CLEVELAND — It has come to be known as “The Patriot Way.”
Since Bill Belichick took over as coach of the New England Patriots prior to the 2000 season, he has become synonymous with one simple phrase, “Do your job,” and it is a mantra that has guided the organization to nine Super Bowl appearances and six of those trips resulted in victories.
“They do their job,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said. “I think everybody does their job.
“I think everybody takes pride in the fact that they do their job and they can trust each other to do their job. Once you get to that point, of course your success goes up because your reliability goes up and dependability goes up and your accountability goes up, so it all works hand-in-hand. They’re one of the best, maybe the best.”
From afar, Kitchens has marveled at the Patriots’ success and was quick to credit their ability to get the best out of everyone every day.
“They’ve done a tremendous job throughout the years of doing that, so I know it’s not a surprise to anyone anymore,” Kitchens said. “When guys leave there, it seems like they’re not as good of players as they were when they were there.
“Hats off to everything they do from an organization standpoint, certainly coaching, evaluating, everything. In every aspect, they’re kind of the staple of what you’re shooting for. When you relate it to the success that they’ve had, it’s tremendous. You tell me any weaknesses. There are no weaknesses.”
Over the last 20 years, the combination of Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady has been responsible for the six Super Bowl victories, 16 AFC East Division championships, including 10 straight coming into 2019, and a home-field advantage unlikely any other in the National Football League.
Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, the Patriots have the NFL’s best home record, and it is not even close.
Including the postseason, the Patriots have posted a 137-24 record at Gillette Stadium, good enough for an .851 winning percentage. The Seattle Seahawks are the next closest team to the Patriots, and they have a 107-44 record in home games.
That kind of consistent success virtually was unheard of in the NFL when Belichick and Brady began their run together in New England, but now, it is a standard the Patriots have set and try to live up to every season.
“The best coaching in National Football League history probably,” Kitchens said. “Look at the Super Bowls. That’s what you strive to do, to be what they are on every level. I don’t see many weaknesses anywhere there.”
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Currently, the Patriots lead the AFC East with an unblemished 7-0 record, and they are coming into Sunday’s game after a 33-0 victory over the New York Jets, which extended New England’s winning streak over first and second-year quarterbacks to 20 straight games.
Already, the Patriots have generated four interceptions in a game three times in just seven outings this year and find themselves more than halfway to their record-setting franchise mark of 31, which was set in the 1964 season.
“They’re as good as their record indicates,” Kitchens said. “You are what your record is, and they’re 7-0. The numbers are one thing, but then, when you put the tape on and you see how they’re getting pressures, you see how they’re getting sacks, you see how they’re getting interceptions, all that kind of correlates.”