HARD TO WATCH
Jets’ Marshall calls the Patriots easy win over the Texans ‘disgusting’
Joe Thomas was a stubborn, cheap old man, who made one of the dumbest decisions in NFL history. It has been 40 years since the former Baltimore Colts general manager let a bright young football mind walk out the door over a matter of $4,000 and a car.
Bill Belichick’s first job out of college breaking down opponent’s film for the Colts earned him a grand total of $50 per week. (He was making $25 before a midseason performance raise). When he wasn’t waking up at a nearby Howard Johnson’s, he was waking up on his desk somewhere in a stadium corridor.
The Colts won 10 games and made the playoffs in 1975 thanks, in part, to their 23-year-old special assistant with a maniacal work ethic and special ability to dissect opponents’ weaknesses. Belichick started watching film long before he could shave.
After the season, the Lions offered Belichick $10,000 and a car for his services. Belichick was willing to take much less to stay with Baltimore: $4,000 and a car. Head coach Ted Marchibroda wanted him, needed him, and practically pleaded with Thomas to keep him. The head coach and GM argued for an hour. The head coach lost.
Thomas became the Lord of the Idiots… until a new contender emerged Thursday night: Me. I foolishly doubted Belichick’s genius, which turned out to be one of my more dubious decisions in the wake of the Patriots’ 27-0 beat down of the Texans. On Monday, I opined: The fine folks that make up Patriot Nation will now convince themselves that osmosis will help rookie Jacoby Brissett win the next two games against the Texans and Bills before Brady returns from exile. Spoiler alert: He won’t . ... Belichick is brilliant, but let’s be realistic. He’s not going to climb this mountain.
That was one giant swing and a miss. I was wrong like pre-Socratic philosophers, who thought the world was flat. I was wrong like the Chicago Daily Tribune headline writer, who prematurely buried Truman in ’48. I was wrong like Lex Luthor, who thought he could destroy Superman three or four hundred times.
Belichick’s four Super Bowl rings and six Super Bowl appearances have cemented his legacy and place in Canton, but Thursday night was especially impressive. The man is ornery, grumpy, sometimes disrespectful to his fellow man, but he is a ridiculously incredible football coach.
“Bill’s game plan each week is the best game plan,” Patriots defensive back Duron Harmon said. “He continues to amaze you with the things that come up in his mind.”
While much of the NFL searches far and wide for a franchise quarterback, Belichick keeps winning with seemingly any quarterback. He won a professional football game with a third-string, third-round rookie QB with three days to prepare, for Pete’s sake.
Jacoby Brissett (11-19, 103 yards, 1 TD run) didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his debut, but he became the sixth quarterback to win his first NFL start under Belichick’s stewardship. Todd Philcox, Eric Zeier, Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brissett are forever linked by Belichick. None of the four Patriots signal callers threw an interception in his debut. I know, sickening.
“In my opinion he’s the greatest coach to ever coach this game,” running back LeGarrette Blount said. “So anything he says I’m going to do.”
The results are laughably great. How the heck did Belichick pull this one off?
The Patriots forced three turnovers, including two on special teams, to remain undefeated (3-0). When Garoppolo went down with a shoulder injury last weekend, I predicted that the Jets would be in sole possession of first place in the AFC East by the time Brady returned from his fourgame Deflategate suspension.
Patriot Nation rightfully let me have it on social media. A sampling of the hate: You are a supreme fool. Obviously you’ve never seen the genius in action. Hahahahahahaha Tom Brady is your God. Revoke this man’s @verified check. Did you cry last night? It was well-deserved. Belichick tied Curly Lambeau for fourth place on the all-time regular-season wins list. His 226th won’t soon be forgotten.
“It’s all about the players,” Belichick said in typical Belichick fashion. “We gave them a lot of new things. We ran some plays that we haven’t run all year . ... Again, they’re a smart group. They’re an astute group.”
The Patriots and Jets, however could still be tied for first place when Brady returns. The Jets would have to beat the Chiefs and Seahawks. The Patriots would have to lose to the Bills next week. Anything is possi---. Ah, never mind. (Editor’s Note: The above mea culpa will be rescinded if A) illegal video footage from Texans practice surfaces at a later date or B) air pressure levels of game-used balls don’t meet league standards. … Otherwise, sorry, Bill. I won’t doubt you again.)