Mike Mayock: You made all the moves in the offseason, people got all excited. I mean, can you recount for me that story about what happened after the San Diego game and what people started to ask you about?
Bill Belichick: Well, that's the first time I got asked in a press conference about going undefeated.
MM: [Laughter]
BB: And I lost it. It was the second game of the year. But we've had distractions every week, and people have been talking about them all year. It seems like it's something different every week. But I think the players have done a great job of just focusing on the game and the task at hand – trying to have a good practice, trying to have a good meeting, try to get the next thing right, get ready for the next game.
MM: I would imagine another issue with focus has got to be, you know, you come into this locker room and…you and your coaches are probably beating on everybody, but when they leave the locker room all they hear about is Are they the greatest team of all time? Every day they get smacked in the face by all of us in the media and all of… you know, you haven't won a Super Bowl yet [and] they're answering questions about the greatest team of all-time. How difficult is that for you to deal with?
BB: In all honesty, Mike, I try to balance that out. I think that my voice, maybe, gets outweighed by some of the other ones on the outside…
MM: [Laughter]
BB: But I do my best to try to… just to point out – not really in a critical way, but just to point out all the things that we need to work on and need to improve on. And start with myself.
MM: To me that goes back a little bit to leadership, and you could get into a whole bunch of things off that, but who are the leaders in your locker room?
BB: Every player that owns a jersey. I think each player is a shareholder on our team. Each player that comes to work with a good attitude, that works hard, that puts the team first and that pays attention to the details, provides leadership in their own way. It doesn't have to be a team speech, they don't have to be a captain, but if they bring that kind of attitude and work ethic to the team, then that's positive leadership. And each one of us has a little slice of that pie and has a little role in it.
MM: Obviously, when you talk about leaders, you see a future Hall of Famer who is willing to redistribute his contract to help get players on the team, a guy like Tom Brady. How much does he filter through the locker room when you're talking about leadership and doing the right thing?
BB: I think Tom's a great leader on this football team. On and off the field, in-season, out-of-season, you name it. He sets a good pace for everybody.
MM: He's obviously a big-name guy. How about a couple of unsung heroes that the media isn't all over all that time, that you really appreciate because of their work ethic and what they bring?
BB: Well, it's so hard to single guys out, Mike. I think certainly the captains on our team, who have been recognized by our players as people that they see as the leaders. And this year we had a little bit of a different situation – the same number of offensive players and the same number of defensive players all voted for the same guy. And that was Junior Seau. And to me, that was the team saying to me, universally across the board, 'We have a lot of respect for this guy.' So we made him a captain, as well.
MM: Last year during draft weekend all we heard about was Randy Moss. That whole thing just exploded – 'How's he going to live with Bill Belichick?' and, 'How's he going to be in that locker room?' And since then what we've gotten is an All-Pro performance with no off-the-field issues. Can you walk me through that?
BB: Well, I love having Randy Moss on this football team. He's been a great leader from day one. He's got great skill, we all know that, but his work-ethic, his intelligence and his commitment are exceptional, as well. He's really a complete player.
MM: I think back 20 or 25 years ago, when I first met you, and I was scared to death of you and Bill Parcells.
BB: Come on.
MM: [Laughter] Are you kidding me? To this day, I hear these voices and I shake. But…
BB: [Laughter]
MM: [Laughter] You think I'm kidding. Man! I remember this kind of very tough, conservative football coach. You do it the right way, and all that stuff has survived till today. Do you ever take a step back and go, 'I just threw the ball 33 times in a row'? I mean, does that blow you away at all?
BB: Well, I think in '02 when we opened with the Steelers, we only threw it, I think it was 25 or 26 times in a row. That was a lot back in '02. The big thing is, I feel like offensively, we have to do what we need to do to move the ball. If it's throw it, throw it, and if it's run it, run it, and if it's something else, then it's something else. But it's just hard for me to be an advocate of, 'Well, we're going to run this play even though they have us out-numbered, they have us out-leveraged. It's really not a very good play, but it's our play, so we're going to run it.' I just have a hard time buying into that.
MM: Last question. What a wonderful season – one of the best season of all-time – but how would you categorize this season if it doesn't end with a Super Bowl win?
BB: Well, right now I think our focus is just this week on the Giants. We're very much focused on the present, and the past and the future, we can't do anything about. We're not worried too much about them. We'll deal with it when it comes, if it comes. In the meantime, we'll just try to put all of our energy into today's practice and then tomorrow's meetings the next day's game, and take it from there.
MM: I pretty much had that speech down from 25 years ago.
BB: [Laughter]
MM: Thank you.
BB: Thank you, Mike.
Bill Belichick's Win-Loss Record & Winning Percentage by Month
September: 15-11 (.777)
October: 23-10 (.697)
November: 23-9 (.719)
December/January: 29-7 (.805)
Rich Eisen: No matter how old the speech, it clearly works. Because since joining the Patriots in 2000, Bill Belichick's teams have improved with each month, culminating with a 29-7 record in December and January, and of course they go for their 30th win in that department tonight. The winningest head coach in NFL history, Don Shula, joins us right now. Don, your thoughts on Coach Bill Belichick. A lot was made of your comments on asterisks and things of that nature after 'Spy-Gate' earlier this year. What are your thoughts on Coach Bill Belichick as they stand right now?
Don Shula: I think he should be given credit for what the Patriots have done. I think that Bill is a great coach. The 'Spy-Gate' thing was unfortunate, but that's over and done with. That was after the first ball game of the season and since then, they've been playing by the same rules that everybody else has been playing with, and they should be given credit for that. I've known Bill for a long time. I knew his dad at the Naval Academy. I knew Bill when he was an intern with the Colts when Ted Marchibroda was the head coach. He's paid his dues; he's come up with hard way. He had a tough experience in Cleveland, he rebounded from that, and now he's at the top of the coaching profession. He deserves all the recognition he's getting.
RE: Coach, we appreciate the thoughts.
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