These days, the perception is that offense rules in the NFL. That may be true to a certain degree, but you won’t see Bill Belichick backing down from his defense-first priorities because of it.
On Friday, Belichick was asked his thoughts on a quote from Nick Saban that suggested good defense no longer beats good offense. Belichick disputed that, and brought up a decent point to back up his assertion.
Belichick asked by @PhilAPerry about a Nick Saban quote saying "good defense doesn't beat good offense anymore."
Belichick: "we won a Super Bowl scoring 13 points. That's not a bad thing."
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) October 29, 2021
It’s easy to forget that Super Bowl was roughly three years ago. Not only that, but it came against Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams, who were heralded for their offensive firepower and innovation.
That said, this might also be Belichick’s subtle way of reminding everyone that he had a big role in the Patriots’ dynasty too. There’s a perception that Tom Brady was the one carrying those championship teams and Belichick was just along for the ride. That perception is even shared by some former players. It was Belichick, though, who gameplanned a defense that held the Rams to three points in a game where Brady and the offense weren’t that great.
Photo: Dec 29, 2019; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines during the second half of their loss to the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
