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It has been speculated that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s relationship had soured before the quarterback moved on from the New England Patriots, but that doesn’t seem to be the case now.
Brady reached rare NFL air in Week 9, as the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback became the first player to ever eclipse 100,000 career passing yards. Belichick has since congratulated Brady during his weekly WEEI radio interview.
“That’s a tremendous accomplishment by Tom, and a real credit to everything about him,” Belichick said during his November 7 appearance on The Greg Hill Show. “His longevity, his accuracy, consistency, just doing so many things right in the passing game for so long. That’s a phenomenal accomplishment, and I’m real happy for him. Nobody deserves it more than he does. He’s worked extremely hard and that’s just an amazing stat.
“I don’t even know how far 100,000 yards is,” joked Belichick. “Must be a long way.”
So far this season, it has been a struggle for Brady and the Bucs. Tampa Bay is 4-5 while Brady has thrown for 2,547 yards, 10 touchdowns and only 1 interception, per Pro Football Reference.
After leading the Buccaneers to a much-needed game-winning drive in Week 9, Brady will be hoping that he can lead Tampa Bay to the playoffs.
How Did Brady Respond to Belichick’s Praise?
After hearing the audio of Belichick’s praise, Brady offered his praise of the long-time head coach and revealed that he still watches the Patriots every week.
“Yeah, we had 20 years together of elite football experience that I wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world,” Brady said on his Let’s Go! podcast. “I know he’s a great competitor. What an amazing coach he is, and how he prepares the team to win, and he’s just done it year in and year out. The fact that he’s 22 wins away from [passing Don Shula for first in all-time NFL head coaching wins], I have no doubt he’s gonna get it.
“I just watch that team every week, and I’m impressed with how they prepare and the accountability that that organization has had,” Brady said. “It always starts at the top.”
What Do the Patriots Need to Do to Make the Playoffs?
Heading into their Week 10 bye week, New England is at the bottom of the AFC East. ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes that the offense is the key to the Patriots making a push for the playoffs.
“Through nine games, the Patriots rank 24th in the NFL in passing yards, averaging just 202.7 per game,” Reiss wrote. “When they can’t lean on emerging star Rhamondre Stevenson as a rusher — the Jets and Colts made it hard for them to do that consistently the past two weeks — their deficiencies in the passing game show more.”
For Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, New England will need to execute better if they want to continue on past the regular season.
“We’ve got to go out and execute a little better,” Jones told the media. “The bye week is always a good time to physically get yourself back, mentally, and then X’s and O’s wise see what you’re doing well and not doing as well. I know our coaches will do a great job grinding it out and we’ll be on the same page.”