SUPKEM
Try? "There is no 'Try;' Do or do not"
Shula backs Belichick: Downplaying streak is perfect approach
By Michael Felger/ Patriots Insider
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
FOXBORO - At some point the Patriots are going to have to admit they've won 17 straight games - and counting. They're going to have to acknowledge their place in the NFL history books. They can't deny it forever, can they?
the Pats have merely won one game 17 times. That's the company line, and it permeates the locker room, where every player is told not to believe the hype.
According to one former coach who knows a thing or two about streaks, that's the only approach to take.
``Bill has taken the right attitude,'' Don Shula said yesterday. ``He's not worried about the streak. He's worried about the next game. And that's what you have to do. I think Bill has done the best coaching job in football. Bar none.''
Fans will be hearing a lot about Shula and his former Miami teams in the coming weeks, as the Dolphins are in the record book twice for most consecutive victories and their perfect 1972 season remains the gold standard for winning football.
Shula said he, too, kept the big picture off-limits to his players. But he also admitted the weight of the streak ultimately had to be addressed. And at that point he used it to his advantage.
``Somewhere along the line we really had a chance to make history,'' Shula said. ``We had a chance to do something no one else had ever done, and that became another way to motivate the players.''
The Pats will try to tie the unofficial NFL record of 18 straight wins (shared by six teams) when they travel to Buffalo Oct. 3. The official league record counts only regular-season games, with the 1933-34 Chicago Bears owning the top spot with 17 consecutive wins. The 1971-73 and 1983-84 Dolphins are second with 16 straight. The Pats currently have 14.
Shula said he sees similarities between the Pats and his '72 Dolphins.
``Somehow the Patriots figure out a way to win,'' Shula said. ``I mean, that game in Miami last year? How do they win that game? Olindo Mare misses a couple of field goals and they make the play at the end. They find a way. And that's something, to an extent, we did as well.''
Meanwhile, the comparison between the 2003-04 Patriots and the '72 Dolphins is a tough one given the different eras. On one hand, the Pats have beaten more good teams during their streak (10 with records above .500) than the Dolphins did (five). On the other, the Dolphins finished first in the league in points scored, points allowed, offense, defense and margin of victory.
Unlike some of his former players, Shula doesn't root against teams to lose so the Dolphins can keep their place in the record book. There is no champagne for Shula. However, ask him what's a more impressive streak, and there's no question he sides with his undefeated Dolphins.
Said Shula: ``Let's put it this way. When you do something no one has ever done, that says something, doesn't it?''
( Michael Felger can be reached at mfelger@bostonherald.com. )
By Michael Felger/ Patriots Insider
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
FOXBORO - At some point the Patriots are going to have to admit they've won 17 straight games - and counting. They're going to have to acknowledge their place in the NFL history books. They can't deny it forever, can they?
the Pats have merely won one game 17 times. That's the company line, and it permeates the locker room, where every player is told not to believe the hype.
According to one former coach who knows a thing or two about streaks, that's the only approach to take.
``Bill has taken the right attitude,'' Don Shula said yesterday. ``He's not worried about the streak. He's worried about the next game. And that's what you have to do. I think Bill has done the best coaching job in football. Bar none.''
Fans will be hearing a lot about Shula and his former Miami teams in the coming weeks, as the Dolphins are in the record book twice for most consecutive victories and their perfect 1972 season remains the gold standard for winning football.
Shula said he, too, kept the big picture off-limits to his players. But he also admitted the weight of the streak ultimately had to be addressed. And at that point he used it to his advantage.
``Somewhere along the line we really had a chance to make history,'' Shula said. ``We had a chance to do something no one else had ever done, and that became another way to motivate the players.''
The Pats will try to tie the unofficial NFL record of 18 straight wins (shared by six teams) when they travel to Buffalo Oct. 3. The official league record counts only regular-season games, with the 1933-34 Chicago Bears owning the top spot with 17 consecutive wins. The 1971-73 and 1983-84 Dolphins are second with 16 straight. The Pats currently have 14.
Shula said he sees similarities between the Pats and his '72 Dolphins.
``Somehow the Patriots figure out a way to win,'' Shula said. ``I mean, that game in Miami last year? How do they win that game? Olindo Mare misses a couple of field goals and they make the play at the end. They find a way. And that's something, to an extent, we did as well.''
Meanwhile, the comparison between the 2003-04 Patriots and the '72 Dolphins is a tough one given the different eras. On one hand, the Pats have beaten more good teams during their streak (10 with records above .500) than the Dolphins did (five). On the other, the Dolphins finished first in the league in points scored, points allowed, offense, defense and margin of victory.
Unlike some of his former players, Shula doesn't root against teams to lose so the Dolphins can keep their place in the record book. There is no champagne for Shula. However, ask him what's a more impressive streak, and there's no question he sides with his undefeated Dolphins.
Said Shula: ``Let's put it this way. When you do something no one has ever done, that says something, doesn't it?''
( Michael Felger can be reached at mfelger@bostonherald.com. )
