December 8, 2023

Patriots

“I believe he is an unbelievable coach. He is the perfect coach, in my perception, within the historical past of the sport.”

Tom Brady and Invoice Belichick helped orchestrate a dynasty that lasted 20 years in New England. (Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs)

Invoice Belichick has crafted arguably probably the most spectacular teaching resume in NFL historical past over his 24 seasons with the Patriots.

However with New England now mired within the backside of the AFC standings with a 2-8 file, the narrative at present lingering over a misplaced 2023 marketing campaign for the Patriots revolves round Belichick’s long-term future in Foxborough.

A number of elements have performed into the Patriots’ present cellar-dwelling standing, with accidents throughout the depth chart, a porous offensive line, and Mac Jones’ struggles hampering New England’s means to stack wins.

However Belichick’s personal roster building, a training carousel round Jones, and years of dreadful drafting have additionally hampered New England’s means to pen a fruitful subsequent chapter within the post-Brady period.

However when you ask Tom Brady, Belichick’s command of a sideline stays as robust because it was throughout the Patriots’ two-decade dynasty.

And even with New England’s sub-standard outcomes thus far in 2023, the sight of Belichick teaching elsewhere (or hanging up headset for good) would stand as a stark sight for the legendary quarterback.

“I believe he’s an unbelievable coach. He’s the perfect coach, in my perception, within the historical past of the sport,” Brady stated of Belichick Monday throughout an look on the “Stephen A. Smith Present” on YouTube. “So, I imply, I don’t know, the considered him not being in New England is tough for me to consider.

“I believe he’s— he prepares the group very well. And in the end, you bought to have lots of people round you to succeed. You gotta have a whole lot of issues in place for the group to achieve success. I don’t assume he’s in all probability teaching a lot completely different now than after we’re undefeated in 2007. I’m positive he’s making ready the group the identical means.”

Regardless that many of the criticism directed towards Belichick is warranted, particularly so far as his personnel selections, Brady argued {that a} group’s file doesn’t fall solely on coaches or executives.

And with lapses in execution sputtering New England’s offensive all season lengthy, it’s made for an ideal storm of ineptitude for the Patriots in a season the place little has gone proper.

However with adjustments looming on the horizon at Gillette Stadium, Brady pressured that Belichick has not been the lone motive why New England is popping out of the bye week with simply two wins.

“The outcomes are completely different, however once more, that’s why the game is so difficult,” Brady stated. “There’s a whole lot of the explanation why groups win or lose. The pinnacle coach is a really small half on recreation day. The quarterback performs a very large half on recreation day, not all the factor, however since you contact the ball, you will have an enormous alternative to affect the sport.

So when you get good quarterback play and that claims nothing concerning the, you understand, I’m simply speaking normally about soccer, you’ve obtained a bonus. In the event you play actually good protection, you’ve obtained an incredible benefit. “I imply, you want a very good defensive coordinator. In the end it’s a whole lot of issues coming collectively, why issues work and why they don’t.”