Bill Belichick delivered a glowing tribute to Vince Wilfork through the nostril deal with’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony per week in the past.
The plaudits have been plentiful, and well-deserved.
Along with saluting him for his play, Belichick went out of his strategy to hail Wilfork as a frontrunner.
The approach he characterised Big Vince through the weekly conferences they shared with different crew captains was not solely noteworthy, however eye-opening. Given the notion that Belichick needs nothing however yes-men surrounding him, whether or not it’s the teaching workers, entrance workplace or his gamers, the speech countered that notion.
Listening to Belichick throughout Vince’s ceremony, it appeared like he welcomed being challenged.
Wilfork did it on a weekly foundation.
Belichick stated his conferences with the captains was one place the place he acquired push again from gamers, most notably Wilfork, a seven-time captain.
Belichick cited Tedy Bruschi, Jerod Mayo and Wilfork amongst those that would say to him: ‘Coach, what are you doing? You messed up on this. What are you thinking about?’
Judging by the response of Wilfork, Belichick wasn’t utilizing hyperbole. Wilfork challenged him big-time.
“And you know what? You need that,” Belichick went on throughout his look on the Hall ceremony. “Vince was one of those guys that wasn’t afraid to speak up and say: ‘Hey, here’s what we need to do.’ And I really appreciate that. I really appreciate your honesty, and putting the team first.”
It’s been eight years since Wilfork stood as much as Belichick throughout a captains assembly. It’s been that a lot and extra for Mayo and Bruschi.
Has anybody picked up the baton?
Does Belichick get challenged by the present group, which incorporates Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, Mac Jones, David Andrews, Deatrich Wise, and Ja’Whaun Bentley?
Would any of the above have the center to inform the top coach {that a} sure participant shouldn’t be rushed again from an harm? Or that sure coaches weren’t chopping it, hypothetically talking?
Slater wouldn’t title names, however recommended a few of the 2022 captains would haven’t any downside talking up if the necessity arose.
“We’re fortunate. Everyone has their own leadership style,” stated Slater, the 10-time Pro Bowl participant. “We’re fortunate to have certain guys that will put themselves out there, because they believe in something strongly and it’s going to be for the greater good. We’re fortunate to have guys like that.”
Both Slater and McCourty have been captains when Wilfork let it fly with Belichick. Both smile on the reminiscence of Big Vince talking his piece throughout these weekly periods. He was by no means shy, even with Belichick sitting throughout from him.
“Oh, I recall a lot of (those times). I’m not going to repeat ‘em,” stated Slater. “But the one thing I think about Vince, is that he wasn’t afraid to speak truth, even if it hurt people’s feelings. He said what needed to be said, even if it was uncomfortable, because at the heart of it, he wanted what was best for the football team. He wanted us to be successful, and he had a unique way of doing it.”
McCourty stated he discovered how you can be a frontrunner from watching Wilfork and Mayo in these conferences. The Patriots veteran security arrived on the scene two years after Bruschi retired, so he didn’t get to listen to him problem the top coach, however acquired an enormous dose of Wilfork and Mayo after he was named a captain in 2011, his second yr on the scene.
“For me, I got to watch those guys, and how they approached those meetings. I got to see the value in guys being in there,” stated McCourty. “These guys gave real opinions. And things they said actually impacted what we decided to do as a team, and what coach decides to do. So I got to see that first hand, so I try to follow in their footsteps.”
By most accounts, Jones is a kind of gamers who seeks out solutions. He is large on understanding why the Patriots do sure issues, particularly on offense. This would possibly solely be his second yr, however he’s by no means been afraid to ask robust inquiries to Belichick in addition to the teaching workers.
For his half, Slater stated he’s all the time going to specific what he feels to Belichick, it simply may be differently than others.
“I’m always going to be honest with coach. I feel like he’s always been honest with me in terms of what his expectations are in terms of me as a player and leader,” stated Slater. “And I’m always going to be honest with him, in terms of what I see and what I feel is best for the team. But I’m going to do it in my own way. I can’t be anyone other than myself.”
He continued: “I can’t try to be Vince because I think authenticity is important in being a leader. When you’re not authentic, people see that right away. And you lose some credibility.”
Ditto McCourty.
He stated whether or not it’s him or Slater, neither one is shy about addressing Belichick, or telling him if one thing must be modified, or in the event that they really feel the top coach must go in one other route.
“I think we’re pretty open about anything we feel should be done, or needs to be done,” stated McCourty. “If we need to tell him something, we both have voiced our opinion on something. I think that’s gone well overall for us as a team. Especially recently with so many younger guys, or new guys, whether it’s free agents or rookies, we’ve been able to voice how we feel about certain things, or things we should do.”
Andrews, in the meantime, stated he’s had conversations with Belichick and never simply in captains conferences. He believes the forwards and backwards is vital.
“I’ve always found him willing to have those conversations. At the end of the day, he’s still the boss and he makes the big choices,” stated Andrews. “But If you don’t have that open dialogue, those open conversations, you’re going to have frustrations and different things like that. So, you can agree to disagree sometimes, or find common ground.”
Andrews, nevertheless offered one cautionary word when it got here to pushing again on Belichick: “If you’re going to have something to say, you better have some good reasons to say it, too. And that’s how it should be.”
What concerning the new children on the block? What about first-time captains Wise and Bentley? Are they as direct as Mac, additionally a first-time captain, in the case of getting solutions?
“I’m not a person to challenge authority, or anything like that. Coach Belichick and I definitely have a good relationship,” stated Wise. “I feel free to talk to him about anything. He always has an open door for me to do so. If I ever had anything to say, I think I’d always tell coach.”
As for Belichick simply wanting yes-men, a perception that’s been enhanced with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, two failed head coaches, returning to the workers and given distinguished roles with the offense, the present group of captains don’t by it based mostly on their expertise. Slater chalked that narrative as much as being a media creation.
“I always think it’s hilarious for people to have opinions on things they know nothing about,” he stated. “They spend no time in here, they don’t know any of the dynamics, they don’t know how we interact, they don’t the dynamics of relationships, yet they know everything about coach. That’s comical. They can continue to pontificate. And we’ll continue to live in reality.”
Tua’s second harm was avoidable
There’s been loads of dialogue and commentary about whether or not Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ought to have been enjoying Thursday night time, in wake of occasions that occurred Sunday, the place it seemed like he had suffered a concussion after hitting his head after being tackled, after which was wobbly on his toes after getting up.
That was handed off as being a again harm, as Tagovailoa not solely returned to play in that sport towards the Bills, but additionally began 4 days later towards the Bengals Thursday night time.
There’s loads of blame to throw round, be it the crew, the docs, protocols that don’t appear to be working, and the participant maybe selecting to push apart the danger, or succumbing to the strain to play.
In any case, it wasn’t a very good look Thursday night time seeing Tagovailoa get whipped to the bottom, smacking his head, and needing to be taken off the sphere on a stretcher.
Slater, who was beforehand the Patriots participant rep, stated head accidents have been an emphasis of the union for the final decade and past.
“I certainly don’t want to speak to a situation that I don’t have any familiarity with, but if the union finds out (the Dolphins) broke some type of rule, they should be punished, and as severely as possible,” Slater stated Friday. “Situations like (Thursday night) if they’re avoidable, you want to try to avoid them.”
Slater stated the visible of Tagovailoa speaks for itself.
“You don’t want to see anyone like that, whether it’s football, or normal life,” he stated. “You don’t want to see anybody like that. It’s tough to see, it’s tough to talk about without getting emotional. The main concern here is that he’s okay. We can talk policy and all that, but this is a young man whose health is being compromised and I just hope he’s alright.”
Brady/Mahomes
It shall be Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady throughout a Sunday night time showdown in Tampa Bay.
Mahomes was requested through the week if he may see himself enjoying till he’s 45, like Brady. The Chiefs quarterback tried to place that into perspective.
“I want to play as long as I can play, and I can still have a chance to help the team get better,” Mahomes stated Wednesday. “Obviously, it’s hard to play until you’re 45 years old, and I don’t want to be out there just hanging on. You see what Tom is — he’s still playing at a very high level. I think that’s why it’s hard for him to kind of give it up – when you’re playing at a high level you don’t want to leave it.”
Mahomes, in the meantime, showered the GOAT with reward for all he’s performed throughout his 20-plus seasons within the league.
“I mean it’s special to see the things that he’s done in this league,” Mahomes stated. “The way he was able to change the position, the longevity of great success – I mean that’s the crazy part – you look at his career and there’s never really been a down year. He’s always been great and had a great season and found ways to get even better. He’s done stuff off the field that hasn’t impacted him on the field, but still made his legacy even greater so it’s always a great opportunity for me and our team to go up against a great quarterback and really (measure) where our team is at.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com