The New England Patriots won their sixth Super Bowl of the twenty-first century on Sunday, setting a new precedent for how great franchises can be.
The Washington Redskins haven’t tasted such greatness since the days of Joe Gibbs, with their last championship coming in 1991.
Since 1991, the Redskins have won just three playoff games. The Patriots, meanwhile, have won twice as many Super Bowls.
The dichotomy is astounding, and it speaks to the discrepancy in how both teams have operated over the past two decades. One team is complacent, while the other is never satisfied. One team has been so habitually dysfunctional that no success is ever more than a fallacy, while the other has somehow maintained dominance of an entire conference for twenty years.
If they can put their pride aside, the Redskins brass has a lot to learn from the New England Patriots. There are some ways Washington may not match New England for some time. Bill Belichick could be the best coach in NFL history, and Tom Brady is in the conversation at quarterback. But for all their stardom and glory, the Patriots’ way can be mimicked. All it takes is self-reflection and relentless perseverance to rise above.
Strategy, not identity, is what matters in the NFL
The Patriots won the 2019 Super Bowl the same way they’ve won the last five: Out-coaching their opponent.
With every victory, the Patriots remind the league that there’s so much more to coaching, game calling, and game planning than what meets the eye. Between game scripting, in-game adjusting, and pace and rhythm, Bill Belichick put on a clinic against the Rams.
On offense, Belichick didn’t confine himself to a certain mode. He went with the game flow, running when the Rams defensive line was on the lurch, and passing when the Patriots needed to keep the momentum rolling.
On defense, Belichick, who happens to be a defensive coach, kept pressure on Jared Goff, a quarterback who crumbles in the face of free rushers. Goff was rattled all through the game, and his state was a direct result of Belichick’s specialized planning.
Belichick didn’t pigeon-hole himself into a specific identity, like other teams, such as the Seahawks, and occasionally the Redskins. Instead, he did what he needed to do to best a unique opponent. Teams should be strategizing every week, not reserving themselves to what they believe to be their best play style. The Redskins could learn from the Patriots adjusting prowess.
No. 2 – Roster flexibility is as important as continuity
The Patriots’ strategies won them this year’s championship, but one of the key reasons they were able to dominate so many facets of the game is their roster flexibility.
Year in and year out, the Patriots have a core of players they commit to. Tom Brady is an obvious inclusion, while players such as Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Marcus Cannon, Dont’a Hightower, and Devin McCourty have all stuck around.
At the same time, however, the Patriots have managed to earn a reputation as shrewd decision makers who never get too attached to replaceable, overpriced players.
Tom Brady‘s team discounts help New England restock each year, but his generosity is only a piece of the Patriots roster flexibility equation. The Patriots know how to maintain their operation, and as you’ll see on the next slide, culture is a big part of that.
No. 1 – Culture is everything
The Patriots somehow managed to fabricate an underdog mentality in the days leading up to Super Bowl 53. Speaking as though the world had pegged them to fall, Tom Brady and the Patriots defiantly declared “We’re still here”. And in the Super Bowl, they backed up that talk.
The Patriots are allowed to play that card. Why? Because they’ve instilled a culture, in the coaching staff, front office, and locker room, that rewards hard work, and rejects complacency. There’s no wishful thinking in New England. No premature declarations of arrival. It’s just a team that keeps working.
Even now, the Patriots will come back next season, hungry for more, and the Redskins can learn from how the Patriots react to success. They don’t accept it. Not any degree. They keep striving for more, while the Redskins, in the past, have settled for modest gains, passing it as a sign of better times incoming.
Culture keeps the thirst alive. Culture is everything. And in New England, there rests a blueprint for the Redskins to follow.