Raiders Opponent HC Spotlight: Bill Belichick

The Las Vegas Raiders will take on one of the greatest coaches of all time, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Raiders want to keep their winning ways going when they welcome the New England Patriots to Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

These two teams have many similarities, as Coach Josh McDaniels and General Manager Dave Ziegler spent several years in the Patriots’ organization, winning multiple Super Bowls together.

McDaniels made a name for himself as the offensive coordinator in New England under Coach Bill Belichick. The 71-year-old is considered one of the greatest coaches the game of football has ever seen.

Belichick is in his 24th season as head coach of the Patriots, but he has been coaching for nearly 50 years. Since taking over the Patriots in 2000, Belichick has a 263-112 record with six Super Bowl victories.

He is the second-winningest coach in NFL history, behind only Don Shula, the legendary Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins head coach. Belichick’s six Super Bowls are the most by any head coach in NFL history.

Belichick is a defensive-minded coach who runs a 3-4 base defense and deploys man-to-man coverage most of the time. According to Pro Football Focus, the Patriots have the fourth-highest rate of man coverage in the league in 2023. He also sends blitzes on over 37 percent of drop-backs this season, the fourth-most in the NFL.

Offensively, the Patriots have thrown the ball much more often than they have run it this season, passing on 62 percent of plays in 2023. They often come out in 11 personnel, which is one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers, but mix in a fair amount of 12 personnel, which is one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers.

Belichick has had several coaches from his tree become head coaches in the NFL, but very few have had consistent success. McDaniels is looking to change those fortunes in his time with the Raiders.

Belichick has a 7-2 record against the Raiders in his career, the first being the infamous “Tuck Rule” game in the 2001 AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. The teams played last season, and the Raiders emerged victorious in walk-off fashion.

While he is one of the greatest coaches of all time, Belichick has not been very successful in the last few years. Since quarterback Tom Brady left the Patriots after the 2019 season, Belichick is only 26-29 and has made the playoffs once in those four seasons. The Patriots are 1-4 this season with a minus-76 point differential, the lowest in the AFC.

The Raiders gained confidence after their victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 5, and are looking to defeat Belichick and the reeling Patriots for the second year in a row. 

The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next week to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.

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