Colin Cowherd has spent his entire career talking about Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. However, the popular talk show host may be reaching the end of his rope with one of the two. While talking to Bob Ryan on the Colin Cowherd podcast, the show host admitted to the idea of the NFL passing up the vaunted Belichick.
Here's what he had to say, opening with an example using a contemporary:
“You know, Pete Carroll has a lot of power. When Paul Allen died, and the Seahawk drafts have gotten progressively worse, the more power Pete Carroll had. Belichick historically is a terrible drafter."
"The more power he had, especially of skilled people last year, he had his best draft than a decade arguably because, you know, it was documented that he sort of relinquished some of his power."
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He went on, saying that the league was moving in the direction of offense, thanks to rule changes:
"Bill will always be as smart as any coach I've ever seen. But the league is now, as you see clearly, moving in a different direction. The middle of the field is now the offense."
"You can't hit quarterbacks or wide receivers. In the NFC, every playoff team had an offensive coach. If you eliminate the AFC East that had only defensive coaches."
Cowherd went on, saying offensive coaches dominated in 2021:
"Seven of eight remaining divisions were won by an offensive coach -- McVays, Zach Taylors, the young coaches of McVay's tree -- they're all working. Belichick's defensive tree, many aren't working."
"Is it reasonable to say as brilliant as Bill is, that between drafting and the cultural changes Bill is starting -- I mean, he's going to be his own coordinator, according to reports. Bill starting not to be Jurassic, but feeling a tad, a tad outdated."
Cowherd compared the Patriots head coach to a famous basketball head coach, saying that once they lost their star player, they never truly recovered:
"There are cultural changes. Gregg Popovich faced this. It's more, you know, letting Kawhi go in petty fashion. They've never really recovered from that. Do you think it's fair to say that I see Bill and I think 'not that he's Bobby Knight,' right, who refused to embrace the one and done but he feels CJ Jackson, or JC Jackson."
He wrapped up by reiterating his point that the coach was starting to become outdated:
"Bill. he's your he's arguably your best player in Shaq Mason, arguably your best offensive lineman. He's starting to feel a little outdated.”
Bill Belichick's counterargument
Of course, the head coach lost his star player. However, Belichick advocates would say that the head coach landed the last quarterback that was drafted in the first round in Mac Jones. He turned him into the best quarterback in the draft class. The team spent a moment at the top seed of the AFC in the quarterback's rookie year, and to add a final cherry on top, the team made the playoffs.
Cowherd and Belichick defenders are setting themselves up for a war this offseason with the 2022 season serving as the decisive final battle. Who will ultimately lose the argument?
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