Patriots Bill Belichick disrespected by latest head coach rankings
Before every new NFL season, writers across the country decide to make a new rankings list from who the current best head coach is down to determining who they feel is the best quarterback in the league.
We're now at that point in the offseason where head coaches are being evaluated and ranked based on their experience through the 2022 season. The latest list from CBS Sports seems to disrespect the legendary career of Bill Belichick.
Although you could argue that his placement as third-best head coach in the league is fair, especially since most of Cody Benjamin's reasons make sense, it's more about the coaches he chose to put ahead of him; Kyle Shanahan at number two and Andy Reid at number one.
"All-time great? Obviously. Still-respected defensive strategist? No doubt. But for all his stringent and resilient qualities, Belichick has to be held responsible for the 25-26 mark (including playoffs) since Tom Brady's exit. His curious staffing and personnel choices hurt the Patriots; offensive growth in 2022, and he's still betting on a control-the-clock approach with an unproven QB. The reason he's still this high? To this day, no opponent comes to New England expecting anything less than a Grade-A challenge."
When discussing Shanahan's placement on the list, Benjamin describes the 49ers' recent success in the postseason, even with a third-string backup at the helm.
That's hard to argue with, as Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant from the 2022 draft and thrown into being the starting quarterback under stressful circumstances. But given how dysfunctional their team appears to be at the moment, with so much uncertainty surrounding who will be the quarterback come September, paired with Shanahan's regular season record of 52-46, is he really that much better coming into the 2023 season than Belichick?
Regarding Andy Reid's placement at number one, attempting to even argue against him being ranked there is a losing battle.
From his two Super Bowl wins in the last five years to creating one of the most dominating rosters in recent memory, there's no denying that Reid is a talented head coach.
The bigger debate concerns Benjamin's description of Reid and quarterback Mahomes, proclaiming them "the modern-day equivalent of what Belichick and Brady were for the Patriots, except with much more explosive creativity."
We get it. Everyone outside New England wants to crown a new GOAT because they're tired of hearing about the Patriots' dynasty under Belichick and Brady. But the idea that Reid and Mahomes have already equaled what they did together or surpassed that is incomprehensible.
The constant disrespect for Belichick and the Patriots is tiresome. It's not worth arguing about anymore, that's for sure. And it's apparent why there is a desire to name a new quarterback and head coach the GOAT, as it's been this way for many years.
Could Mahomes and Reid become a legendary pairing by the end of their careers together? It's certainly possible. However, comparing them to a head coach and quarterback who went to nine Super Bowls together, winning six of them, with both breaking dozens of records in the process, is a bit premature.
Even with that all in mind, when will the media and fans appreciate the greatness they can witness when watching Belichick's coaching or Brady playing quarterback? It's rare to see a pairing like that maintain dominance in a sports league for such a long period of time.
It'll likely never happen, unfortunately, even though it should.