The NFL has lost a great coach in Don Shula.
I was not a fan of the guy — how could I be? He coached the damn Dolphins. Nonetheless, he was a legendary figure in the league.
After coaching the Colts, he moved south to lead the Phins to a perfect season in 1972 and put together the famous No-Name Defense led by former Patriot Nick Buoniconti.
Download the MyTeams app for the latest Patriots news and analysis
If one of Bill Belichick’s reasons for remaining the HC of the NEP into his 70s (he is 68) is to catch Shula, it could backfire on him.
Shula has the most wins in league history with 347, playoffs included. Belichick has 304. There was no love lost between these guys, we know that.
Remember Shula calling Bill, “Beli-cheat?” Well, Belichick certainly does.
New England Patriots
Here's the problem. Bill’s desire to pass his antagonist could lead to disaster with regard to his legacy.
Listen and subscribe to Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast:
We have seen players hang around too long or come back when they shouldn’t.
Willie Mays is one. Michael Jordan backing down guys on the post in an ugly Wizards uni is not the way I remember MJ. And what about Rob Gronkowski? Have a feeling Gronk is going to regret coming out of retirement? I do. Remember Joe Gibbs and the Redskins? That dude should have stayed in the pits.
This very well could happen to the greatest coach of all-time. Tompa Brady has two more years, and then he is out. He will be OK with the Bucs because he has receivers and I can’t see TB12 embarrassing himself. The coach? Ehhhhh…
Belichick has 43 more wins to catch Shula, playoffs included. That’s at least four more seasons if he averages 10.3 wins a season. The new playoff format may help him, but this still puts him coaching into his earlier 70s. Yes, there is a chance Bill Belichick may wear out his welcome.
Right now, the Pats are in a re-build and 10 wins for this team next season is a stretch. Passing Don Shula may be an important part of the Bill Belichick legacy, but in the end may only tarnish it.