In 2020 and 2021 as part of its health and safety protocols during the pandemic, NFL teams moved most of its team meetings to Zoom.
Like many workplaces, NFL team facilities got a little quiet as players and coaches connected from home. That was Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots’ first season without Tom Brady, but even the combination of that departure plus socially distanced game-planning wasn’t enough to stop Belichick from winning more than half his games throughout those two seasons.
Video streaming delays proved to be much more of an issue during Belichick’s debut on the ManningCast in Week 1 of the NFL season, the most high-profile of Belichick’s seemingly endless list of media jobs this year.
Repeatedly, Belichick and hosts Peyton and Eli Manning talked over one another, the Hall of Famers’ brilliant observations canceled out by the sound of each other’s voices. Without the three years of experience that the Manning brothers have or the rhythms of an interview that benefit most ManningCast guests, Belichick had a hard time embracing the relaxed analysis that makes the ESPN2 alt-cast fun.
Nearly every time he started to make a point about the exciting New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers matchup, Belichick was interrupted by Peyton trying to tee him up. They both had the right idea, but at a certain point, all Eli could do was laugh.
The timing improved after the first commercial break when Belichick took matters into his own hands to make sure he got his observations out.
After multiple third-down conversions by Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, Belichick started repeating “ WILSON ” like a defensive coordinating wizard (or Tom Hanks in Cast Away ). When he wanted a replay angle to highlight San Francisco’s dominant offensive line, Belichick bossed the Omaha Productions crew into giving him a view from the sideline .
Once Belichick and the Manning brothers started, the conversation delivered. Both retired QBs have a long history with Belichick. Eli beat him in two Super Bowls while Peyton was the Patriots’ chief rival throughout its dynasty.
Belichick and Peyton may as well see the game through the same set of eyes pre-snap. Especially getting to call a game quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, the two were in heaven dissecting what Rodgers was seeing at the line of scrimmage and how he was manipulating it. Belichick picked up where Jason Kelce left off pregame on Monday Night Countdown , breaking down how 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan disguises his offensive formations using the versatility of his offensive players. And Eli did his best to keep the conversation on track with reminders on time, score, and situation, the closest thing the ManningCast has to its own Joe Buck.
Earlier in the day on ESPN during his weekly guest spot on The Pat McAfee Show , Belichick got to relax even more and field questions from McAfee’s crew about Sunday’s games. They got good stuff from the second-winningest coach in NFL history, including a great perspective on Brady and an inside look at how he handled the long NFL season as a coach.
The football nerd-out on the ManningCast could eventually suit Belichick even better… if they can sort out the delays. With the game rolling live and two smart former players to bounce ideas off of, the ManningCast is perfect for Belichick. Where his former copilot Brady struggled to see the full field and fit his takes into small windows on Fox over the weekend , Belichick seemed to see everything as it happened, like he was in the NFL version of the Matrix.
With the whole first half to spread his wings going forward on the ManningCast this season, Belichick will get more comfortable with the remote broadcast. His chemistry with the Mannings will improve.
In Week 1, Belichick took everyone back to 2020 with those awkward video call pauses we’d all prefer to forget. But his brain, his interest, and his awareness weren’t on a delay at all.
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