Patriots' key to success: they know their job, and they do it

Sporting News, The, Feb 18, 2005 by Brian Baldinger

The Patriots amaze me. Not like the 49ers of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice amazed me, or any other team that was blessed with top stars. The Patriots amaze me because they are so ridiculously efficient.

This is a team that makes very few mistakes. It drops punts out of hounds inside the 10. It protects against the onside kick. It runs screen plays as well as any team I've ever seen. It wraps up on tackles. The Patriots' level of efficiency should be the envy of every assembly line in the world because each man does his job with precision, craftsmanship and attention to detail.

It isn't always dazzling. Though quarterback Tom Brady had another great Super Bowl, his numbers won't make much of a dent in the record book. But his throws were accurate. Wide receiver Deion Branch had a monster game, and as usual, Brady was not intercepted.

You know who defines the Patriots as well as Brady? Randall Gay. Gay was a rookie free agent who became a starter when Ty Law, a Pro Bowl cornerback, broke his foot in Week 8. The Eagles went after him, as they should have, yet he played so well it might as well have been Law out there. Gay perfectly defended each ball in the air.

And how about the rest of the secondary? Asante Samuel continued to play well in the absence of Tyrone Poole, and New England even had to play the second half without starting safety Eugene Wilson, a great hitter who injured his shoulder. Rookie Dexter Reid, primarily a special teams guy, took Wilson's place, and the drop-off in the level of execution wasn't all that noticeable. Throw in Troy Brown, a receiver-punt returner forced into a nickel back role earlier this season, and that's a pretty makeshift secondary holding its own against an offense with Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens and Brian Westbrook. That blows me away.

No team prepares its players better than New England. The Patriots practice hard and smart so that when they need someone such as Reid to step in, he's ready. This is a team of incredible versatility, such that linebacker Mike Vrabel can score a touchdown as a tight end, guard Russ Hochstein can step in at fullback and Brown can play cornerback. They practice this stuff so much that when they do it in a game, it's like they've been doing it their whole lives. They never look panicked. They know their job, and they do it.

Yes, the Patriots are amazing. Three championships in four years, achieved with a roster of hard-working role players, plus a few Pro Bowl types. The only thing that will amaze me more is if they can do it again next year. The loss of coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel will challenge this franchise more than it has been challenged.

If any team can handle that, it's New England.

Brian Baldinger, an offensive lineman for 12 NFL seasons, can be heard on Sporting News Radio and seen on FOX Sports. Listen online at radio.sportingnews.com.