From 2000 to now the Patriots have always done what’s best for the team
Via Times Union
Robert Kraft bought the team 25 years ago. His goal was to bring a championship to Foxborough. The Patriots made the Super Bowl in 1997 and lost to the Packers. After a few coaching changes, from Bill Parcells to Pete Carroll, Robert Kraft hired Bill Belichick in 2000. Then Tom Brady was drafted. Nobody had any idea that 18 years later they’d be celebrating their sixth World Championship as a coach and quarterback.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady share many things in common. They only care about winning football games. Belichick and Brady have been on this great championship ride for almost two decades. Don’t expect it to be done anytime soon either. You can debate all day on who deserves more credit for all the success. But Brady and Belichick need eachother to get everyone on board for what they are trying to accomplish.
FEBRUARY 5, 2019 – BOSTON, MA: New England PAtriots Tom Brady waves the Super Bowl trophy and salutes the fans on Boylston St during the rolling rally. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/DigitalFirst Media/ Boston Herald)
Without great leadership all these championships aren’t possible
People outside New England are sick and tired of the Patriots winning or making the Super Bowl year after year. Boston is the best sports city in the country. They’ve had 12 championships in 18 years. They just celebrated a championship parade in Boston a few moths back for the Red Sox. Then they had another parade for the Patriots yesterday. Fans don’t get sick and tired of the parades, they still come out by the millions. You can’t say that about any other city. For the Patriots it’s all thanks to owner Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady. Without them this entire almost two decade run of championships doesn’t happen.
If you missed it, you gotta see the McCourty twins dancing to 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody" during the Super Bowl parade! pic.twitter.com/7WTwOQxcEZ
Players come to New England just because they want to win a championship. They know it’s not easy,but they see the leadership from Belichick and Brady and the success they’ve had throughout the years and want to be a part of it. Jason McCourty went from an 0-16 team last year to a Super Bowl winning team this year. That’s what’s great about the New England Patriots. They’ve always put team first, which is why they’ll continue to be successful.
After last years Super Bowl loss, the greatest sports dynasty in history faced some serious questions. Post game interviews from Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady were not comforting to Patriots fans whatsoever. There was talk of their future in football being up in the air, but more so with Gronkowski. Tom Brady didn’t go as far as Gronk did, but he also didn’t shut down the possibility of him retiring. In his 2017 documentary “Tom vs. Time”, the final episode was filmed a couple weeks after Super Bowl 52 and included Brady’s final thoughts on the season. It also included his wife Gisele Bundchen’s thoughts on Brady and his potential end in the NFL. Gisele made it seem like the end was near for Brady. She made it clear she wanted him home with her and their children more than out on the field playing.
Although there was much speculation regarding the two superstars, Brady and Gronk returned for 2018, where they are poised to win their third Super Bowl in five years. However, with Gronk not running at full speed anymore and Brady closer to 42 than 41, could this be the final dance for them and the Patriots dynasty? Not a chance.
If you have watched any Patriots football this season, you know that there was some legitimate concerns about this team. They were getting blown out by non-playoff teams, and scraping by against weaker teams early on. Tom Brady didn’t look as sharp week in and week out and it seemed like no one on offense could do anything at times. Chris Hogan was a no show for stretches, Rob Gronkowski couldn’t buy a reception, and Julian Edelman was dropping more passes than usual. The defense was playing okay, but still allowing more points than they should have been. Let’s not even mention the ridiculously coined “Miami Miracle”.
However, in usual Patriots fashion, they turned it around when they needed to. They won their final two games to secure the second seed in the playoffs and looked healthy overall. The Chargers didn’t have an answer for them in the Divisional and the Chiefs were finished as soon as Matthew Slater called “heads” in overtime. It seems like everything is clicking now for New England, who stand a great chance at claiming another Lombardi Trophy.
Although, with Super Bowl 53 looming and reports of retirement coming out of Rob Gronkowski’s camp, could this be it? There have been a few rumors of Bill Belichick’s final game and Tom Brady could very well pull a Peyton Manning and ride off into the sunset with his sixth Lombardi in the trunk of his Aston Martin. New England has good talent and coaching on both sides of the ball, but are in serious trouble if Brady and Gronk decide to hang it up.
Is it going to happen? According to Tom Brady, the chances that this is his last game are “zero percent“. In an interview with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Brady made it clear that he isn’t going anywhere. Win or lose next Sunday in Atlanta, the AFC East will have to be tortured for at least another year.
Tom Brady riles up the crowd at the Patriots Super Bowl sendoff.
As for Gronk, that is another matter. The general feeling around the league is that No. 87 will likely call it a career after Super Bowl 53. Another Super Bowl loss could change this, but a win, in my opinion, almost certainly means that Gronkowski will retire.
Does this mean the dynasty is going to crumble? Of course not. The Pats have been without prime Gronk for a majority of the season and have fared just fine. Now, if anyone else decides to turn in their pads or clipboard for Daiquiri’s and vacations, then worrying can ensue. However, I strongly believe that Bill Belichick will retire when Tom Brady does, maybe even a little after that. I also think TB12 will live up his promise of playing until he’s 45, unless an injury occurs.
New England has 12 picks in the upcoming draft and should be able to create an ample amount of cap space to sign some premium free agents. In addition to that, they could be getting Josh Gordon back, pending a suspension, and a plethora of 2018 rookies that are on Injured Reserve. Receiver Braxton Berrios and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley are names to watch for next year.
New England faces turnover like this every year, and while potentially losing the best tight end in history would be a blow, the Patriots would do what they do best: reload, not rebuild.
Tom Brady continues to solidify himself as the GOAT. The 41 year old quarterback is breaking records on a regular basis, last Sunday he added his name to another one.
Brady took over as the All Time leader in passing yards in (regular season and postseason games.) The MVP passed Peyton Manning for the top spot in Sunday’s win over the Jets.
The record breaking pass went to Sony Michel, a running back who is still working on his pass catching. Brady got that out of the way in the second quarter, finishing the game with 283 yards. The Patriots quarterback now sits alone with 79,416 total yards, but Tom just cares about the win. After the game Brady was asked about the newest record.
“Just wins” Brady said, “ I mean that’s what we are here for, to win games. I’m trying to be a part of as many of these as I can.” No surprise Brady deflected questions about his own record, He ended his answer saying, “I’m just here to win.”
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Every Week Another Record is in Trouble
Brady also tied Peyton Manning on Sunday as he reached 3,000 passing yards for the 16th time. He is now second in NFL history, behind Brett Favre who reached 3,000 yards 18 times. Tom will easily break that record too, as long as he can stay on the field for three more years.
Tom can pass Peyton Manning again this Sunday, as another regular/postseason stat is up for grabs. One touchdown pass from Brady on Sunday will make him the All Time leader in combined TD passes.
Via Nj.com
Tom Brady already has the Super Bowls, the postseason records, and now is finishing off the rest of the regular season records. Of course he won’t play forever, but in the meantime no record is safe. Brady isn’t in it for these records though, right now his focus is all about his favorite ring. “The next one” number six!
When a six foot, three-inch wide receiver that weighs 225 pounds can run a 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, that’s special. Definitely lives up to the moniker of “Flash”! Josh Gordon has always been a freak in the measurables department. He has always produced on the field, and he has always been suspect about making good decisions. What are the chances that the New England Patriots get Flash Gordon of 2013? Will he keep his nose clean and buried in the playbook?
He has to. This is his final NFL chance. If he screws up here, he is pretty much done. Not only will his suspension be exponentially worse than a first time offender, but not working out with the all-business Patriots would signal the rest of the league.
The Numbers
What does the talented wide receiver bring to the table? How about 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns? In 14 games? 18.9 yards per reception? These are literally video game numbers! No, not video game numbers, you have to have a cheat code in order to produce like that. Everyone likes to point out that it was ages ago! Did you see who he was playing with?
Old Willis McGahee was pounding the rock in a geriatric way. Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden striking fear in the heart of defenses. Greg Little, Travis Benjamin, and Davone Bess were providing the cover that a premium #1 wideout needs in order to produce like that? No, to put it into perspective the Cleveland Browns produced 5,423 yards. As a team. The whole team. That was it. Josh Gordon’s yards accounted for over 30% of the team’s total. That’s good.
The 2013 Tape
Let’s all take a breather and bask in the glory that was Josh Gordon’s season:
The 2017-2018 Tape
If you managed to watch that bit of NFL porn and still contain yourself, you’ll notice a few things. He can do it all. Slants, Go routes, Deep ins, and outs, screen passes, and end arounds. People will say that you are not getting that version of Josh Gordon. You are getting this guy:
Sign. Me. Up! This guy is still an amazing highlight reel all game! You still see a guy with an instinctual ability to find a soft spot in a zone defense. That’s still a guy that can box out physically inferior cornerbacks. That catch radius is bordering on unlawful for an offensive player. And remember who was throwing him the ball. If you look at that poor soul’s jersey, you’ll see Deshone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. Josh Gordon’s talent transcends poor quarterback play in a way that we haven’t seen since Randy Moss. And much like the Hall of Famer, he now heads to a situation more befitting his talents.
What the Patriots See
I started writing this article determined to keep a level head and not get sucked into the hyperbole about his talents. Both my football brain and my fan brain came to the same conclusion; that the optimism may be understated. There is a saying for the truly elite players that I love; If your system does not allow this player to flourish, it’s a bad system. I know, I’m butchering the paraphrase.
The biggest criticism about the move to New England is that the system is difficult for wide receivers to learn and contribute right away. My thought is that if he has trouble learning the system, dumb it down. I’m serious. This isn’t some street free agent that may or may not be able to catch the football or tie his cleats. This guy has been stuck in football purgatory playing for a franchise that just recently celebrated its first win in 635 days!
And this is not even taking into account the current Patriots wide receiver corp. Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan had a golden opportunity to prove that they could rise to the occasion. Cordarrelle Patterson could have made an impact as a pass catcher. Edelman is on his way back from suspension and season-long rehab from a torn ACL. When Gronk is being double and triple teamed in order to take him away and cause the offense to sputter. It’s working. This offense needs a spark. The fire needs to be lit and only a Super Bowl win can quench it! Let’s go Patriots!
All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.
Be sure to check out other great articles for all your favorite Boston Sports teams at Bostonsportsextra.com
Video: Robert Kraft, after the Myra Kraft Community MVP event, goes on record with strong denial of trade rumors (re: Rob Gronkowski). pic.twitter.com/Sw4ZAtPUlr
The Patriots have the next two days off of OTAs. This means the next time the Patriots take the practice field will be when Training Camp starts on July 26th. The Patriots have had a wild off-season, and owner Robert Kraft brought back an old word yesterday: ‘hogwash.’ Kraft used the word in reference to the Rob Gronkowski trade rumors from last Friday. Robert Kraft was trying to be clear that Gronkowski was never going to be traded. Tom Brady took the week off and so did Rob Gronkowski following the mandatory minicamp last week.
To recap the Patriots’ off-season, they had Josh McDaniels come back, and drafted a quarterback and singed Etling to a four-year deal. There has been lots of fake news and hogwash reporting going on according to Gronkowski and the owner Robert Kraft. Tom Brady has been quiet while training at TB12 and throwing to Julian Edelman after OTAs. Julian Edelman got popped for PEDs, but it’s an unknown substance, so who knows if Edelman could win his appeal. Alex Guerrero quickly denied that TB12 had anything to do with Edelman’s positive drug test.
Looking Ahead
Putting all the hogwash reporting aside, it should be a fun season. This may be the last season we’ll ever see from Brady and Belichick. People seem to disagree with that statement, but why else was Josh McDaniels brought back? Rumor has it Josh McDaniels has his eye on a quarterback in next year’s draft. Rumor also is Josh will draft a quarterback next season, so if or when Brady retires after 2019, Etling will be the starter.
That might be thinking too far ahead. We will get a good look into this season starting in a month with Training Camp. Those hot days in July when the stands, grass, and ramps at Gilette are filled with people and reporters. This time around it might be a little different, but it’s exciting to see another football season.
Josh McDaniels spoke for the first time since he came back to the Patriots. He told the Boston Globe, “I wasn’t 100 percent sure what the future was. I just hadn’t had any clarity on that. So, where did I fit in? Were there any plans? I just didn’t have much clarity on what my role was here moving forward.” Reading into that, he’s basically asking moving forward if will he be the next head coach for the Patriots or not. He basically asked Robert Kraft and Belichick after the Super Bowl loss, “How can you help me get there”.
He would go on to say to the Globe, “The opportunity to stay here and work for who I think is the greatest owner in sports and the best head football coach in the history of our game, to work with the best quarterback that has ever played …Â I’m privileged to have the opportunity to do that and when they kind of crystallized that — ‘Hey, here’s what we see going forward and here’s how we would like you to fit into it’ — it gave me a reason to stop and say, ‘All right, what’s the best decision for me?’ And certainly, it was difficult. But I made the decision on my own, nobody pushed me into it. Once I heard from Robert and Bill on that Tuesday, it just gave me the reason to pause and consider this whole situation.”
It’s so obvious after this quote he’s next in line to take Bill Belichick’s job. Belichick has been quite happy as of late, calling a press conference on Sunday. Will Bill have an executive role with the team this time next season? Or will Belichick not hand the keys to McDaniels yet? That still remains to be seen. Of course, Tom Brady had something to do with him coming back too.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 27: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates with trainer Alex Guerrero after defeating the New York Jets with a score of 22 to 17 at MetLife Stadium on November 27, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Alex Guerrero has been working with Tom Brady for a long time. Guerrero has his own personal office and travels with the team. In a story by the Boston Globe today, Alex Guerrero has had his privileges revoked recently, Players besides Brady have worked with Guerrero such has Chris Hogan, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman. All have had negative results.
Tom Brady Benefits from Alex Guerrero’s Treatment
(Foxboro, MA, 08/07/17) New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his nutritionist Alex Guerrero during Patriots Training Camp Joint Practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on Monday, August 07, 2017. Staff photo by Matt Stone
It seems like the only player who has benefited from Alex is Tom Brady. At a press conference today Belichick was asked only one question about if he meets with Brady weekly. When Garoppolo was traded he offered up the information that he met with Garoppolo weekly. Belichick’s response was “I meet with all of the players all of the time”. He was then asked today about his relationship with Tom Brady. “Well, every year is different”. Very interesting responses from the person he’s spent 18 years with.
Colin Cowherd said once before that Brady and Belichick aren’t best friends. He doesn’t like Belichick. He respects him as a person and all of is loyalty is to Robert Kraft.
Belichick and Brady Won’t Comment on the Situation
Belichick declined to comment on a rift with Guerrero. He was asked in an interview with WEEI and said, “Yeah, I’m not really going to get into that”. Brady also wouldn’t comment on it either, saying, “I don’t have any comment on that. Other than to say Alex, it’s been well-documented, has been a huge part of what I do. I’m so fortunate to have him not only as a friend, but with everything that we’ve been able to do together”. Belichick was not asked about the Boston Globe story. All he was asked was his relationship with Brady. Also a bunch of players that aren’t really the main focus today.
