I feel like Brady is at high risk of having a major culture shock and this quote is a perfect example of why. BB and Brady were aligned on people doing exactly as expected (its BB's whole Do Your Job thing), but will Bruce align with Brady on things like this, etc.?
Super Bowl 53 to me is very analogous to the last Russell title, a aging veteran team overcoming more younger and arguably more talented teams mostly through experience and guile. They really had no business beating KC or LA on paper but somehow pulled it off.
Montana was really solid in KC, and took them one game away from a Super Bowl. And he is remembered entirely as a 49er. So will it be for Brady.
I have no problem with Bill always doing what in his eyes maximizes the chance of winning.
It's interesting to hear it from him but his last contract made it inevitable for all of the reasons discussed in this and other threads.
He told Stern he didn't think NE provided him with the opportunity for him to play at the high level he expects for himself. Brady is no fool. He understands the cap, the players around him, and what things look like elsewhere.
What am I supposed to expect?
I mean, they crushed SD the week before KC. they peaked on the offense they had at the right time then got lucky Goff is in fact a bleh QB.
What I would like to know is if Pats had offered, say, 3/90 last offseason, would he still be done with NE? Hard to know if he was done because he realized the Pats wouldn’t be giving him the kind of deal he was seeking or if he was done regardless of any offer they made.
I still regret this SB loss more than either of the Giants ones. Tom & Gronk were otherworldly and Bill just was outcoached, plus some borderline calls going against the Pats. rough loss that ruined a 3-peat
He said he was looking for a house to move into quickly and his agent took care of it. Just happened to be Jeter's house that fit his needs. In addition to his family he has his personal assistant, sister in law, and live-in chef there with him. He wanted a place that he could spread out everyone.
I think it was a combination of things that led to his departure. Long-term commitment, lack of weapons he trusted, lack of collaboration with the coaching staff on what they were running, time for a change, new challenge, etc. After reading all that has come out since his departure, I think this was simmering for a few years and it came to a head last August when he reworked his deal to become a FA. After hearing him on Stern today, it sounds like Bill knew he was gone in August as well as they've talked about being at a different point in their careers and both parties being OK with each other's decisions. Bill had to do what was best for the team long-term and Tom wanted a chance to play as long as he wants.
So, if Gronk hadn’t retired he’d still want to leave Jules and Gronk and a team with a very good defense that just won a SB? Sure it was a lot of things but my guess is it was mostly BB.
You could say the same thing for Gronk about leaving Brady. Gronk was clearly done because of the injuries. Was BB not letting them have "fun"? I don't know what that even means when people say that. At some point, having to deal with BB's style is going to wain on a player and a change is needed for some. Some like the structure and being coached hard and some don't.
The crazy thing is, they've faced a bunch of bleh QBs in the Super Bowl: Delhomme, Eli (2x), Foles, and Goff. Only one of them actually played like a bleh QB in the SB.
Gronk was in much worse physical shape so calling it quits made sense regardless of the BB dynamic. Brady is presumably much healthier. My hypothetical was more about finding the lead driver for his departure. Clear to me that it was BB. 20 years in that environment is a lot so I don’t really blame him. We’ve all been there is some fashion during our lives, whether it be a relationship, job, or whatever.
I think Brady wanted a chance to finish his career surrounded by better players and not on an offense clearly at a stage where they need to find top weapons after Jules. He doesn't have to cover up for much on this TB offense. Throwing to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin was a factor in his decision to go there according to Brady on Stern.
I've been re-watching the 2016 season during quarantine, and watched the Rams game last week. This was rookie Goff, making his 3rd or 4th start, and Jeff Fisher was still the coach. Goff played like absolute trash and was rattled all game. Despite the massive improvement from 2016-2018 for Goff, he basically looked like the exact same QB in the 2016 game as the 2018 Super Bowl. The Pats really should have won that game by 17+.
The Patriots squandered a lot of scoring opportunities in that game and certainly should have scored much more than 13...typical SB with first quarter woes,, horrible pick by Brady, etc. As far as the Rams are concerned, as everyone knows coaching means everything in the NFL and McVay is light years ahead of Fisher...couple that with Wade Phillips, who often coached well against Brady.
Johnny Hekker punted out of his mind, too. The offense should have had great field position all game with how well the D was playing, but Hekker kept blasting the Rams out of tough spots.
He said on Stern today that he knew before the season he was leaving the Pats, though not necessarily to which new team he was going.
IIRC he had multiple bad punts that turned into good punts - short punts that the Pats couldn't field and got a huge bounce - like the record 70 yarder or whatever it was.
LIKE!!!!!! LIke a thousand times...People, the MAN OWES US NOTHING....So much JOY, and no DRAMA. Think about it, really.
The only comp I can think of is Pedro. And when he went to the Mets, I rooted for Pedro in every game he pitched. And I'll root for Brady in every game he plays, too, if he's not playing the Pats. To my grave.
Had this conversation with my brother. I plan on watching two teams this year on Sundays: 1) The Bucs and 2) the Pats. Go Bucs! If the Pats aren't winning this year I want another great HC to finally get his SB ring. Edit: as a HC. Reid had one too as a member of the Packers. Not the same thing.
montana did not win a sb in kc manning did in denver plus manning indinfly himseif more as a bronco than a colt brady will not indinly as a pat utill bill leaves
I haven't heard the full interview yet, but did just see this from a story on cbssports.com that quotes the same interview:
Maybe I need to do another listen but he made it pretty clear that he knew before the season that last season was his last in NE. Could that have changed? Sure. But it would have taken a contract offer that the Pats were never going to make, and he knew that.
He said he knew it was likely his last season in NE. But he was also clear that the final decision wasn't made until last month. It's also clear that the root cause is that Brady wanted a contract extension that the Pats were either unwilling or unable to offer. And that stance was obvious when the team put the onus on Brady's camp to make the first offer.
Ok I missed the interview-but are you saying Brady didn't want a long term contract because it would've interfered with his marriage? Or Gisele wanted to go to Tampa?? What about him leaving was to save his marriage?
What victory would you give back to have Brady not fumble that ball and instead drive down the field and win the game? My brother and I engaged in a similar debate, arguing whether you’d give back the Butler pick to have Moss catch that late bomb and win the Scottish Game.
No. Brady specifically said he stayed away from those spring workouts to work on his marriage. Despite this, Volin continues to say it was the contract issues that kept him "away both springs." ("His belief.").
It wasn't about him leaving, it was about him skipping OTAs, hence the reference to "spring". Brady was pretty transparent about the fact that Gisele wasn't happy with carrying the load at home and TB went end of season straight into offseason stuff until training camp started, leaving the brunt of responsibility on her.
This is a great topic for another thread: What great Pats victory would you give up in order to gain a victory that you wish they had had? It's not an easy answer, though I really think I would trade the SB win vs. the Eagles (particularly because I'm a big Dononvan McNabb fan, being a Syracuse guy) for SB 42 and an undefeated season. I'd make that trade pretty quickly in fact.
I guess this is where I diverge.
