When Tom Brady decided to take his talents to Tampa Bay last offseason, the NFL finally had a chance to discover if the quarterback needed Patriots coach Bill Belichick for success — a duo that combined for six Super Bowl titles.
Well, Brady hasn’t won a seventh Super Bowl yet. He has that opportunity on Sunday against the Chiefs. But one former New England teammate offered his thoughts on whether Brady or Belichick had a larger role to play in the two decades of dominance the Patriots enjoyed as a result of that partnership.
Former Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola sided with the man who threw him passes in the debate between coach and quarterback.
“Well, first things first, when you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s gonna have Tom Brady’s name next to it,” Amendola said on FOX Sports’ “First Things First.” “None of those coaches threw any passes, none of those coaches caught any passes, none of those coaches made any tackles. They got guys in the right position cause they watched a lot of film and they spent all their time at the facility.
“But Tom Brady is the ’Patriot Way.’ That’s the reason why Tom Brady’s in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t.”
“When you see the ’Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s got Tom Brady’s picture next to it. None of those coaches caught any passes. … Tom Brady is the ’Patriot Way.’ That’s why he’s in the Super Bowl & the Patriots aren’t.” — @DannyAmendola pic.twitter.com/XtVd0ntJPc
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 1, 2021
New England missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, finishing with a 7-9 record with Cam Newton at quarterback. Newton’s time under center with the Patriots didn’t mirror the success he had with the Carolina Panthers; he threw for eight touchdowns and 2,657 yards while running for another 12 scores.
Brady, meanwhile, joined a stacked Buccaneers squad and found almost immediate success, throwing for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Should Brady top Kansas City this weekend, perhaps Amendola’s point is even more clear. The “Patriot Way” would really be the “Brady Way.”
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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