We're in Good Hands With Mike!

John G Mabanglo. Shutterstock Images.

It has been said that "A bad NFL coach makes the players fit into his scheme instead of scheming for what his players do best."

In addition to the lack of discipline and weak roster, the New England Patriots' fall from grace over the past five years might've been more about coaching than talent.

During Belichick's glory years, he drafted players who fit nicely into his schemes. After Brady left and other players left or not resigned, the new breed of young players had specific skill sets and couldn't execute well in Belichick's scheme. 

Many failed Patriots have moved on and been very successful playing under different coaches who utilized them according to their specific skill sets.

Certainly, some players who were great in college failed miserably in the NFL. But in New England, it seems to be happening at an alarming rate.

Belichick, for all his greatness, was unable to scheme based on the talent he had. He stuck with his system, and many highly regarded players consistently failed in New England. Jerod Mayo wasn't any better at it; he and his coaching staff failed miserably.

If you draft young players and sign free agents with skill sets that fit your schemes, you will be successful. But if you draft players and sign free agents based on talent alone, hoping they'll be able to adjust and fit into your scheme, your team could end up 4-13 two years in a row…

Being a longtime Patriots fan, I was pulling for Mike Vrabel from jump street, and I was disappointed Kraft hired an inexperienced coach to lead his team post-Belichick.

I feel good, somewhat rejuvenated, that Kraft came to his senses and hired an experienced coach who will instill his work ethic, toughness, and culture into this young team. Hopefully, Mike Vrabel has surrounded himself with enough experienced coaches, and together, they will scheme for what their players do best. Having Drake Maye under center provides them with a great deal of flexibility.

Interesting fact: As a player, Mike Vrabel caught 12 passes in his career, all for touchdowns. 10 with New England (2 in Super Bowl wins), and 2 with Kansas City. It's safe to say no one will EVER break that record.

We're in good hands with Mike!