How Great Was Bill Belichick, Really?

It was over before it was over. Last Sunday, in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots trailed 6–0 with just over two minutes remaining. The Patriots’ quarterback Bailey Zappe hurled a desperate pass to a double-covered receiver. It bounced off the crowd of bodies and to the ground—a turnover on downs. On the sideline, the team’s head coach, Bill Belichick, pulled back his headset and wiped his nose with his hand. The rain was cold and steady. The sodden pompom on his beanie had sunk into the folds of his wet cap.