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Belichick's insight into Super Bowl foes
by steelmoney » Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:48 pm
Belichick's insight into Super Bowl foes
Updated: January 22, 2009, 1:57 PM EST 209 comments MOBILE, Ala. - Usually, it's head coaches of teams that face Bill Belichick who are at the Senior Bowl and not the other way around.
Common barometer
The Steelers and Cards both faced the Pats in New England this year. A look at how each team fared against Bill Belichick's crew:
Steelers Stat Cardinals
PIT 33, NE 10 Score NE 47, ARI 7
172 Pass yds 142
161 Rush yds 44
145 Pass yds allowed 331
122 Rush yards allowed 183
+4 TO margin -2
For seven of the past eight years, Belichick missed watching top college draft prospects practice first-hand because he was preoccupied with New England in a Super Bowl or conference championship game. Reminded of that fact Tuesday outside Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Belichick smiled and said, "It's been a while since I've been here."
He still might not be back in Dixie if another AFC team hadn't whistled by into Super Bowl XLIII.
Pittsburgh was the last team to defeat New England, posting a 33-10 road victory in late November. The Patriots won their final four games and could very well have kept rolling in the postseason. New England instead finished as the first 11-5 squad to miss the playoffs since 1985.
Belichick continues to lament his team's sloppy performance in the Steelers loss.
"We turned the ball over six times," Belichick said. "It was 10-10 at the half and we missed a (27-yard) field goal. It's about as competitive a game as you would want but we turned the ball over five times in the second half. You're never going to win like that."
"The team that takes care of the ball and doesn't give up big plays is going to win," said Belichick, who declined to predict a victor. "Both teams are capable of big plays so that could happen at any time."
Belichick described Arizona's offense as "explosive. They can score from anywhere." The Patriots, though, blanketed the Cardinals like the snow that fell on Foxboro Stadium during a 47-7 home victory in Week 16. Belichick said the Steelers could enjoy similar success if Arizona isn't consistent offensively.
"You've got to make your yards on first down and keep it manageable," Belichick said. "You can't get in long yardage against (Pittsburgh)."
Four other teams — Washington, Philadelphia, Dallas and the New York Giants — played against both the Cardinals and Steelers this season. Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Pittsburgh must pressure Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner to avoid getting burned by wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald has an obscene 23 catches for 419 yards and seven touchdowns during the playoffs, including seven grabs spanning at least 20 yards. While slowed early in the postseason by a hamstring injury, Boldin can be just as dangerous when healthy.
"I don't know if you can put an individual on Pittsburgh's defense on them," Zorn said.
Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride concurs but says Pittsburgh should alter its customary blitz-happy approach. Warner wasn't fazed by Philadelphia's heavy pass rush, throwing four touchdown passes while getting sacked just twice in last Sundays 32-25 NFC Championship game victory.
"You're better off playing coverage against him," said Gilbride, who was Warner's quarterbacks coach with New York in 2004. "He's not holding the football (too long) like the old days but he'll stand in there. He's a courageous, courageous guy. When the blitz comes, he's getting rid of the ball. It's not going to get to him. He sees it too well. But if it's just base coverage and base front, he'll try to hang in there and make a play. That's when you can get at him and knock the ball down."
Zorn said Arizona's defense is "the most sound I've seen from them." His words carry weight. While quarterbacks coach in Seattle from 2001 to 2007, the Seahawks won eight of 12 meetings with Arizona. Zorn, too, defeated the Cardinals in his first year as Redskins head coach but by only a 24-17 margin at home in Week 3.
Zorn believes Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendegrast simplified Arizona's schemes this season while placing a greater focus on remaining disciplined in his system.
"Over the years, something has always broken down where you could make a big play like a miscue or a guy out of position," Zorn said. "This year, it wasn't like that at all. We beat them, but they played so much better throughout the season."
The same can be said of Pittsburgh's offense, which has hit its stride during the playoffs. Gilbride expects the Steelers to showcase their punishing ground game, which is what New York attempted against Arizona during a 37-29 road victory in Week 12. The Giants were limited to 87 rushing yards, but Arizona's use of strong safety Adrian Wilson near the line of scrimmage for run support created passing opportunities for quarterback Eli Manning (three touchdowns, no interceptions). Gilbride believes Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could enjoy similar success under the same circumstances provided injured wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) plays as expected.
"He's exactly the opposite of the prototypical quarterback," Gilbride said of Roethlisberger. "But what he will do extremely well is make plays running around. It's not necessarily designed and the way it's supposed to be. But because he buys time, he gives those (receivers) a chance to make some headway."
Like Belichick, Gilbride wasn't at the 2008 Senior Bowl because he was preparing to coach in Super Bowl XLII. The Giants seemed headed toward a repeat trip after an 11-1 start but the defending champion fell apart down the stretch by losing four of its last five contests. Making the collapse even tougher for Gilbride to swallow: New York is the only franchise to defeat all four conference finalists.
"We weren't as good at the end," said Gilbride, whose team was ousted by Philadelphia in the second round of the playoffs. "We had to be sharper than we were. We had some chances and didn't take advantage of them.
Belichick, too, knows that feeling all too well. If being in Mobile isn't enough of a reminder, watching Pittsburgh and Arizona play Feb. 1 in Tampa will be.
Updated: January 22, 2009, 1:57 PM EST 209 comments MOBILE, Ala. - Usually, it's head coaches of teams that face Bill Belichick who are at the Senior Bowl and not the other way around.
Common barometer
The Steelers and Cards both faced the Pats in New England this year. A look at how each team fared against Bill Belichick's crew:
Steelers Stat Cardinals
PIT 33, NE 10 Score NE 47, ARI 7
172 Pass yds 142
161 Rush yds 44
145 Pass yds allowed 331
122 Rush yards allowed 183
+4 TO margin -2
For seven of the past eight years, Belichick missed watching top college draft prospects practice first-hand because he was preoccupied with New England in a Super Bowl or conference championship game. Reminded of that fact Tuesday outside Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Belichick smiled and said, "It's been a while since I've been here."
He still might not be back in Dixie if another AFC team hadn't whistled by into Super Bowl XLIII.
Pittsburgh was the last team to defeat New England, posting a 33-10 road victory in late November. The Patriots won their final four games and could very well have kept rolling in the postseason. New England instead finished as the first 11-5 squad to miss the playoffs since 1985.
Belichick continues to lament his team's sloppy performance in the Steelers loss.
"We turned the ball over six times," Belichick said. "It was 10-10 at the half and we missed a (27-yard) field goal. It's about as competitive a game as you would want but we turned the ball over five times in the second half. You're never going to win like that."
"The team that takes care of the ball and doesn't give up big plays is going to win," said Belichick, who declined to predict a victor. "Both teams are capable of big plays so that could happen at any time."
Belichick described Arizona's offense as "explosive. They can score from anywhere." The Patriots, though, blanketed the Cardinals like the snow that fell on Foxboro Stadium during a 47-7 home victory in Week 16. Belichick said the Steelers could enjoy similar success if Arizona isn't consistent offensively.
"You've got to make your yards on first down and keep it manageable," Belichick said. "You can't get in long yardage against (Pittsburgh)."
Four other teams — Washington, Philadelphia, Dallas and the New York Giants — played against both the Cardinals and Steelers this season. Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Pittsburgh must pressure Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner to avoid getting burned by wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald has an obscene 23 catches for 419 yards and seven touchdowns during the playoffs, including seven grabs spanning at least 20 yards. While slowed early in the postseason by a hamstring injury, Boldin can be just as dangerous when healthy.
"I don't know if you can put an individual on Pittsburgh's defense on them," Zorn said.
Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride concurs but says Pittsburgh should alter its customary blitz-happy approach. Warner wasn't fazed by Philadelphia's heavy pass rush, throwing four touchdown passes while getting sacked just twice in last Sundays 32-25 NFC Championship game victory.
"You're better off playing coverage against him," said Gilbride, who was Warner's quarterbacks coach with New York in 2004. "He's not holding the football (too long) like the old days but he'll stand in there. He's a courageous, courageous guy. When the blitz comes, he's getting rid of the ball. It's not going to get to him. He sees it too well. But if it's just base coverage and base front, he'll try to hang in there and make a play. That's when you can get at him and knock the ball down."
Zorn said Arizona's defense is "the most sound I've seen from them." His words carry weight. While quarterbacks coach in Seattle from 2001 to 2007, the Seahawks won eight of 12 meetings with Arizona. Zorn, too, defeated the Cardinals in his first year as Redskins head coach but by only a 24-17 margin at home in Week 3.
Zorn believes Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendegrast simplified Arizona's schemes this season while placing a greater focus on remaining disciplined in his system.
"Over the years, something has always broken down where you could make a big play like a miscue or a guy out of position," Zorn said. "This year, it wasn't like that at all. We beat them, but they played so much better throughout the season."
The same can be said of Pittsburgh's offense, which has hit its stride during the playoffs. Gilbride expects the Steelers to showcase their punishing ground game, which is what New York attempted against Arizona during a 37-29 road victory in Week 12. The Giants were limited to 87 rushing yards, but Arizona's use of strong safety Adrian Wilson near the line of scrimmage for run support created passing opportunities for quarterback Eli Manning (three touchdowns, no interceptions). Gilbride believes Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could enjoy similar success under the same circumstances provided injured wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) plays as expected.
"He's exactly the opposite of the prototypical quarterback," Gilbride said of Roethlisberger. "But what he will do extremely well is make plays running around. It's not necessarily designed and the way it's supposed to be. But because he buys time, he gives those (receivers) a chance to make some headway."
Like Belichick, Gilbride wasn't at the 2008 Senior Bowl because he was preparing to coach in Super Bowl XLII. The Giants seemed headed toward a repeat trip after an 11-1 start but the defending champion fell apart down the stretch by losing four of its last five contests. Making the collapse even tougher for Gilbride to swallow: New York is the only franchise to defeat all four conference finalists.
"We weren't as good at the end," said Gilbride, whose team was ousted by Philadelphia in the second round of the playoffs. "We had to be sharper than we were. We had some chances and didn't take advantage of them.
Belichick, too, knows that feeling all too well. If being in Mobile isn't enough of a reminder, watching Pittsburgh and Arizona play Feb. 1 in Tampa will be.
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