3 times Bill Belichick proved he did not need Tom Brady to be a winning coach
Bill Belichick is one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history. He is the all-time leader with 31 postseason wins and six Super Bowl rings, while also ranking third in total career wins with 321, trailing only Don Shula and George Halas.
Belichick will almost definitely surpass Halas this season, trailing him by only three wins, and is currently just 26 wins behind Shula.
Some may argue that Belichick's legendary run with the New England Patriots is mostly because Tom Brady was his starting quarterback for 20 years.
While it certainly helped Bill Belichick, and the two likely accomplished much more together than they would have apart, it wasn't the only reason. Belichick was clearly capable of winning without Brady, and here are three times he proved it.
#1 - Tom Brady missed almost the entire 2008 NFL season
Tom Brady was named the MVP of the 2007 NFL season after leading the league in yards and touchdowns while helping the New England Patriots to an undefeated regular season.
The Patriots were projected to be dominant once again during the 2008 NFL season, until Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in the very first game of the year.
June 28, 2005
Matt Cassell, 7th Rd pick and 230th player chosen is signed to a contract by the New England Patriots
Cassell replaced an injured Tom Brady in 2008 going (10-5)
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Matt Cassel was forced to take over as the starter for the rest of the year, despite never starting a game to that point in his career. The Patriots still managed to finish the season with an impressive 11-5 record.
Cassel recorded just a 26-41 record as a starting quarterback for the remainder of his career, so most of the credit for the 2008 NFL season should go to Bill Belichick.
#2 - New England Patriots' hot start to the 2016 NFL season despite Tom Brady being suspended
Tom Brady received a suspension for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season for his involvement in the infamous Deflategate scandal. Jimmy Garoppolo would step in to be a starter for the first time, but after winning his first game, he was injured during the second game of the season.
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Rookie Jacoby Brissett was forced to take over as the starter, completing the win in game two and also winning game three for the Patriots.
Despite falling to their third-string quarterback, the Patriots still opened the season with a 3-0 record. Garoppolo and Brissett combined to throw just one total touchdown pass during that three-game stretch, but Bill Belichick found a way to help the Patriots overcome it.
#3 - Bill Belichick's defensive masterclass in Super Bowl LIII
The Los Angeles Rams featured one of the best offenses during the 2018 NFL season. They finished the year ranked second in total yards and total points while also ranking third in rushing yards.
None of that mattered during Super Bowl LIII at the end of the year, when Bill Belichick designed a specific defensive game plan to completely shut the Rams offense down.
The Patriots held the high-powered Rams to just three total points and 62 rushing yards. They did so by executing a defensive gameplan they hadn't used all year, including a six-man front on first and second downs.
They also had a completely unique coverage scheme, including using Jonathan Jones as a safety for the first time in his career. It was one of Bill Belichick's most brilliant performances and the Patriots needed it, as they scored just 13 points and Brady was held without a touchdown.