Bill Belichick deserves top honor

[amfootball]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/10224300/bill-belichick-win-coach-year

 

First of all, Ashley Fox has a vote for COY? Why?

 

Second, I like her article and think Bill is a worthy candidate but I think Rivera wins as he had the bigger turn around from last year. And he also has Newton playing his best ball.

[bluebambi]

The pats fourm is two doors Dow on the right . No one here cares about the patriots and BC . Quit trolling us every post you make somehow always points out how a) the colts suck b) patriots rule and c) Ermg Tom Brady .

[Blue Horseshoe]

I think this is one of Belichick's best seasons.  

I'd probably rank the coach performances like this:

1) Belichick

2) Arians

3) Reid

4) Kelly

5) Rivera

Any of these guys truly deserves the award but I think Belichick had to overcome far more adversity.

[Cynjin]

The pats fourm is two doors Dow on the right . No one here cares about the patriots and BC . Quit trolling us every post you make somehow always points out how a) the colts suck b) patriots rule and c) Ermg Tom Brady .

 

Not that amfootball needs me to defend him, but he did post in the correct forum.  If you do not like what he posts then don't respond.

[braveheartcolt]

He faced no more adversity than we did, and won one additional game. Plus, factor in the self inflicted wounds.....he's had a normal season. He's also considered one of the greatest coaches of his era, so no thanks from me....

[BOTT]

I talked to a guy at the bar last night and he thought Chip Kelly should win. True story

[The Fish]

Is there a season that goes by, despite who actually wins the SB, where Pat's fan doesn't think Brady and BB are the best at all things football? 

 

There are a few guys who are deserving of consideration, including BB, Pagano, Arians

[seeblu]

IMO, Arians did a heck of a coaching job.

[21isSuperman]

I'm a HUGE Belichick fan.  I'm certainly glad I'm not voting for coach of the year because it's very difficult to pick.

Arians - Has done a really good job, but the team went 2-4 in division games

 

Kelly - On and off year.  The team started on fire, but their defense wasn't anything great.  Some say he got lucky with Foles.  10 wins in a terrible NFC East, 4-2 in division games, and putting up 3 and 7 points against the horrible defenses of Cowboys and Giants respectively in back to back weeks is nothing to write home about

 

Reid - Really turned that team around, but they had a ton of talent there anyway.  If they didn't have Matt Cassel previously and instead had an actual starting QB, they wouldn't have been in such bad shape.  I like the coach, but he inherited a loaded roster

 

Carroll - I don't like him.  He's done a really good job in Seattle, but their players keep getting suspended for violating league rules.

 

Rivera - Definitely deserves consideration.  He has adopted a more aggressive mindset.  I've always liked him as a coach and thought he would do well as a head coach; I was beginning to think I was wrong given how the team was performing.  However, that team went from drafting in the top 10 to winning the division.  At the beginning of the year, people were saying the Panthers weren't going anywhere with him and Cam Newton.  I like his defenses and I would love him as a defensive coordinator, but that's another story.  He's proved everyone wrong, has one of the best defenses in the league, and has Cam Newton playing very well.

 

Belichick - With losses due to questionable penalties/non-calls against the Jets and Panthers, this team could be 14-2.  They came back from a huge deficit against the Broncos and they've won all year with pass catchers going through a revolving door, and injuries all over the place on defense.

 

To me, it comes down to Rivera or Belichick.

[No 1 Manning Fan]

Andy Reid is the Coach of the Year IMO. I know that they had an easy schedule due to their 2-14 season, but they had a massive turn around and they were competitive in most if their losses. An I think everyone here would agree that they would have had one more own had they not rolled over for the Chargers.

[WastedColt]

Belichick hasn't faced any more adversity than Pagano. Both teams got ripped by injuries and still posted great records. I would have to give COY to Arians personally. He was just short of making the playoffs in a very difficult division. The Cardinals were actually relevant this year, doesn't happen very often

[Andy]

At the beginning, Reid was the clear favorite. Now I don't think he wins it. I think it'll come down to 3 coaches:

 

Belichick 

Rivera

Arians

 

Kelly's done a nice job with his team, but the impact that those 3 had on their teams is greater than Kelly's in my opinion.

 

Belichick has done a masterful job with almost nothing on his team, but the fact that he has Tom Brady will hurt his chances a bit.

Arians took a 5-11 team and turned them into a 10-6 team that SHOULD have been in the playoffs. That team was outstanding.

 

And then there's Ron Rivera, my pick for coach of the year. The guy goes in there with a great reputation, takes over a 2-14 team, gets Cam Newton, goes 6-10, then 7-9 with the defense improving and then everything coming together this season with a top 4 defense and an explosive offense.

 

Rivera had a top 5 defense in San Diego too, and had a huge impact on that team then. Many people don't see Rivera as a good coach because of the first couple of years in Carolina, but this guy is a great coach, that schemes things as well as anyone and has completely turned around this franchise.

 

I pick him.

[amfootball]

Is there a season that goes by, despite who actually wins the SB, where Pat's fan doesn't think Brady and BB are the best at all things football? 

 

There are a few guys who are deserving of consideration, including BB, Pagano, Arians

Maybe you missed where I said that Rivera should get it over Bill. Hard not to give credit to BB whether you are a Pats fan or not for this season but I think Rivera is more deserving. And Manning should get 100 percent of the MVP votes.

[-JJ-]

This isn't total criteria for COY but what has amazed me being a strategy type person is Belichick's strategy to adjust the team's faults (mostly injuries). In a way NE does have talent or they couldn't be 12-4. (4 road losses no more than by a TD). The talent isn't superstar (what little they had is on IR) but it's the quality players within the 53+ man roster. 2nd,3rd,4th stringers.    

 

The team's character turned into a scrappy fight to win type. Clearly they needed a Brady type at the helm but it's pretty marvelous overall- from the standpoint of strategy.

 

Bill's plug and play 53 football players just went to a new level.

 

Btw that is a fact what Bill dreamed and wanted during all these years.

[BOTT]

Belichick hasn't faced any more adversity than Pagano. Both teams got ripped by injuries and still posted great records. I would have to give COY to Arians personally. He was just short of making the playoffs in a very difficult division. The Cardinals were actually relevant this year, doesn't happen very often

Patriots are the only team that has suffered significant injuries, haven't you heard?

[IcEWoLF]

Belichick hasn't faced any more adversity than Pagano. Both teams got ripped by injuries and still posted great records. I would have to give COY to Arians personally. He was just short of making the playoffs in a very difficult division. The Cardinals were actually relevant this year, doesn't happen very often

The Colts injury was mainly Reggie Wayne...

Lets take a look at the Patriots:

Rob Gronkowski - Best TE in the league, injured the first several weeks and now out for the season.

Vince Wilfork - One of the best run stoppers, also a pro bowler.

Jerod Mayo - One of the league top tacklers, pro bowl player too.

The above are top 5 in the league at their own positions.

[Jules]

I think I like Rivera right now overall to get it. Don't forget the Panthers started 0-2 and then 1-3 and somehow managed to not only beat the favored Saints with Brees for the division but also get the second seed.

[WastedColt]

The Colts injury was mainly Reggie Wayne...

Lets take a look at the Patriots:

Rob Gronkowski - Best TE in the league, injured the first several weeks and now out for the season.

Vince Wilfork - One of the best run stoppers, also a pro bowler.

Jerod Mayo - One of the league top tacklers, pro bowl player too.

The above are top 5 in the league at their own positions.

Only Reggie? Are you Serious?

 

Dwayne Allen, our best TE

Donald Thomas, our best Guard

Ahmad Bradshaw + Vick Ballard, our 2 best running backs before the emergence of Brown

Reggie Wayne, by far our best receiver

A few others as well, not as significant...

 

The Colts would be nearly unstoppable without these injuries. Wilfork and Mayo are huge losses, but I think the Colts can just about match with ours...

[JerodMayo51]

Dwayne Allen, our best TE

 

 

Coby Fleener is your best TE for 1, and Gronkowski is the best at the position in the entire league.. those aren't even close.

 

Also I'd include Aaron Hernandez in this argument, even though it wasn;t injury related, it was an unexpected loss of a high level talent and someone they gave a huge contract to in the offseason salary cap wise.

 

Donald Thomas, our best Guard

 

 

Always tough losing starting lineman.. The Patriots would know, we lost Sebastion Vollmer who is an All-Pro RT and a player they gave a huge contract to as a free agent in the off season.  Solder was out with concussions and we had to kick Logan Mankins out to Left Tackle and replace him at LG with another rookie.  

 

Ahmad Bradshaw + Vick Ballard, our 2 best running backs before the emergence of Brown

 

 

Donald Brown was good last year and was a 1st round pick.  Hardly a lack of talent at the RB position, you lost your backup RBs but you still have Trent Richardson and Brown.  

 

Bradshaw and Ballard are like Tier 3 or 4 type players

 

Reggie Wayne, by far our best receiver

 

 

Yea that definitely hurt the Colts, Wayne is a hall of fame level talent and a leader.  Pats lost Welker in the offseason and got Amendola in FA instead, but Amendola wasn't healthy until the 2nd half of the season.  Wayne certainly carries more weight as a loss, i hope he heals up and is back strong next season, Im a big Wayne fan.. he is a special talent.

 

With the Patriots at Wide Receiver its been less about injuries and more about having lots of rookies or guys who are new to the system.  I think this is relevant when it comes to a COY discussion since its something that creates adversity and additional challenges to overcome to compete in the NFL.

 

There were only 2 team captains to start the season on defense and that was Wilfork and Mayo.  Wilfork is one of the top 3 defensive lineman in the NFL and has dominated and played at an all pro level for years and years.  Long before he was ever injured on these very forums I said that the 2nd most important player on the team behind Brady is Vince Wilfork.

 

Jerod Mayo was a huge loss as well.  He is a sideline to sideline type linebacker that is also very strategic and intelligent.  He wore the green dot and was the QB of the defense, he lead not just the Patriots but the LEAGUE in tackles nearly every single year.  He is in on every play and has made many huge plays from FFs, Ints, Sacks, Tackles or just covering a TE, hes made lots of plays and is always putting the defense into the right position to succeed.

 

Tommy Kelly was a pretty significant loss as well, that was essentially the gut of our defense.  In a 4-3, losing your 2 interior DTs and your MLB, especially ones of their caliber and replacing them with rookies (the 2 DL) is pretty amazing.

 

Adrian Wilson was a big offseason signing and he never even made it out of training camp, but he still takes up a big chunk on the salary cap.  He would have been playing in Gregory's role and Gregory would have taken over for McCourty with the concussion instead of having Harmon (a rookie) having to go in and be a starter.

 

 

One hand feeds the other, and in the Patriots case, as a team they have suffered a lot of significant losses, and not just from injury but from the offseason through free agency and losing one of your young star players to prison is something you can never see coming or have a solid plan for.

 

You cannot give COY to Arians, his team didn't even make the playoffs so how could you possibly give a coach, who's sole job is to get his team into the playoffs to compete in the tournament for a chance at a Lombardi, an award for being the best at his job that year?

 

I think Rivera has done an outstanding job and I would have no problem if he won the award, but in my mind it should be Belichick getting this team into the playoffs as a huge 2nd seed.