How Bill Belichick steered the Patriots to another Super Bowl

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are two nouns that just feel like they belong together.

This season has marked the 17th season of Patriot football under Belichick's control and we don't use the word control lightly, Belichick has manned this team like the captain of a well put together Ocean Liner. He is Boston's answer to Manchester United's Alex Ferguson.

The start of the 2016 season for the Patriots was not without its hiccups, Belichick's pride and joy Tom Brady would serve a four-game suspension for his alleged involvement in the 'Deflategate' scandal. Deflategate involved the allegation the Patriots tampered with the footballs used in the AFC championship game against the Colts in January 2015.

In the four games without Brady, New England went for three wins and one loss with two different quarterbacks at the helm, Jimmy Garoppolo who was later replaced by rookie Jacoby Brisett when he went down with an injury against Miami. Any argument made that it was Brady not Belichick as the main reason for New England's success was quickly swept aside.

A hungry Brady returned in week 5 to face the Cleveland Browns (the team who fired Belichick in his early coaching years) Brady and the Patriots won with relative ease like many of the their matchups apart from one blemish at home to a Hot Russell Wilson. In early November Bill Belichick in typical Bill Belichick fashion stamped his authority not for the first time in a move that would include the Browns. Jamie Collins, star Patriot Linebacker was traded for a third-round compensatory pick.

Anyone who really knew the New England Coach was not surprised by the trade, the team is always bigger than the individual for Belichick. Collins' play had dropped off and the defence was suffering. Deal done.

Travelling back to 2001, Drew Bledsoe was the starting quarterback for the Patriots with Brady as his back-up, when playing against the New York Jets Bledsoe got hurt and in came Tom Brady. The Patriots went on and won the Super Bowl that year but Bledsoe was still an accomplished and respected quarterback in many NFL circles with whom some thought should have had a chance to earn his job back after his recovery, mainly due the fact it was widely believed Belichick's defence was the catalyst for the great season not so much the play of Tom Brady. The sure minded Belichick decided to stick with Brady, the rookie sixth-round pick out of Michigan and let go veteran Bledsoe.

This year's first play-off game for the Patriots was a meeting with the Houston Texans and it was by no means perfect. Brady struggled against a gritty Houston defence and uncharacteristically threw two interceptions but the Patriots defence held tough and ground out the win by stopping Osweiler and the Texan's offence at almost every turn.

Next up for New England was the visit of the Pittsburgh Steelers, this time Belichick and co. meant business. The offense and the defence put on a footballing clinic. 36 to 17 the final score in this matchup.

One stat line in particular jumped off the page in this game and that was the 180 yard, 2 touchdown performance by wide receiver Chris Hogan. Hogan a former College Lacrosse player was signed to the Patriots from the Buffalo Bills on a three-year $12m dollar contract last off-season, well below the going rate for a receiver with these types of numbers.

Hogan is a great example of a player who may not be a star per say but has maximised their talent in the New England system just like Julian Edelman, Malcolm Butler and many others have done. This is truly a representation of the level of coaching in New England. The well-known mantra for the New England Patriots is 'do your job', a saying which may seem simple and obvious but it is almost a religion Belichick has installed into his teams year in year out to great effect. The big question is…. will the Patriots players do their job one more time for coach against the Atlanta Falcons at the Super Bowl in Houston?