Bill Belichick didn’t become one of the greatest minds in football by playing conventionally. The hoodie-wearing mastermind has made a career of bending the game to his will—be it through defensive schemes, personnel rotations, or, in one unforgettable case, using Mother Nature herself as a strategic advantage.
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Which is exactly what happened on December 6, 2021, at the Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. The Patriots met the Bills for a classic AFC East showdown, which turned into a chess match.
It was the windiest game of the season, and Belichick showed why he is called the GOAT. The final score read Patriots 14, Bills 10, but for those who watched, it was less about the numbers and more about a clinical display of coaching genius.
Rob Gronkowski, who spent nine seasons under Belichick’s watch in New England, still looks back on that game with awe. In his latest appearance on the Dudes on Dudes podcast, Gronk described the swirling wind conditions that defined that Monday Night Football clash:
“Absolute crazy winds in Buffalo. I’m talking about like how dare you throw the ball,” Gronk said, laughing. “And the Bills, they threw it a couple times and they completed a couple passes, but New England threw the ball just three times and they ran the ball 46 times for over 220 yards and they ended up winning that game 14 to 10.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. In a game where wind gusts reached 50-55 mph, Bill Belichick made the bold call to run almost every snap, 46 run plays to just three passes. Mac Jones, then a rookie quarterback, didn’t attempt his first throw until the final 90 seconds of the first half. He finished 2-of-3 for 19 yards, marking the fewest passes by a winning QB in over 30 years.
For Gronk, his former Patriots head coach’s decision wasn’t just gutsy—it was genius.
“You just saw that—Coach Belichick smile after the game like, ‘Yeah, I just outsmarted you with all my coaching decisions,’” he added. “So that just proves a point once again—when he knows to stick to a game plan, he sure does as well.”
And it worked to perfection. The Patriots racked up 222 rushing yards, including a 64-yard touchdown burst by Damien Harris. Meanwhile, Josh Allen went 15-of-30 for 145 yards and a touchdown, but struggled mightily against the conditions. Even the kickers weren’t spared— Tyler Bass missed a 33-yard attempt, and punts swirled unpredictably through the gusts.
This wasn’t the first time Belichick had outmaneuvered the Bills in bad weather. Back in 2008, with winds hitting 75 mph, New England pulled off a similar feat, barely throwing the ball and relying on smart, conservative football to grind out a win.
But the 2021 win was special. Apart from the difference in the quality of personnel, the Mac Jones-led win was a reminder that football isn’t always about flashy plays or big throws—it’s about adaptability. And few, if any, adapt better than Bill Belichick.
