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Carroll Provides Mental Health. When Bill Parcells stepped down as the Patriots coach, you could sense a sigh of releaf from the players. When Parcells was the coach, he brought in a bully mentality. If the players didn't do what he said, they would end up in his near-impossible-to-get-out-of doghouse. One of those players was All-Pro Linebacker Chris Slade. Chris was stripped of his starting position because Parcells thought he wasn't good enough to start. After Pete Carroll was hired to replace Parcells, Chris said that he would have probably left because the situation here was so bad. Chris said, "I would have to think about it real hard to leave. It would have been even more difficult because I love it here." Parcells style of play did make us the team we are today, but he couldn't have done it without the players. His style brought a lot of pressure on the players to perform well. Some players compared the experience to being in the Army. When Carroll was brought in, some expected the Patriots to fail miserably...but we proved them wrong. Even while taking the heat for the offensive woes throughout the
QB Drew Bledsoe describes Carroll as an easy-going guy that prefers the players to learn effectively instead of harrassing them. Bledsoe said that he learns better with Pete as coach than he did when Parcells was here. Bledsoe said, "Bill did some great things that made us win and I thank him for that. He's a great coach, but I believe Pete can help us win." Having an easy learning environment was necessary last season when Pete was first brought in. Everything was new. The system, the offense, the defense...it was all new to them. Carroll said his defensive system would take 3 years to fully install. Late last year fans could see the strong points of the defense. That should continue on from the start of the season. If Bill Parcells would have been our coach for at least one more year, we wouldn't have some of the key players we have today. We would still have Curtis Martin, but we wouldn't have other great players like Chris Slade. ----- John Madden commented that the Patriots are the team to beat in the AFC East, but that the other teams have a chance to come out on top. If the Patriots can develop an effective running game with all the inexperienced running backs on the roster, we will be the likely favorite. |
