Is McCarthy the problem?

[vince]

Last 5 Years Run Rate by Down in 4th Q with a Lead

.............1........2........3......4.......Win % in Those Games
NE........52.0...32.3...14.6...1.1.........95.2
GB........51.1...33.9...13.6...1.4.........92.0
League..50.1...33.8...15.0...1.1.........82.1

Not a lot of difference in approach across the league in reality but the notion that Bellichick acts differently with a lead in the 4th is incorrect.

NE and GB have historically (last decade or so) been the 2 best teams in the league in successfully closing games with 4th Q lead. Widely-held misperceptions about this have to be based on 1 or 2 memorable anomalies.

[mraynrand]

Widely-held misperceptions about this have to be based on 1 or 2 memorable anomalies.

More like 3 or 4. A lot of pain is contained in 3.2%

[pbmax]

Last 5 Years Run Rate by Down in 4th Q with a Lead

.............1........2........3......4.......Win % in Those Games
NE........52.0...32.3...14.6...1.1.........95.2
GB........51.1...33.9...13.6...1.4.........92.0
League..50.1...33.8...15.0...1.1.........82.1

Not a lot of difference in approach across the league in reality but the notion that Bellichick acts differently with a lead in the 4th is incorrect.

NE and GB have historically (last decade or so) been the 2 best teams in the league in successfully closing games with 4th Q lead. Widely-held misperceptions about this have to be based on 1 or 2 memorable anomalies.

Seriously, welcome back to the fray. But I have to set some time (probably during fantasy football prep) to dig in further to their records. The stuff you have dug up make it obvious the differences are not huge.