Did Bill Belichick make Tom Brady or did Brady make Bellichick?

In happier days

… a commentator makes a case for Brady

The truth is that Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots last year led to the end of the dynasty built under Coach Bill Belichick. 

Brady is in the playoffs this year with the Tampa Bay Bucs because Belichick would not commit to signing him to a long-term contract that would take him to either his mid-40s or late 40s. 

By balking on that scenario and signing Cam Newton, well the Patriots will sit at home for the first time in more than a decade. 

So, that brings football analysts to the inevitable question of the chicken or the egg. Could Belichick have won six Super Bowls with another QB? Could Brady have won six Super Bowls with another coach?

The problem is that there is no way of scientifically ascertaining the answer to that question. 

Still, conjecturing answers like this is fun. 

Belichick woeful before Brady

The truth is that the answer is that they both served one another quite well. However, one fact is very interesting since Belichick was a head coach before Brady became his QB,

Here is Belichick’s record before Brady:

Cleveland 45-53

Patriots first year 5-11

Total 50-64 .438

Record with Brady

Patriots         219-64*         .774

The reversal of fortunes after he installed Brady as the QB is dramatic. 

Brady should thank Belichick

The first part of this is that Brady should thank his coach for sticking with him in 2001 after Drew Bledsoe was hurt and then returned. 

Brady was just a sixth-round pick, but the coach saw something in the QB that many others did not. 

So, Brady has to be grateful for that confidence. 

Belichick also installed an offense that fit Brady, who was not a deep thrower and did not have a dynamite are. He was a very accurate short and middle-range passer, and that was what they used for years. 

Though Belichick’s ethics are questionable and he is a sleazy operator, Brady was fortunate to have someone who catered to all of his whims. 

So, why did the breakup occur this year when it looks like he could have won again in New England, though beating the Bills would have been a challenge even with the 43-year-old QB there. 

One pundit’s criticism of Belichick

Here is what one commentator said after Brady had secured a spot in the 2020 playoffs after the Patriots failed to do so,

If Bill Belichick had just shown Tom Brady the respect he deserved in the form of a long-term contract, the New England Patriots would be preparing for another playoff run. Instead, the greatest quarterback of all time has positioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the postseason for the first time since 2007.

And on Sunday, Belichick’s worst nightmare just came true courtesy of TB12. Because on a day where the four-time Super Bowl MVP staged another epic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots suffered a knockout blow to their playoff chances due largely to an inept offense led by Cam Newton.

But it would have never gotten to this point if not for William Stephen Belichick.

Bill Belichick refused to commit to Tom Brady despite everything they accomplished together.

Stephen Sheehan, “Tom Brady Just Made Bill Belichick’s Worst Nightmare 

Come True,” Sportscasting, December 21, 2020

Was Belichick right about the long-term deal?

Sheehan’s piece is instructive about the situation,

Remember that Brady’s 2019 performance did not exactly inspire confidence in Belichick or in the Patriots players and fans,

Together, Brady and Belichick formed the most dominant quarterback-coach duo in NFL history. Winning became not just a habit but an expectation. The Patriots went from a middling franchise to the most consistent force in NFL history.

Yet, despite winning six Super Bowls together, Belichick refused to show Brady the respect he rightfully deserved. Even after leading the Patriots to an improbable comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl 51, he didn’t get a long-term deal. Brady then won league MVP honors and set the record for the most passing yards in Super Bowl history, but he still didn’t receive a multi-year commitment.

Adding incentives to the legendary quarterback’s contract didn’t satisfy Brady’s ultimate desire for long-term job security. In recent years, the future Hall of Famer backed off on his commitment to the team by skipping out on voluntary workouts. And after a dismal 2019 season that included plenty of moments of frustration, Brady took his talents to Tampa in the spring.

Stephen Sheehan, Sportscasting, December 21, 2020

Brady is now 43, and signing him for a few more years may have been foolhardy. For now, however, that does not look to be the case.

Can Belichick recover?

Sheehan concludes with this,

While the Patriots certainly have major roster flaws to fix, it’s impossible to ignore how poorly Cam Newton has performed, especially in recent weeks. And considering he plays the most important position in football, his struggles have played a significant role in New England missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Ultimately, that falls on Bill Belichick’s shoulders. He could have locked up Brady years ago and avoided this entire situation. Yet, he refused to reward the six-time Super Bowl champion with a contract extension that would have secured his future in Foxborough.

And for all the concerns about Brady’s supposed decline, his 3,886 passing yards and 32 touchdowns prove he’s still a top-10 quarterback.

His performance on Sunday only reinforced the fact that the aging star still has what it takes to win. Meanwhile, Newton may never get a starting gig again based on his horrific 2020 season.

The 68-year-old Belichick must now live his worst nightmare as he watches the 43-year-old quarterback he let walk out the door attempt to lead his new team to its first Super Bowl title since 2002 while the Patriots have no answer at the most important position in pro sports.

Maybe Brady really was the difference maker during New England’s unprecedented two-decade run of success.

Stephen Sheehan, Sportscasting, December 21, 2020

Brady has demonstrated that he can win without Belichick, but the coach has not done so. 

At 68, it might be time to rest on his laurels — but somehow, I doubt that he will do that. 

Conclusion

Like the chicken or the egg, who is more instrumental in any event is challenging to decipher. Many crazies in Great Britain still think that Winston Churchill won World War II while history shows that without the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the war would have been lost. 

So, while Sheehan’s makes a great case for Brady, history has to be determined after each of them is history, and that is not the case now. 

Still, it is fun to think about it.