Who’s willing to argue against the idea Bill Belichick remains foremost among his peers?
The New England Patriots head coach sits atop the NFL head coaches power rankings list NFL Media’s Elliot Harrison published Monday. Belichick enters the 2019 season as the reigning Super Bowl champion, has the most wins, highest winning percentage and most titles of all active NFL head coaches. Belichick’s No. 1 position on Harrison’s list seems obvious, but the NFL analyst lays out his reasons, nevertheless.
“Not the most sneaky choice, eh? Interesting that when someone discusses Tom Brady’s career, we often hear it mentioned that he has led the Patriots to eight straight AFC Championship Games. Well, that incredible streak is just as much the head coach’s accomplishment as it is the quarterback’s. There are those who will always look at Belichick with skepticism — or outright disdain — due to the team’s videotaping scandal from the previous decade.
“Of course, it’s more difficult for those folks to discount what he achieved before becoming the head coach in New England. Belichick won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator for the Giants, which included crafting a game plan to defeat the high-octane Bills in Super Bowl XXV. He is also the only coach since 1990 to lead the Browns to a playoff victory. That should be good enough for a lifetime achievement award or something. Not sure how anyone can argue Belichick isn’t the top head coach in the game today, if not in NFL history.
As we stated earlier, there will be no argument against Belichick in this space.
For those wondering, these nine head coaches round out Harrison’s top 10.
2. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
3. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
4. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
5. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles
6. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
7. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
8. Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers
9. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
NFL fans can debate Nos. 2 through 8 all they want, but Belichick is secure at the top, regardless of what happens this season.
