While he is not the first, Bill Belichick is currently the most prominent head coach in the league who makes it a priority to neutralize an opposing team’s best players, forcing them to win with their supporting cast. He made the New York Giants ‘go to Manningham’ in the Super Bowl. It didn’t pay off that time, but they have a trophy case suggesting it usually does.
The Cincinnati Bengals took a different approach at the end of Sunday’s afternoon game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin doesn’t regret it, despite the fact that in doing so, he allowed Pittsburgh’s best players to win the game.