In First is Worst in NFL Draft, the discussion hinged around the personnel department and draft strategy. But there’s more to winning Super Bowls than trying to obtain the best players. Those players have to develop into better players. They also have to execute on their role in the strategy outlined by the coaching staff.
The groceries matter
In his 3rd season as the Patriots Head Coach, The Big Tuna and Robert Kraft, then a “green” NFL owner, had a falling out. The rift was caused by differences of opinion on personnel decision making. Reportedly, Parcells wanted to draft Tony Brackens in 1996 but was over-ruled by Kraft, leading to the team selecting Terry Glenn. By the time the Pats reached Super Bowl XXXI, there was a media frenzy stirring over The Tuna’s imminent departure. New England lost the game.
In “The Two Bills“, ESPN 30 for 30’s documentary on Parcells and Belichick, Parcells concedes that he should have handled the situation better. But to me, his classic quote about buying the groceries is an insightful analogy for the importance of matching personnel with strategy.
The best chefs are adamant about the ingredients they use in the dishes they create. Selecting the proper ingredients is important to the meal you envision on the plate. Varying the type and amount of certain ingredients has an effect on how the dish tastes. To the trained palate, these variables can make a big difference. The best NFL coaches have a trained football palate.
The groceries are part of the system
The best hedge fund managers view their operation as a system designed to produce returns. The best NFL coaches and organizations do the same. They build a system deliberately designed to win championships. The best systems have clear objectives, a repeatable process for achieving those objectives, and the proper resources for implementing that strategy.
If the cornerstone of your offense is a passing game built on timing then you need receivers who run precise routes and an accurate quarterback. Offenses built to control the clock implement this strategy with a big offensive line and good running backs. The players match the strategy. Defense is no different.
“Running a football team is not unlike running any other business: you start first with a structural format and basic philosophy and then find the people who can implement it.” – Bill Walsh
Football organizations who think in systems enhance their competitive edge through synergies. Obtaining players who are suited to your style of play makes the strategy more effective. It also helps the players live up to their full potential. It creates a positive feedback loop.
Bringing it all together
Winning Super Bowls requires competitive edges. Those edges predominantly come from a combination of better strategy, better players, and better execution. Instead of thinking about each of those categories in isolation, the systems thinker views them as a series of interconnected parts.
When the parts don’t fit together the full potential of the system cannot be achieved. When the individual components fit together the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.