National Football League

New England Patriots' newfound success based on old Bill Belichick blueprint

Published Dec. 2, 2021 5:39 p.m. ET

By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Analyst

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

As the Patriots head into Monday night's AFC East showdown with the Buffalo Bills, that's what general managers and coaches around the league are saying while watching New England reemerge as a title contender. The so-called rebuild that was expected to take years in the post-Tom Brady era has quickly taken shape, with the team mirroring the early 2000s squads that started the dynastic run.

As a former member of the Panthers’ front office, I'm experiencing a case of déjà vu watching this version of the Patriots exhibit similarities to the squad that knocked us off in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

To review, two decades ago, the New England dynasty started with a dominant defense complementing a ball-control offense that featured a diverse collection of backs and a young, high-IQ quarterback managing the game like a pro.

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Those teams did not accumulate style points while stacking wins and claiming rings; instead, they established a blueprint that has served the Patriots well throughout the years.

It starts with a strong commitment to the fundamentals and a process that focuses on eliminating self-inflicted errors, such as costly turnovers and pre-snap penalties. It includes playing great defense based on "snowflake" game plans customized to each opponent. Finally, the blueprint utilizes a chameleon-like offense that has the capacity to morph from a smash-mouth running game into an efficient, spread-and-shred passing game.

All of these elements link the Patriots’ recent success to their glorious past. That’s why we should not be surprised that Belichick has quickly rebuilt this team into a Super Bowl contender. The six-time champion coach is simply following the plan that started the dominance, and the blueprint is timeless in New England.

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Defensively, the Patriots added a handful of veterans to upgrade the experience and expertise on a unit that lost its way in 2020. Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Davon Godchaux and Jalen MIlls have provided veteran leadership while giving Belichick a few Swiss Army knife defenders to enable the defense to utilize multiple fronts and coverages to stymie opponents.

The old heads have teamed with a few holdovers (JC Jackson, Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower) and some emerging role players (Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger and Christian Barmore) to create a stifling defense that has helped the Patriots outscore their opponents 211-63 in the past six games.

Obsessing on fundamentals, the Patriots do the little things on defense that make it tough for opponents to sustain drives or score points. Indeed, the unit has become elite again by doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well, from superb open-field tackling to a keen understanding of leverage in coverage based on where "help" defenders are positioned to disciplined pass-rush tactics.

This season, the Patriots have shifted gears in coverage by playing more zone, which enables defenders to keep their eyes on the quarterback and see the ball thrown from the pocket. Considering that New England leads the league with 19 interceptions, the "see ball, get ball" approach has served the team well in a game that is often decided by turnovers.

While the Patriots’ defensive backs certainly deserve credit for their exemplary work in coverage, it is a lot easier to make plays on the ball when the quarterback is forced to throw under pressure. Judon (11.5 sacks) and Van Noy (four sacks) have provided that pressure using a variety of simplistic stunts that have been staples of the Patriots’ defensive playbook for years. The solid execution of a pass-rush plan has led to tipped balls and overthrows that have landed in the hands of sticky-fingered defenders with superb ball skills.

Offensively, the Patriots have returned to their power running roots. The combination of a big, physical offensive line led by Trent Brown, the ultimate mauler on the edge, and the hard-charging running styles of Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and Brandon Bolden has enabled the Patriots to beat up opponents between the tackles. With many teams opting to put more defensive backs on the field, the power running approach from run-heavy sets has made the Patriots like a heavyweight pounding a middleweight into submission.

From a tactical standpoint, the team’s commitment to the run is part of a complementary football plan that combines the efforts of the offense, defense and special teams to win games. The ground-and-pound premise enables the Patriots to control the clock and limit long-yardage situations.

Overall, the reliance on the running game is all about alleviating the pressure on a rookie quarterback.

That said, Mac Jones is no ordinary rookie. The Alabama product has shown maturity beyond his years in directing an offense that is surging under his leadership. The Patriots are averaging the most points per game (28.0) of any team in NFL history led by a rookie QB.

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Although Jones has been pegged as a game manager, he has posted a completion rate of at least 70% in eight games — most in the NFL. What's more, Jones has really heated up during the Patriots’ six-game winning streak, with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions. He has shown impressive command of the offense while playing like a pass-first point guard in a scheme that has evolved from quick passes, screens and swings to feature more intermediate and deep throws.

The evolution has coincided with Jones displaying more confidence and ownership at the line of scrimmage while directing an offense that looks eerily similar to the one Brady managed at the outset of his career. As Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Henry grow more comfortable with the rookie passer, the Patriots’ passing game is starting to resemble the efficient units that featured Troy Brown, David Patten and David Givens on the receiving end of TB12’s passes.

The final piece of the puzzle has been the stellar play of the Patriots’ special teams. That allows Belichick to steal yardage and control the field-position battle with coffin corner punts and directional kickoffs fortified with solid coverage. The overall efficiency of the Matthew Slater-led unit is impressive and one of the reasons the Patriots are able to win close games against top opponents.

With Belichick stacking wins utilizing an old blueprint that spawned a dynasty years ago, it's time to pay attention to the reemergence of the Patriots as a dominant team poised to rule the NFL again.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.