Local coaches chime in on Belichick's game plan in Buffalo

Dec. 12—The New England Patriots' stunning win over the Buffalo Bills, 14-10, last Monday night is six days old, but still a topic of discussion.

Especially among football coaches.

We chatted it up with several local high school football coaches and asked them for their thoughts on the Patriots' win, Bill Belichick's decision to throw the ball only three times, and facing bad weather conditions like they did.

Our coaches had a lot to say and all of it was positive about what Belichick and the Patriots did against a very good Buffalo team.

Methuen High coach Tom Ryan:

Pats defense helped cause

"With most fields being turf, unless it is pouring buckets, the wind is now the biggest obstacle for an offensive team trying to throw the ball. Their plan was to run the ball, get a lead and shorten the game. If Buffalo had scored more you would have seen the Patriots throw more than they did.

"The Patriots always do what they need to win the game, they don't care about anything else. Unlike the current high school format where the amount you win by is important for power seeding, the pros is different. The only power seeding is your record. So winning by 14 or 1 it is all the same."

North Andover coach John Dubzinski:

Old-school football returned

"I think it was a great example of the Patriots adapting and being prepared for any situation. Bill Belichick has always made decisions that are in the best interest of the team and team success. He is the same coach who played with only two defensive linemen in the Super Bowl.

"I loved watching the game in Buffalo. It was 'old school' football at its best. You don't see any NFL teams do that anymore. It kept the Bills offense off the field, shortened the game and sent a strong message that they would keep pounding the ball until the Bills stop it.

"You could also see the attention to detail in the special teams department. Converting on the 2-point conversion and kicking two field goals put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Bills to score. In the fourth quarter, the Bills could not settle for a field goal.

"As the weather continues to get worse in November and December, the Patriots seem to always play their best football and their opponents don't."

Windham High coach Jack Byrne:

Stats, ego lost that night

"At a Byrne Family Christmas Party and this is a huge topic of conversation here. After some consulting with my brothers (all former college players) and my stepdad (a legendary Tewksbury Youth coach experienced in never passing!), we had a few thoughts:

"The simplicity of it maybe wasn't 'genius' type stuff, but it reminded us that football comes back to basics — matchups, taking what they give you, executing your job and putting the team first. These things always give you the best chance in close games.

"In high school, we often put our 'best 11' on the field because we are limited on talent, but in the NFL they get paid big bucks to build a complete team that can match personnel. Belichick made the first move by playing six OL, and Buffalo never matched that basic personnel move. The Pats had the size and toughness advantage and in almost every situation, running the ball was the best choice. Belichick stayed ahead of them with the early two point conversion (the safer call actually due to the wind!), which was huge because it led to a four point lead late in the game.

"It showed even more that Belichick made the right call with Mac Jones. While comparisons to early Brady are tough to make, his team-first mentality and willingness to be a game manager for the sake of the team was awesome. Overall, sticking with basics and not giving into stats or personal egos seemed to be the biggest stroke of genius, and that same approach seems to be present in all of the N.H. and Mass. high school football dynasties too."

Andover High coach E.J. Perry:

Another coach outschemed again

"The game plan was genius. First two things were playing with the wind and field position. He wanted the wind in the fourth quarter and while I know it is hard for the Buffalo guy not to take the ball in the second half you have to do it.

"Buffalo missed a field goal in the fourth quarter which would have won them the game because they were kicking into the wind. Next, going for the two point conversion probably won them the game. Buffalo was chasing that point all night. The Bills didn't go for the-two point conversation because they hadn't practiced it all week.

"Bill and (offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels knew that you might be in a situation where your kicker might say the extra point is a 34-yard field goal so I can't kick that into this wind. So Bill and McDaniels already had it set that if they scored into the wind they were going for two points, no hesitation. Every player is confident with the call because they practiced it multiple times.

"As for running the ball 45 out of 48 times, that's called control. The Patriots were running the clock and once they got the lead the game was essentially over. Scheme-wise, Belichick totally out-schemed Buffalo's defense. They knew Buffalo was going to play two high safeties, so they could outnumber Buffalo in the box and run against them. The Buffalo safeties were arguing with the media after the game when questioned on this.

"The 64-yard run by Damien Harris was a bonus. Shame on the Buffalo coaches for not making in-game adjustments to the point I think that they still had two safeties in the game when Mac Jones was in victory formation, taking a knee.

"There is no excuse for a Buffalo player remaining hurt and costing them a timeout. While I don't think it changed the outcome, it was just another situation where Belichick's brilliance as a head coach is far superior to McDermott and everyone else.

"The Patriot player would have gotten off the field in that case injury or not, because he would have been taught the rule. Belichick rules again."

Gr. Lawrence Tech coach Tony Sarkis:

Most amazing is nobody complains

"The X's and O's of what Bill Belichick did on Monday night in Buffalo speaks for itself. The 42 running plays and only three passes is unheard of. Incredible.

"But what I'm impressed most with is how he gets his players to buy into whatever plan he has in store for each game. To me that's the most incredible thing. He's always says that coaches coach and players play. But to merge the two together truly only happens to a few coaches.

"How Belichick is able to get his players to play unselfishly is one of his greatest assets. To get someone like Mac Jones and the wide receivers, highly paid pro athletes, to accept they weren't a normal part of the game plan is amazing to me."

Salem High coach Steve Abraham:

The tougher, smarter team won

"First of all, the game plan was perfect. All game plans are to win, but what the Patriots did Monday night in Buffalo was put their team in best position to win with the weather and the Patriots skills set.

"What they did was run the ball, which is mostly like our (wing-T) offense — trap, power, toss. and they ran unbalanced line fronts.

"What the fans don't understand is what the game plan did was keep Buffalo and Josh Allen off the field. Why? Because Josh is explosive and can win a game by himself. So by running the offense the way they did Belichick created a tough mindset of team, which they obviously loved. The Patriots' offense helped limit Buffalo's possessions.

"The other part is the Patriots limited their mistakes, bled the clock.

"I loved the fact that the Patriots ran the ball against 9-man fronts, which is unheard of. But they had success and didn't stop. That hurt Buffalo's mindset. They think they are a tough team, but the Patriots were tougher and they knew that night."

Whittier coach Kevin Bradley:

Belichick is the master of adjustments

"Coach Belichick doesn't stick to one concrete offensive scheme, or defense for that matter. Both sides of the ball are built to adapt to any type of situation (ex. personnel changes, injuries, suspensions, weather, etc.) that can be thrown at the Patriots. Preparation varies from week to week as opponents never know what they are going to get from the Patriots.

"Bill has proven throughout his coaching career that he is the master of adjustments — whether it be the week of the game, day of the game, or even at halftime. Against Buffalo, you could tell his formations and blocking schemes had been worked on with the expectation of bad weather.

"In New England, it is something you need to prepare for anyways, but this certainly helped for this Buffalo game. Weather is unpredictable, and that is why Belichick has the Patriots practice in the rain, snow, wind, heat, etc."