Patriots notebook

Belichick is sold on methods of Parcells

By Adam Kilgore

Globe Staff / November 5, 2009

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FOXBOROUGH - From three decades of experience, much of it firsthand, Bill Belichick knows well what a team run by Bill Parcells looks like. When he watches film of the Miami Dolphins, the tape reveals Parcells’s imprint, all of the familiar aspects.

“Any of them?’’ Belichick asked. “All of them. Every single one of them.’’

Parcells arrived in Miami in late December 2007, being named executive vice president of football operations, a wordy title that made him the czar of football. He took over a mess of a team that would finish 1-15. The overhaul began immediately, with Parcells bringing in his coaches and his style of players. Last year, despite starting 2-4, the Dolphins won 11 games and the AFC East crown.

The transition is already complete. The roster is chock-full of quick edge rushers, huge linemen, and powerful running backs - the staples of Parcells teams dating to his days with the Giants in the 1980s.

Parcells started by hiring coach Tony Sparano, who had coached under him in Dallas. He brought in Jeff Ireland, another Cowboys staffer, as his top personnel man. The coaching and front office staff is littered with people who were with Parcells in Dallas: secondary coach Todd Bowles, assistant director of player personnel Brian Gaine, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, and offensive coordinator Dan Henning.

“I think everything Bill believes in is evident there,’’ Belichick said. “Start with the coaching staff. He hired Sparano, who was with him in Dallas. Henning, they’ve been together since ’72 at Florida State. You can go right down the line. A lot of those guys have connections to Bill.’’

Belichick first learned Parcells’s style in 1981, when Parcells joined the Giants as defensive coordinator and Belichick was a defensive assistant. Belichick would serve under Parcells for 14 years with three teams. Perhaps no one knows Parcells’s preferences as well as Belichick.

“The players they bring in are all the kind of players he likes,’’ said Belichick. “The defensive linemen are big. They’re all strong. All the outside linebackers can rush. The corners are big. The running backs are big. The tackles are big. They’re a big, powerful team.

“They have ‘Bill Parcells’ stamped all over it, no question about it. That’s what Bill believes in. He has a great philosophy, and it works for him. And it should work for him.

“Look at Dallas. It’s the same thing. They go down there and they get DeMarcus Ware, some big defensive linemen. All the guys they had there, they’ve either moved on to Miami or they’re still in Dallas.

“The Giants, New England, Dallas, Miami, the Jets - it’s a lot of the guys or the same type of guys. It’s worked for him every place he’s been. There’s no way he’s going to change it. There’s no way he should change.’’

Braced for action?

The starting defensive end position, vacated because of Jarvis Green’s knee surgery, will be in capable hands Sunday. Mike Wright is a versatile, experienced lineman who has started three games this year and leads the Patriots in sacks with four.

And yet the Patriots face a challenge without Green. He has played 295 snaps this year, more than any other defensive lineman. Their depth behind Wright, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren is a pair of rookies, Myron Pryor and Ron Brace.

Brace especially will be counted on to take a step forward. A second-round choice, Brace has been inactive the past four weeks and has not played since Week 2; and he’s played five snaps, making one tackle, all year long. For the Patriots to carry five linemen, Brace will have to be active.

After a slow start, this is the week Brace can validate the Patriots selecting him 40th overall out of Boston College. Against a physical, run-first offense like the Dolphins, the Patriots are in for a demanding day.

Depth is particularly important on the defensive line for the Patriots, given how their linemen are expected to take on blocks in their 3-4 scheme. The Patriots seemingly will need Brace to play and play well.

Defensive coordinator Dean Pees gave Brace a positive endorsement earlier in the week, saying his lack of playing time owed simply to matchups against certain teams. Belichick followed suit yesterday.

“Ron works hard,’’ Belichick said. “Ron has certainly improved a lot since the end of the preseason. He’s a big kid. He’s got good athletic ability. He’s got good playing strength. Like every young player, he needs technique work, reaction. He’s gotten better at playing different blocking combinations and different responsibilities that we have in our defense.

“It’s a tough situation for any rookie. At this point in the season, really he has to do a lot more things than he had to do in September. We’re doing more, and our opponents are doing more.’’

The out crowd

Linebacker Adalius Thomas returned to practice yesterday after not participating Tuesday. The Patriots who did not participate were wideout Julian Edelman (forearm), Green (knee), tackle Matt Light (knee), running back Sammy Morris (knee), running back Fred Taylor (ankle), defensive end Ty Warren (ankle), and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite (illness). Tight end Benjamin Watson (back) had limited participation while Tom Brady and Randy Moss were both listed on the official practice report with shoulder injuries, but each participated in full . . . For the Dolphins, linebacker Channing Crowder (shoulder) and defensive tackle Jason Ferguson (elbow) had limited participation in practice . . . One key to defending Miami’s Wildcat formation is identifying the personnel the Dolphins put on or take off the field before a play. Pees may have an advantage. Since Week 6 against the Titans, Pees has called the defense from the press box, not his former place on the sideline. The perch will allow him to more easily identify which players the Dolphins are employing. “You definitely can see it a little quicker in the booth,’’ Belichick said. “When you’re down on the field, you’re basically waiting to have somebody tell you what the personnel grouping is.’’ . . . In the second meeting last year, the Dolphins used single coverage on Moss, and he caught eight passes for 125 yards and three TDs. Will they use the same strategy this year? “I’m not going to tell you what we’re going to do one way or the other,’’ Sparano said. “But that didn’t work out so good.’’