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Most NFL teams were predictable. Coaches were creatures of habit. Most stuck with what they knew. Which was why Belichick not only wanted detailed scouting reports on opposing teams, but also opposing coaches. Few were smart and creative enough to unveil a surprise each week. That basic reality was a massive indictment of the entire industry, and hard to fathom. Bill Walsh once said that the 49ers’ true competition was not the entire league, but rather sever or eight smart teams. Jimmy Johnson, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the 1990s Dallas Cowboys and one of Belichick’s good friends, once told him, “If you just stay out of the way, the other 20 teams will screw it up themselves.” The Patriots cared little about the infant Houston Texans. The Colts, Broncos, Eagles, Jets, Chargers, Rams, Packers-those were the threats.
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Seth Wickersham (It's Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness)