Belichick Using Matt Patricia to Prep Him for 'Manningcast' is the Most Belichickian Move Ever

Michael J. Ivins. Getty Images.

If there's one reason everyone of the last 25 years who could honestly call themselves a Patriots fan would gladly, without hesitation, take a bullet for Bill Belichick and then carry him through a crowd like Kevin Costner did to Whitney Houston, it is this. No matter what the situation, no matter how inconsequential a moment might seem, no matter how small the

minutiae, he never, ever halfassed it. He was never unprepared for any eventuality

From sending Ernie Adams down to the field to check the snow on the ground and realize a visiting team wasn't wearing the proper footgear (a 59-0 win over Tennessee in 2009) to grilling the referee over how long it exactly it would take to close the roof of the dome after the jet flyover (Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta), the devil was always in the details with the coaching GOAT.

And he's not about to let a little thing like getting fired from his job after a quarter century change that. Take his on the Manningcast, for instance. If Peyton and Eli invited a 1,000 football pundit on there, 999 would see the show for what it is. A casual hang. An exercise in grabassery as an alternative to often boring Monday night games. More improv comedy than an actual NFL broadcast. Belichick is that lone exception. As sharp-eyed viewers noted last night, he came prepared:

A printed GMail message titled "Manningcast Questions," compiled by the equally unemployed Matt Patricia. If that isn't peak Belichick, I don't know what is. He's not only scouting this show like it's The Greatest Show on Turf 2001 Rams, he's got his staff working on it. It's probably how he was able to identify an illegal formation by the Ravens a full three seconds before the flags came flying:

Of course, like any disciple of the Belichickian philosophy, I love it. But at the same time, it's a reminder of one of his greatest strengths that was often a weakness: His fierce and unwavering loyalty to his own. Often times it worked out great. Ernie, for sure. Rehiring Josh McDaniels after he flamed out in Denver. Reacquiring players who cashed in on their free agency once their price went down, and so on. 

But all too often, he stayed beholden to certain guys who weren't the best choices. Think Urban Meyer, who kept recommending his players in the draft who turned out disastrous. And, though I hate to say it, Patricia. He not only brought him back into the fold after the defensive debacle that was the Super Bowl against the Eagles, he made him offensive coordinator. Mac Jones' Pro Bowl career then immediately careened off a railroad bridge, crashed at the bottom of a gorge, and has never recovered. But that's not going to stop this friendship. Or shake The Hooded One's faith in Patricia's ability to prep him for this little ESPN2 show. When you hire him to add color and insight to your sportstalk chucklefest, you're getting the whole package. The analysis. The attention to detail. And the 16 hour work days of his staff, getting him as prepped to face the Mannings as he ever was when he, well … faced the Mannings. 

Let's just put every NFL franchise who's considering hiring him, he comes as a package deal. You want Belichick, you're getting Patricia, Joe Judge, and everyone who's ever been loyal back to him. Until then, let's enjoy these last few weeks of his broadcasting career. He's the best ever to do this as well.