NFL analyst turns Tom Brady vs Bill Belichick argument on its head - “It really was about just the players”

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were at the top of the world as a duo from the dawn of the 21st century until the dawn of the 2020s. However, as they started accumulating Super Bowls and various accolades, fans started to separate the two into a ranking.

Now, after decades of conversations asking whether it was the head coach, the quarterback, or both, Louis Riddick turned attention to the another potential reason for the victories. Speaking on First Take, the analyst expanded the options to include the complete list of players and then placed Belichick on the other side. Looking at 2023, he indicated that the players might loom larger than the coach:

"Ever since Tom Brady left. People have had this debate all the time... Is it Bill? Is it Tom? Is it the players or is it the structure? Is it the philosophy or is it the camaraderie of the players?"

He continued, explaining that the players, including Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Malcolm Butler and others might have mattered more than the head coach:

"If he winds up finishing in last place this year... then everybody will have a case of recency bias and say, 'It must have been Tom. It really wasn't about Bill.' It really was about just the players getting it done at such a high level that those are the ones who deserve all the credit. And Bill just rode their coattails."

Of course, if it was the players who pushed the team to consistent heights, the head coach and general manager by default would get some credit. However, what Riddick appears to be saying, is that when it comes to on-field production and winning when the chips were down, the man on the sideline didn't matter as much as the bruisers, throwers and catchers on the field.

How many Super Bowls did Tom Brady win?

Tom Brady at Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While the vast majority of the accomplishments made by No. 12 were made in New England, they all were not done while playing for Belichick. Likewise, the Patriots head coach hasn't spent his entire career with the team, either. Brady won seven total Super Bowls and six of them were with the Patriots.

He appeared in the game 10 times, with nine appearances coming as a player for Bill Belichick.

How many Super Bowls did Bill Belichick win?

Bill Belichick at New England Patriots v Miami Dolphins

Meanwhile, the head coach has won eight rings, two of them without Brady. Per 247 Sports, when he served as defensive coordinator with Bill Parcells with the New York Giants in the 1980s, he managed to coach in two Super Bowl victories.

Will Bill Belichick prove most wrong and nab another Super Bowl ring in the future, his first without No. 12 since 1990?

If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.