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This is the Brian Bosworth Syndrome. As SoS has pointed out, players need motivation for each week, especially the non-marquee matchups or divisional ones they usually win. There is a boost to the team confidence by bold brash statements, but it also motivates your opponents. I'd rather Landry didn't say it, but hey, if it makes the difference in winning 2 more games earlier in the season before we even play New England because the players believe in themselves ... then it can be a net positive.
Belichick is smart to use bulletin-board material ... as almost every NFL coaching staff does. The talent difference in this league is not huge like the media would have you believe. Getting your players motivated and having them operating as a team within your scheme is huge.
The Dolphins had the best example of this in a defensive coordinator named Bill Arnsparger. He was phenomenal. His systems weren't hugely better. His players weren't hugely better. Both were very good. But why he always had success was because he made sure that his players knew exactly what to do and drilled it into them until they played almost mental-error-free football, and dominated on defense. Arnsparger put his athletes into roles that utilized their gifts and minimized their weaknesses. Belichick does the same thing.
But at the end of the day, if your guys are playing at 75% of their ability, you're going to lose. Getting them to play at 90% of their ability usually means you'll win. That bulletin-board motivation is important. The regular season is full of games players aren't really motivated for, so it's the duty of the coaching staff to manufacture a real reason to make the player 100% committed to training, 100% committed to learning their opponent and gameplan, and be ready to give 100% on game day.
Belichick is smart to use bulletin-board material ... as almost every NFL coaching staff does. The talent difference in this league is not huge like the media would have you believe. Getting your players motivated and having them operating as a team within your scheme is huge.
The Dolphins had the best example of this in a defensive coordinator named Bill Arnsparger. He was phenomenal. His systems weren't hugely better. His players weren't hugely better. Both were very good. But why he always had success was because he made sure that his players knew exactly what to do and drilled it into them until they played almost mental-error-free football, and dominated on defense. Arnsparger put his athletes into roles that utilized their gifts and minimized their weaknesses. Belichick does the same thing.
But at the end of the day, if your guys are playing at 75% of their ability, you're going to lose. Getting them to play at 90% of their ability usually means you'll win. That bulletin-board motivation is important. The regular season is full of games players aren't really motivated for, so it's the duty of the coaching staff to manufacture a real reason to make the player 100% committed to training, 100% committed to learning their opponent and gameplan, and be ready to give 100% on game day.
