The G.O.A.T. vs The Hoodie: 2020 settled who was more important
When we once gathered around the watercooler, it was a classic sports argument: who was the straw that truly stirred the Patriots? The gruff, brilliant, cutoff-hoodie-wearing mastermind Bill Belichick, or the 6th round draft pick with 6 Super Bowl rings — Tom Brady?
With similar number of years in the organization, the two future Hall of Famers presided over arguably the most dominant dynasty in NFL history.
Was that because Belichick was a genius at managing an ever-changing roster of players and assistant coaches (so many hired away as head coaches), a vicious, opportunistic defense, and well-documented gamesmanship (or worse as many would claim) vs. all comers?
Or was it the quarterback who made an art form out of training, preparation and smarts to maximize a solid, but hardly overwhelming set of physical tools?
Or were the two indispensable for each other? Could Brady be as effective outside the Patriots organization, and would the Patriots be able to compete at such a high level without their on field leader?
Due to injuries and a suspension, the Patriots found some limited success when Brady couldn’t take the field. But it wasn’t until this year, when the Patriots decided to let Brady (labeled the G.O.A.T., or Greatest of All Time) walk away from the team he led for two decades, that the world got to see the grand question play out.
Joining a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had missed the playoffs the previous year, expectations were low for Brady at 43 years old, coming off a below average season the previous year. There were some ugly games and losses that Brady could take the bulk of the blame for, especially early, but his play improved and when the dust settled at the end of the regular season, Tampa Bay was in the playoffs with a strong 11-5 record. Two wins in the playoffs now has them knocking on the door of the Super Bowl, in the NFC Championship. Not only has he led the team in a way reminiscent of his Patriot days, he also ended the season ranked 5th among all NFL quarterbacks, a feat remarkable for a player at his age, on a new team, and in a new system. To be fair, he joined a team with some offensive weapons, then added more once Brady became the main attraction. Additionally, the pairing with Coach Bruce Arians, an offensive genius, has been very successful.
And how has the Patriot organization and Coach Belichick fared since the separation? Uh, not so great.
They missed the playoffs with a losing record, both occurrences that hadn’t been seen in many years. In the year of Covid all bets are off, so it’s fair to cut any organization some slack and have faith in Belichick righting the ship next year. But right now, Brady is making a very strong case for who was the most important cog in the New England machine.
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