While Tom Brady Shines, His Former Patriots Coaches Decline
With each passing week, the NFL is being reminded of something it already knew:
Tom Brady made the New England Patriots. Not the other way around.
While the legendary quarterback keeps adding to his legacy with last-second touchdown passes and highlight-reel comeback wins like last Monday in Tampa against the New Orleans Saints, the coaches he left behind continue to struggle in his wake.
Right, Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels?
Since Brady left the Patriots after the 2019 season, they are 23-23 and without a playoff win. This year New England is mostly a dysfunctional, .500 outfit besieged by a quarterback controversy and players questioning its offensive scheme.
The 6-6 Pats have faint postseason Wild Card hopes, but face a must-win game Monday night at Arizona.
Belichick is one of football's all-time greatest coaches. And, for what it's worth, one of the highest-paid in all of sports. But the fact is that in nine NFL seasons without Brady he's won only one playoff game. Maybe you remember the six Super Bowls he won with No. 12?
For a long time during Brady's tenure in Foxboro there was a popular narrative that the brain trust of Belichick and offensive coordinator McDaniels had as much to do with the team's success as the quarterback. But like Belichick, the supposed offensive guru is flopping without his Hall-of-Fame security blanket.
McDaniels' Las Vegas Raiders blew a 13-point lead in Los Angeles Thursday night, losing 17-16 to the lowly Rams and a quarterback (Baker Mayfield) who was only signed two days before. Predicted to be a contender in the AFC West, the Raiders are 5-8 and headed nowhere fast.
Under their rookie head coach, they have blown four double-digit halftime leads.
Brady's experienced his share of relative struggles this year as well. With a high-profile divorce off the field, and a 6-6 record on it. But after his Monday-night heroics, he has the Buccaneers leading the NFC South and positioned for another playoff appearance.
As for Belichick and McDaniels? Their reunion Dec. 18 in Las Vegas that was originally a much-anticipated reunion has been yanked off the stage by NBC, flexed to the pedestrian 4 p.m. window.
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