posted on: February 9, 2017
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.
Hey, did you see that Super Bowl comeback by the Patriots? Pretty amazing, right? Personally, I found it intriguing because of the mental game and how each team handled the competitive pressure. There were a number of mental toughness concepts at play in this game so I wanted to break them down for you so we can learn and apply.
Let’s give the Falcons credit for how they came out in this game. Like their previous game against the Packers, they had an attack mindset from the outset, especially on defense where they were able to generate 14 points off of 2 turnovers on their way to building a 21-0 lead. They had the Patriots reeling.
Down 28-3, the Patriots did not act like a team that was out of the game. They were calm and remained confident that they could come back. Oftentimes when teams face such a large deficit, individual players try to do too much. It’s as if they believe they can close the deficit with just one play and the result is the team can’t get anything going. The Patriots didn’t get overwhelmed by the score and they didn’t panic. Instead, they simply focused on making plays, one at a time, knowing that that would lead to points. It was the ultimate execution of the Bill Belichick philosophy of “Do Your Job” and the Patriots players are well schooled on what their job is on each individual play.
My football player friends may not like this, but I believe it to be true. Many players in the NFL are NOT mentally tough in competitive pressure situations. They are tough physically. They are mentally tough in their approach to strength and conditioning. But in big game situations, not so much. A player’s mental toughness is revealed in between plays and if you see a player reacting emotionally after a play, you know that player can be broken. And it’s not just negative reactions that I’m talking about. If you see a player excessively celebrate a tackle in the 1st quarter like he actually just won something, you know that player can be broken because he’s judging every play. He doesn’t understand the process.
With all of that being said, I think the Patriots are a mentally tough group and you have to credit the coaching staff for building that culture over the years.
In the 4th quarter, the Patriots stayed focus on their process. Do your job one play at a time. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were not able to reset themselves and return to the attack mindset they had in the first half. Did they relax or let up at 28-3? It’s probable, and it led to their demise. What I observed from the Falcons was poor body language, blank stares, and teammates getting on each other after plays. Those are clear signs of mental breakdowns and the Patriots’ process was clearly causing it (BTW, if you go back and watch the Patriots’ game versus the Steelers in the AFC Championship, you will see the exact same thing from Pittsburgh). As the 4th quarter moved along, this combination of Process vs. Breakdown gave the outcome an air of inevitability. Once the Patriots won the coin toss at the start of OT, the game was over. Atlanta wasn’t going to see the ball and the Patriots were going to be Super Bowl Champions.
1. Maintain self-belief regardless of the score. Self-belief leads to persistent effort and you never know what could happen.
2. Follow your process and do your job at all times. That is what you can control.
3. Maintain the attack mindset throughout. Whether it is the beginning of the 2nd half or the beginning of the 2nd set, you have to come out with focus, intensity and an attack mindset. Not doing this can lead to mental breakdowns.
I hope you enjoyed this game as much as I did. Scroll down and leave me a comment letting me know what you thought of the game!
photo credit: the_junes Bill Belichick via photopin (license)
Dr. Brian Lomax founded PerformanceXtra™ in 2009 with a mission of helping athletes achieve their goals and their top performances more consistently through a progression of mental skills that enables them to focus on what is truly important.
Learn more about the author: https://performancextra.com/brian-lomax/
Thanks Brian, you really nailed it! Just catch that video clip of Tom Brady walking up and down in front of the Patriot bench during the darkest part of that 3rd quarter, exhorting his teammates to stay tough, play harder, do your job. No rah rah, no panic, just resolve. Boy, we could all use some more of that at the business end of a tight set. Dave
Thanks for your thoughts and observations, Dave. Indeed, we could all use a bit more of that rather than hitting the panic button. I hope your game is going well!
Great article! I thought the game was amazing and agree that the Patriots were confident and did not panic despite the early deficit. The momentum completely shifted in the 3rd quarter into the 4th and overtime. It’s not over until it’s over!
Thank you for the comment, Steffani! The game was a very good lesson for us tennis players to never stop fighting.