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As the New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets on Sunday, all eyes turned to Bill Belichick. This was not an ordinary win where the Patriots defeated their division rivals. The win sent Bill Belichick to the second spot among all NFL coaches with the most wins.
He could finally soak in a win that had been far from straightforward. Against the New York Jets, the first quarter saw none of the teams scoring a touchdown. But in the second quarter, the Jets pulled ahead with a touchdown and led the Patriots 10-6 going into half-time.
However, a magnificent third quarter saw the Patriots score 13 points to establish a lead that they would never relinquish. They eventually closed out the game 22-17. The final score meant that the Patriots are 4-4 after Week 8 of the season and Bill Belichick climbed one spot in the record books.
So, which illustrious company does he join in the record books? Here are the top 3 coaches of all time who have the most NFL wins.
#3 - George Halas, 324 wins
George Halas, also known as Papa Bear, is third on the list of the most successful NFL coaches with 324 wins. He was simultaneously a player, coach, and administrator for the Chicago Bears during their earliest days. That is what earned him the moniker.
When he stepped back in 1930 from playing and coaching, he still remained the owner. The Great Depression meant that the 1932 championship-winning coach Curley Jones could not be retained and George Halas came in to coach for his second stint.
This time, he was immensely successful as he created the T-formation that revolutionized the game.
After the Second World War, he joined the Chicago Bears again, coaching them for two separate decades and winning the title in each of his stints. His last title was in 1963 and he has won a total of six NFL Championships as the head coach of the Bears. He retired in 1967 at the age of nearly 73 years.
#2 - Bill Belichick, 325 wins
Joining George Halas on six NFL titles is Bill Belichick, the long-serving coach of the New England Patriots. With his win against the New York Jets in Week 8, he is now one win ahead of George Halas. Funnily enough, he was the head coach of the New York Jets for one day before he took over the job in New England.
Bill Belichick was head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 1991-1995 but it is his achievements since he has been the head coach of the Patriots that really define him. Since 2000, he has set numerous records in the league. The era when his team was led by Tom Brady as quarterback is unparalleled in NFL history.
During that time, they won six Super Bowls, 17 division titles, 13 AFC Championship game appearances, and nine AFC Championship victories. All of them are records.
They also had 19 consecutive winning seasons and 11 consecutive division victories during that span. The 31 playoff wins recorded during that period by Bill Belichick is also a coaching record.
Since losing Tom Brady, Bill Belichick's star has waned as he lacks an on-field general to put his ideas into practice. But all the records he has already accumulated put him way above other coaches.
Finding a new system quarterback shall solve many of the problems, but even if he does not, it is not hard to see Bill Belichick reach the top spot for most wins for an NFL coach.
#1 - Don Shula, 347 wins
Currently, that top spot is held by Don Shula. The legendary coach led NFL teams for 33 years and had only two losing seasons. He was the coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969 and took them to Super Bowl III, their first appearance as a franchise.
While he did not succeed there in winning the ultimate prize, it was at the Miami Dolphins that he cemented his legacy.
From 1971 to 1973, he led them to the Super Bowl three times, winning the latter two. The Miami Dolphins of the 1972 season remain the only team not to have lost a single game enroute to lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
Coaching the team from 1970 to 1995, he reached two more Super Bowls after the 1973 season but lost them both. His four losses in the Super Bowl are the highest for a single head coach and the reason why he won only two championships despite winning the most number of games.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. He is the lodestar that guides Bill Belichick today as he works to snare the top spot in the future.
