Today I found myself in a healthy debate with a fellow NFL fan about whether Bill Belichick or Tom Coughlin is the superior coach. He pointed to each coach's career regular season and playoff records, and rested on the understandable idea that the numbers do not lie. But...
Stats can only paint half the picture. Without context, they can be quite misleading, especially when comparing human beings.
The only professional boxer to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated and untied throughout his career was Rocky Marciano (he went 49-0). Would most boxing experts, including those who were around in the 50's, call him the greatest to ever live? Probably not. But he still has the best record ever, by a mile.
Jake Peavy has a better career ERA than Orel Hershiser. Who is the better pitcher? Obviously, no one would ever argue this point.
Kurt Warner is 1-2 in Super Bowls and Ben Roethlisberger is 2-1, but if you surveyed 10 NFL experts from the past 15 years, I can guarantee the majority would call Warner "better."
The St. Louis Rams have one more sack this year than do the Chicago Bears, but which defense is more feared? Would any quarterback in the NFL elect to face the Bears instead of the Rams, down, say 10 points in the 4th quarter?
My point is that context is essential to analyzing any stat, whether it's a record, an average, or a mere count. Just because one coach has more wins or championships or a better winning percentage does not guarantee his superiority. All of the material contributing factors should be considered.
In this case, Bill Belichick has had the benefit of the best owner and organization in the NFL. Bob Kraft, with his willingness to spend and his ambition to embrace his fans and ultimately to win, has put the pieces in place to provide Belichick the greatest opportunity for success. Coughlin, simply put, has not had such luck.
Also, Belichick has faced a notoriously easier division throughout his entire career as the Patriots head coach. He had the benefit of facing the Indianapolis Colts twice a year from 1996 until the divisional realignment in 2002. Just when Peyton Manning became a threat, he no longer had to face him twice. He also found himself looking across the field at the the hapless Buffalo Bills twice a year the past decade and a half. Literally Belichick stepped in just when Marv Levy stepped out. Imagine having to outcoach Wade Phillips, then Gregg Williams, then Mike Mularkey, then Dick Jauron, then Perry Fewell, then Chan Gailey. I mean, seriously, that is a list of some of the least awe-inspiring head coaches to grace the modern-day NFL. Belichick also enjoyed opposing the Miami Dolphins twice a year for his entire Patriots career. And you know who QB'd Miami those 15+ years? First, Belichick got the ugly end of Dan Marino's career. Then, he trotted Brady out there against Jay Fiedler, A.J. Feeley, Gus Frerotte, Sage Rosenfels, Daunte Culpepper, Cleo Lemon, Trent Green, John Beck, Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Tyler Thigpen, Matt Moore and now Ryan Tannenhill. Seriously?! Outside of Pennington, not one of these guys has ever been mentioned in the same sentence as "playoffs." The only remotely decent team Belichick has faced in the division in 16 years is the New York Jets, and that's not saying a whole lot.
Meanwhile, Coughlin has had to face the most consistently good division in all of football. Dallas and Philly (and even occasionally Washington) are perennial playoff contenders. Those teams are generally very solid on both sides of the ball, with marquee QBs and fairly decent coaches.
I could go on with even more examples of context, but I will conclude with probably the most compelling one of all: the playoff runs of Coughlin are far more impressive than any playoff run of Belichick, even the shocking run in the 2001 miracle season. In the 2007-08 playoffs, Coughlin knocked off the high-powered Cowboys in Dallas, and then somehow managed to beat the Packers in Lambeau in OT. Finally, he had to face Goliath in the greatest game ever played. And he handed them one Giant loss. In all 3 games, Coughlin's squad was a significant underdog. He did something almost as impressive at the end of the 2011 season. He repeated his result against the Packers in Lambeau, but this time in a blowout, and then, with a little luck, he squeaked by the very strong Niners in an amazing OT thriller. Finally, he toppled the Patriots again, and again as a dog. Coughlin has consistently beaten the NFL's best teams (not just of the current season, but spanning decades) in lose-or-go-home close games, usually with superior preparation and perfect game-planning.
Belichick's 2001 playoff run was benefited by a snow storm for the ages, and then Kordell Stewart, and then Mike Martz. Take away any of those, and no doubt his three offensive touchdowns in the 2001 playoffs would not have earned him a Super Bowl ring (yes, the Patriots only scored 3 offensive touchdowns the entire 2001-02 playoffs!). In 2003, his Pats knocked off the Titans and then the Colts to get to the Super Bowl. It's not his fault that he wasn't even close to being the underdog in either of those games, but even as a huge favorite in the Super Bowl that year, his team almost lost to the Jake Delhomme-led Carolina Panthers. This title run is nice, but unimpressive next to either of Coughlin's. His 2004 playoff run was eerily similar, and he eventually beat Donovan McNabb. Not Coughlin-esque. One year later, he lost in the playoffs to the Colts after having a 21-3 lead. In 2007, you know what happened-- Belichick failed to complete the perfect season. And then in 2011, Belichick was handed a gift trip to the Super Bowl by the Ravens' Lee Evans, but again underwhelmed the would-be believers.
My point? Belichick has more rings and a better record than Tom Coughlin, but who has done more with less? Who has scaled more unbelievable coaching mountains? Who has done the impossible? Who has let fewer people down? Who has exceeded all expectations? It's obviously debatable, but there's a very strong case out there for Tom Coughlin. If you're still on the Belichick bandwagon, try considering Coughlin's Boston College and Jacksonville Jaguar careers as well...
