, but his reputation is he's highly respected and he's a winner."

Belichick doesn't stand on the sidelines in that conspicuous hoodie to win Mr. Congeniality awards. That's wise because the 57-year-old curmudgeon isn't particularly well-liked by his peers.

Feared, yes. Endearing, no.

Well before the SpyGate saga unfolded in Foxborough, Mass., Belichick was considered an iconoclast who pushed the NFL envelope.

He treats the league's weekly injury report with disdain, listing everyone but the team dentist. His postgame encounters with opposing head coaches at midfield are analyzed in slow motion to detect the slightest signs of disrespect.

Through it all, Belichick keeps winning, doing it his way.

Offensive line coach Pete Mangurian joined the Bucs this season after four years on Belichick's staff. Talking about his former boss, Mangurian still marvels about Belichick's knack for ordering up in-game adjustments.

"There's a Belichick way," said Morris. "They find something you can't do and exploit it."

One week after New England hung 59 points on the Titans, the NFL's most dangerous predator hunts down another winless foe today - the Bucs.

The Belichick way includes being straight with his players.

"I trust Bill," said 40-year-old linebacker Junior Seau, who re-signed with the Patriots two weeks ago. "Because I trust Bill, I'm here today."

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