Meeting of the masterminds
Titans’ LeBeau, Patriots’ Belichick prep for rare postseason clash
NASHVILLE — Dick LeBeau versus Bill Belichick.
For NFL fans, it doesn’t get much better than the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator, a veteran assistant with decades of experience, in a proverbial chess match with New England’s head coach, who has five Super Bowl titles and two more appearances in the big game with the Patriots.
They’ll be on opposite sidelines Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass., as the top-seeded Patriots host the upstart Titans in the AFC’s divisional round with a spot in the conference title game up for grabs. Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard believes the rare matchup between LeBeau and Belichick could be a showdown for the ages.
“Oh man, it’s going to be a battle of the masterminds,” Woodyard said. “Two Hall of Fame coaches — I’m sure Belichick will be there hands down. Coach LeBeau’s seen a lot, coached a lot of playoff games, so we’re relying heavily on his experience and to go out there and play hard, man. That’s all we can do for our coach.”
Well, the 80-year-old LeBeau is only in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his 14-season career as a cornerback, though he certainly qualifies for consideration for designing the zone blitz on defense. LeBeau also has an NFL-record 45 consecutive seasons as a coach, putting him ahead of only one man — Belichick, with 43 — in that category.
The two will be instrumental in determining the outcome Saturday, and Belichick made it very clear coaching against LeBeau is not something he enjoys.
“I wouldn’t use that word, no,” Belichick, 65, said. “It’s very challenging. Coach LeBeau is a great coach, he does a tremendous job, has for his entire illustrious career as a player and as a coach. Really revolutionized the game, and his system has certainly withstood the test of time.”
Belichick ticked off how LeBeau’s Titans have led the NFL in rushing defense the past two seasons and led the league this season by allowing the fewest big plays (gains of 20 or more yards). Belichick said the foundation of LeBeau’s defense remains the same over the years, modified for the players he has and the teams he’s facing.
Belichick also made it clear he has great respect for LeBeau, whom he considers a good friend.
“He’s such a great person, very humble guy that accomplished so much, but he’s very modest about it,” Belichick said. “I learn an awful lot from watching him, watching his defenses and watching the way that he does things. Techniques and adjustments and schematics and so forth. He’s one of the great coaches to ever walk the sidelines in this league.”
Told Belichick said he learned a lot from him, LeBeau said he was humbled.
“Not very many coaches have the record Coach Belichick’s gotten; in fact he’s probably closing in on the best ever,” LeBeau said Wednesday. “That’s quite a compliment.”
The two have coached against each other in the playoffs only once before with Belichick overseeing the Patriots. LeBeau and the Pittsburgh Steelers secured home-field advantage for the playoffs in the 2004 season by beating the Patriots 34-20 on Oct. 31, then Belichick and New England won the AFC championship in the postseason by beating the Steelers 41-27.
“It’ll be interesting to see how it comes out,” said LeBeau, who explained that preparing for a Belichick-coached team means understanding the opposing players won’t beat themselves.
Add in Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, and it makes the Patriots a formidable opponent every time, LeBeau said.
The Titans trust LeBeau will put them where they need to be. Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan said that’s what LeBeau did in the second half of Tennessee’s wild-card upset of the Chiefs, 22-21 last Saturday in Kansas City. The Titans allowed only 61 yards of total offense and no points in the final 30 minutes.
“He has all the experience in the world, probably been to 50 playoff games, give or take,” Morgan said. “We have a lot of confidence in him that he’s going to put us in the right positions.”
After kickoff, LeBeau said both coaches will be focused only on what’s happening on the field.
“Once we walk on that field,” LeBeau said, “we won’t know who the hell’s on the other side of the field, to be honest with you.”
Everyone else will know.