The New England Patriots succeed by treating players strategically like commodities—letting glory players go once they become overvalued stars and replacing them with cheap substitutes, going for it on fourth down more than other coaches, and reportedly valuing roster depth (the 38th–51st players) because injuries accumulate over a season.

causalpending

Speaker

Michael Lewis

Evidence Quote

the New England Patriots front office had a running dialogue with the Oakland A's front office... Belichick is much more likely than just about every other coach in the NFL to go for it on fourth down

Source

Michael Lewis on the Hidden Economics of Baseball and Football 1/29/2007EconTalk
Created: 6/17/2026, 12:12:19 AM

My Notes

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