There were no shirtless pictures of Bill Belichick from Barbados gracing your screens this off-season.

Belichick, the New England Patriots’ head coach, was far too busy to kick back last spring.

As a drunken Tom Brady chucked the Vince Lombardi Trophy boat to boat, and as we all declared the quarterback the true driving force in New England all those years, Belichick, the N.F.L.’s Voldemort, plotted his vengeful return. Ego understandably ended this generation’s greatest dynasty. Honestly, it’s a miracle Brady and Belichick coexisted for two decades. Now, ego just may be transforming the Patriots into contenders again.