I’d hate to think what you would call the cheap shot Woodley took on Brady behind the back after he threw the ball.

I’m not going to argue that Belichick isn’t a good coach. I do believe he’s a good coach and a very good defensive co-ordinator. However, he’s not the “genius” that many claim. In fact, I would use the 2007 season as an example of him not being a genius. They set all sorts of offensive records that year and lost the Superbowl. You could make the statement that anyone out there coaching could have won with that roster. New England had the same defensive mindset, and the same offensive mindset – but lost to Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin. I’d hardly say Tom Coughlin is a great coach and I certainly do not consider Eli Manning to be a great quarterback. My point is Belichick would not be considered a “genius” without Tom Brady he would be just a regular coach that makes the playoffs on occasion and maybe wins a Superbowl. My list of his past records and playoff accomplishments are proof that he is incapable of winning without #12. Moving forward, during the 2008 season, the one you consider maybe the best in the Bill Belichick era – they lost handedly to the Steelers. Again, New England had the same defensive mindset, the same offensive mindset, and the same coach – but they were missing Tom Brady. The Browns of 2007 finished 10-6 with Derek Anderson as their QB – are you then trying to insinuate that Romeo Crennel is a genius – because you said and I quote “I am not sure there are anymore valuable players than Brady in the past decade, but I highly doubt any other coach could lead their team to an 11-5 record without a player of Brady’s caliber”. Or you could say – even a broken clock is right twice a day…

As an aside, it’s not ironic that Mike Vrabel played for the Steelers and was then considered a great New England Patriot linebacker – that’s a coincidence not irony. What would be ironic is if Mike Vrabel told one of his defensive partners to watch the chop block – but he himself was then a victim of a chop block.

The real test of his “greatness” will be how well Belichick and his Pat’s do when Brady retires. Many coaches are victims of circumstance – Barry Switzer, George Seifert, and Mike Tomlin to name a few. Some coaches try to work their “magic” elsewhere and it fails. This time Belichick turned the tide and succeeded due to Tom Brady. To argue against that is “ridicules and uninformed”

You could take two morals from the story you just started about Belichek. One could be that he is reliant upon Brady to be great. But the other is that even one of the greatest coaches of all-time could not make the lowly Browns worth a crap. I’ll take the latter after seeing him consistently out-coach the Steelers’ coaches, whether Cowher or Tomlin, the last 10 years.

I do agree with you to an extent about needing to be able to pass in today’s NFL. Because of all of the changes in the NFL rules to make it into a high-scoring, pass-friendly league, having a franchise quarterback is a must. I think Roethlisberger is that guy, but he needs to learn to pass quicker if he wants to become great like a Brady or Manning. However, I think the Steelers do need a balance, because Roethlisberger is most deadly on play actions and roll-outs. A run game is a must to fully utilize his talents.

Finally, I couldn’t agree more about the coaching staff. I don’t understand why the Steelers never seem to figure out a way to adjust to the short passing game that Brady excels at. Lebeau is a great defensive coordinator, but the zone blitz he is so famous for is completely obliterated everytime by quarterbacks who can throw quick, accurate passes. The Jets have had success when they bring pressure while playing man defense. Perhaps the Steelers cannot do this because of their personnel; I mean, Willie Gay is probably the worst cornerback in the league, but this still falls back on the coaching staff for not drafting some corners of quality.

In the end, our defense has become somewhat one-dimensional. Against most teams, it is good enough to win, and against many, it is good enough to dominate. But, against great quarterbacks (Brady and Brees), and even mediocre ones who make quick decisions (Colt McCoy), it is one of the worst in the league.