Former New England Patriots executive Michael Lombardi knows a thing or two about Bill Belichick’s methods to prepare for a season.
The 2020 season in particular, will have an extremely different feel to it. The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt of group gatherings, and training camp could very likely be shortened or altered. With all of this in consideration — Tom Brady is no longer the team’s quarterback.
Second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham is up and has a lot to learn before stepping on the field in September. Lombardi explained the intense preparation Stidham will endure on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria”.
“I think you put him under a lot of pressure situations as best you can in practice,” Lombardi said. “I think you have to turn the heat up on him. You have to throw volume at him. You have to see if he can respond. I mean, that is what they will do. They will make sure he can handle it every single day. It will not be a picnic. It will not be fun. He’ll come in, (he’s) going to have to do his job. It’s no different — they put pressure on Navy SEALs every single day when they are in training. That is exactly what happens. They are going to do that every single day.”
The Patriots put their trust in Stidham by deferring to draft a quarterback or sign one in free agency. They invested high draft picks in the defense and already carry one of the best secondaries in the league. Belichick will likely put out a run-heavy team that relies on excellent defense and special teams.
“The reality to me is the Patriots are a three-dimensional team,” he said. “They play really well in the kicking game. They play really well on defense and they play really well on offense. And they find ways to win games depending on who their opponent is. I believe they also do things that most NFL teams don’t. I know this is going to sound really, really simple, but they don’t lose games before they play them. They don’t give games away. I think in the NFL if you don’t give games away, you have a chance to win seven or eight games alone. I think they have too great of a coach, too great of a coaching staff to think they are going to win five or six games.”
Stidham will have a lot to learn before the season, but he has the coaching staff to put him in the right position.
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