Robert Griffin III warns New England about the ‘Patriot Way’ dying upon Bill Belichick’s removal as the Head Coach

The analyst does not see the iconic culture established by Bill Belichick continuing after he steps down.

Robert Griffin III warns New England about the ‘Patriot Way’ dying upon Bill Belichick’s removal as the Head Coach

Robert Griffin III believes the Patriots culture will change when Bill Belichick steps away from his role. (via ESPN/AP)

The sun has finally set upon the dynasty of the New England Patriots. The team that was once feared by its opponents, the team which left defensive coordinators scrambling for methods to prevent them from scoring, and drove offensive coordinators crazy in attempting to figure their defense out is now struggling. Head Coach Bill Belichick is 71 and the team is 2-7 this season.

Bill Belichick has not been able to recreate the same level of success with the team after the departure of Tom Brady. Owing to these past few disappointing seasons, the plea for him to either resign or be removed from his post as the HC is steadily garnering traction. Robert Griffin III addressed the Patriots situation on ESPN’s Get Up.

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Here is what he had to say:

He's the most accomplished coach of all time. I think he's earned the right to not just finish the season, but also to fix the problems that he has actually created.

The analyst brought up Belichick’s record without Tom Brady, he has won 81 games and lost 95. While he is close to breaking the record of Don Shula for having the most wins in NFL history, Bill Belichick is also close to breaking the NFL record for having the most losses.

Bill Belichick’s departure from New England would result in the demise of the infamous Patriot way

Robert Griffin III went on to add:

This is a bigger question about the Patriot way. If Bill Belichick gets fired or resigned after this year, the Patriot way dies with him.

For years, the culture in New England has been credited and dubbed as the reason for the team’s continued success. The infamous ‘Patriot Way’ involves Bill Belichick being a strict disciplinarian.

Robert Griffin III and Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick and Robert Griffin III (via AP/NYPost)

He does not make any special exceptions, he treats his best player and his worst player, a first-round draft pick and an undrafted free agent, all on the same footing. The culture is pure work and no-nonsense. However, in the past 3 years, this approach has no longer worked the same way it used to.

Griffin III then went on to add:

Players don't respond the same way that they did when he first got into coaching. They respond to a different stimulus. I want to respect Bill Belichick for what he has done and what he has brought to the game has changed it forever.

The analyst cited the examples of his assistant coaches who saw immense success when they were with the Patriots but the moment they shifted to other teams in better positions, they did not enjoy the same degree of success. Josh McDaniels is the best example, he was a great OC in New England but his stint with the Raiders as a Head Coach did not go well.

This is the primary reason why Robert Griffin III stated that Bill Belichick is the Patriot way. Without him, even the people who have stayed with him and learnt the A-Z of football will not be able to keep the Patriot way going forward. Griffin III concluded by stating, “Once he’s done in New England, the Patriot Way dies with him.”

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