New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a master of motivation. He’s going to take a negative, like Tom Brady departing, and turn it into a positive.
During a conversation with the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian, retired Patriots safety and NBC Sports NFL analyst Rodney Harrison explained how Belichick will spin the departure of Brady.
“(Belichick) might bring up a couple articles … everybody saying it’s over, Brady this, Brady that,” Harrison told the Herald. “Of course he’ll have something to say about that.
Harrison added: “He knows the team will be motivated to prove they can win without Tom … It’s not just talk, not with the Patriots. It’s a chip you carry in the weight room, you carry in the film room, in the dining room, you carry at home watching extra film, it’s a chip that motivates you. It’s motivating for people to say you can’t win without Brady. I know I would be pissed. … So these guys are going to be motivated, pumped up and ready to go.”
Belichick knows how to motivate his players. He often points to skepticism surrounding the team — even when there isn’t much to be found — to pump up his players. But in this case, there are plenty of doubters who don’t believe in New England. Surely, those headlines and TV clips will find their way to Patriots players in an effort to make sure they play with a chip on their shoulders during the 2020 NFL season.
While it seems like such a simple tactic, it has worked. Harrison will attest to that.
