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Tom Brady might be halfway through his first retired season. However, he continues to be a part of the debate about who was more influential in the New England Patriots' incredible run through the 2000s and the 2010s.
Speaking on the Fearless podcast with Jason Whitlock, retired Green Bay Packers superstar Brett Favre spoke about his perspective on the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick argument. Here's how he put it:
"It's a combination. I never played for Belichick, but I played for Eric Mangini one year. Eric was very bright, came from the Belichick tree. ... Mangini brought over the same philosophy. I was only there a year, but it was totally different. ... We would watch the game film together, the whole group. And it was really a 'pick on someone [situation].'"
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He went on to explain how Belichick and Mangini would shame mistakes:
"I think that there is some good in that, but I think there's some guys where it has an adverse effect on them. ... Mangini and Belichick would call you out on stuff and embarrass you."
Lastly, Favre believes that there would have been behind-closed-doors conversations between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England:
"I envision at some point Belichick and Brady sat in that office and Belichick says to Brady, 'Look, I need you to back me up on how we practice and how we do things. If you don't buy in, no one else is going to buy in.' ... There's certain things that Belichick either coaches or does."
What is Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady?
The NFL is truly entering the realm of statistical science fiction. Ten years ago, many argued about what Bill Belichick would do without Tom Brady. Now, fans have been treated to four full seasons of experience without the duo.
Of course, the 2023 season isn't over yet, but unless something changes, fans already know what the Patriots are this season at 2-6.
If Belichick doesn't essentially win out, he will have had a losing record in three of the team's four years without the quarterback. The true win-loss tally since Brady departed is not pretty as he is 81-97 without "TB12" as of November 3.
The gap between losses and wins could only grow as the season continues.
Where does Bill Belichick go from here?
At this point, most agree that the Mac Jones experiment in New England has hit a brick wall. For Belichick to maintain his grip on the franchise, he has no choice but to draft a top-tier rookie quarterback.
He let Jones fall to him in the NFL Draft and he's experimented with grabbing a free-agent quarterback in the form of Cam Newton.
That's not to say he can't get a bridge quarterback for 2024, but the head coach and general manager might only have one more shot to get it right.
It is not only because of his clear struggles without Tom Brady, but also his age. Belichick will be 72 years old for next season and the question of how much longer he wants to coach grows by the month.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit Fearless and H/T Sportskeeda.
