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Bill Belichick’s Bounce Back is Critical for 2016 Patriots

By James Caughlin

Nov 23, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks on against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks on against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is due for a great season in 2016.

To any rational football mind, Bill Belichick will go down as the best head coach of his generation and one of the greatest, all time. Despite his litany of successes on the sideline, 2015 was a down year for him personally with several questionable coaching decisions not working out the way they should have. Of course in the big picture those decisions could not have been too harmful, with the Patriots making their fifth straight AFC Championship Game appearance. However, if they are to return to the Super Bowl, Belichick making the right decisions on the sideline will play a big role in whether or not they can make it.

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Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Some of the decisions last year may not have been entirely his to make, but as the head coach, he has final say on what happens on the field. Whether it was asking Tom Brady to continue to passing with a comfortable lead and taking unnecessary hits, or sending a rookie out to field a punt in snowy conditions, there were a number of calls that seem odd in 20-20 hindsight. The three most egregious ones were the mortar kick in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles, choosing to kickoff against the New York Jets in Week 16 or the indecisiveness of Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins. Those decisions put them on the road for the AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos where they were thoroughly outplayed by an unstoppable Broncos defensive front.

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For every down year Belichick has had with the Patriots (and there are a few), he has had multiple seasons where he has been the most valuable member of the team. Perhaps his best coaching effort came in 2008 when Tom Brady was lost for the year and Belichick was able to rally the roster and fight to 11 wins, only missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker. With Brady missing for the first four games, Belichick is the key to the team getting off to a good start. If he, in conjunction with Josh McDaniels and the offensive staff can craft four game plans suited to the skill set of Jimmy Garoppolo, the Patriots will be in a great position when Brady returns to the team in week five.

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    • The key to their September success will be how he prepares Garoppolo in between weeks two and three as they face the Texans on Thursday Night Football. With just three days to prepare for a talented defense (that admittedly may be missing their best player in JJ Watt) it is important for Belichick to not overload his young signal caller. Put too much on his plate on a short week and he may find himself overwhelmed by the Texans defense but if things are oversimplified then it may be too easy to stop. If history is anything to go by, having essentially had two off seasons to prepare for the possibility of starting Garoppolo means there should be something special in store during the first month of the season.

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    It would be hyperbole to say that 2016 is the biggest challenge of Bill Belichick’s coaching career, because it definitely is not, but after a sub par by his standards 2015, it is very important he can return to form this season. Based on his very impressive resume, it is fair to assume he will not be repeating those same errors again.

    Next: 10 Most Exciting Sophomore Pros on Pats Roster

    What do you think? Will Bill Belichick bounce back in 2016?

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