I've always wondered what it would be like for two coaches with such close ties to face off against each other. This is the week we all get to find out.
We all know there's a relationship with Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. They've coached together with three different teams, the Giants, Patriots and Jets, and there is a long history. Neither will admit it, but Sunday's night's matchup between Parcells' Dallas Cowboys and Belichick's New England Patriots will mean more to them than they let on. I'm sure it means a lot to both of them.
I am glad I'm not an assistant coach with the Patriots or Cowboys this week because you know those head coaches will be demanding the best thoughts, the best stuff, the best preparation they can get all year long to get ready for this game. Those assistant coaches are really going to put in some long hours preparing for this football game!
And when you do that, those thoughts and preparations will not be lost on the players. Even though the coaches probably won't tell them, "Hey, this game means more to me," the players will read the body language. They'll realize they are getting yelled at a little more in practice this week; the coaches are a little more uptight. They'll see all the signs, and they'll know that this is a different game.
Having said all this, I'm just sorry I won't be there to see the game in person. With all these factors in play, the football game is going to be really exciting. It's going to be emotional. It's going to be extremely physical. It's going to be played at a very high pace, and it's going to be fun for everyone to watch.
So I will be taping it and watching it Monday after I travel back from Indianapolis on Sunday night.
Some quick thoughts on the game
The Cowboys defense is really good. It's aggressive, it's fast, it's strong. They can cover and they can blitz. That's a lot of positives, which is why their statistics are up there in just about every defensive category. And in this case, the statistics do not lie; they tell the story.
The Cowboys offense is well thought out and has good rhythm to it. The runs and passes are mixed together well. You can tell there is a good system, a good flow. The quarterback and the coaches are managing the game very well. They run the football and what I like about the passing game is that they will take their shots down the field. It's always been a characteristic of Bill Parcells to go for the big pass plays, especially on play-action. When you see Quincy Carter fake a handoff, you can bet there are two guys going at least 20 yards down the field. So the Cowboys are exciting to watch on both sides of the ball.
The Patriots defense is not as athletic as the Cowboys. Of course, it's well-coached, and that has been documented and noted by even the most casual followers of football. They always have a lot of different looks, a lot of movement. It's very tough for a quarterback to zero in on what he thinks the defense will do before the ball is snapped. More than any other team in football, the Patriots can line up near the line of scrimmage and time it just right so that the players retreat or move up to get in position just as the ball is snapped.
Quincy Carter and Bill Parcells have been a
The key to blitzing is having terrific timing -- not only to catch the quarterback by surprise, but to catch the blockers and not give them time to react. The Patriots do this very well.
The Patriots offense is very, very adaptable -- it's hard to put a label on them. They're a screen team for three weeks, then a drop-back, short-passing team for three weeks. Then all of a sudden they want to be a power running team. And then in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, they are a downfield juggernaut. They give you a lot to prepare for. They're "game-planners." They know what you think they will do in certain situations, so they will try something else to cross you up.
But probably the most important thing I've noticed about the Patriots offense is that quarterback Tom Brady -- who's been playing beat up most of the year -- is finally getting healthy and looks very good. The win over Denver last week might have been one of the best games of his career.
Brady's pocket movement and his natural God-given feel for playing the game were very evident. Most of his throws were pinpoint. Thanks in part to the teaching of Belichick and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Brady is a quarterback who sees the overall picture as good or better than anybody in the league.
Not coincidentally, Parcells and his coaching staff have been teaching those same qualities to Carter. He may need some more time, but he sees the big picture and understands his role. He knows when to be aggressive and he knows when to take a step back and be careful, not to make a mistake.
To use a phrase that I've heard many times from Parcells himself, the Patriots are battle-tested. They are the worst kind of opponents -- they just like the action. I never liked playing teams that just enjoyed the action. Everybody wants to win, but some teams just like to fight, and the Patriots are one of them.
Under Parcells, the Cowboys are falling into that mold as well.
It's all about being coached the right way!