Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked much better in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers than they did in Week 1, but Brady’s former coach didn’t really notice. Not surprisingly, Bill Belichick insists he is treating Brady like any other player who is not on the New England Patriots’ roster or schedule.
Belichick was asked during an appearance on WEEI Monday if he has any thoughts on Brady’s performance this season. The coach said he hasn’t paid attention to anything that’s going on in Tampa Bay.
“I’ve really been focused on the teams that we’re playing,” Belichick said. “Miami was obviously a big focus for us, Seattle, there’s some other things that came up for me last week, the Raiders, they are a team that we haven’t played. Seattle is a team we haven’t played. We kind of have our hands full taking care of the things we have to take care of.”
Belichick added that he does not watch many NFL games for entertainment purposes.
“I don’t watch a lot of other pro games, I don’t watch a lot of college games,” he said. “I watch the games that affect what we do.”
In other words, Brady is no different from Mitchell Trubisky in Belichick’s eyes at the moment. Did you expect anything else?
Bill Belichick is known for talking up his opponents in the week leading up to a game, but the New England Patriots head coach is going the extra mile for Russell Wilson.
Belichick is preparing his team to face the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday, and reporters asked him about Wilson on Thursday morning. Belichick called Wilson “underrated” and said he is arguably the best player in the NFL.
“Honestly, I think he’s in a way underrated by the media or the fans, I don’t know. But I don’t really see anybody better than this player,” the coach said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “This guy is a tremendous player.”
Wilson plays in a far more conservative offense than quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Drew Brees. That is one of the reasons he tends to get less attention, but he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons. Even though the Seahawks have historically been a run-first team, Belichick feels there is not a better passer in the NFL than Wilson.
“His passing numbers are extraordinary. You can put him up against anybody since he’s been in the league — literally anybody, in almost any category,” Belichick said. “His winning percentage is impressive. He’s there for every game — never missed a game. He’s got a great ability to do the right thing at the right time. He has tremendous vision, and sees the field extremely well.
“I don’t think there’s a better deep-ball passer in the league, in terms of decision-making and accuracy. He attacks literally every inch of the field.”
The Patriots have one of the better defenses in the NFL, so it will be interesting to see how they stack up against Wilson and the Seahawks. One thing’s for sure — Belichick is not going to let his team take the assignment lightly.
Bill Belichick had nothing but positive things to say about Cam Newton throughout the offseason, and the New England Patriots quarterback has made it clear that the feelings are mutual.
Newton heaped praise on Belichick during his weekly appearance on WEEI Monday. The former NFL MVP said he has been “blown away” by everything he has learned from the Hall of Fame coach in such a short time.
Newton on Belichick: He makes the smartest players more cerebral… He's the ultimate teacher and I just respect that… I didn't know what to expect, you hear stories, but I've been blown away
Belichick is known for his all-business approach, but there are far more players who have praised him than criticized him. Newton admitted recently that he was uneasy about playing for Belichick because of the coach’s reputation, but those concerns were unwarranted.
Newton is looking to prove he is still capable of being an elite NFL starting quarterback, and he could do a lot worse than spending a year under arguably the greatest coach of all time. Belichick has already boosted Newton’s stock with the things he has said about him. That theme is unlikely to change as long as the Patriots have a good season.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
Bill Belichick had a funny answer for a question about the lack of fans at the team’s game on Sunday.
Only a few NFL stadiums had a fan presence in Week 1 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Patriots hosted the Miami Dolphins without any fans in attendance at Gillette Stadium.
Belichick was asked after the game if he could compare playing without fans to anything else he experienced.
Bill Belichick is taking on one of his greatest challenges of the last two decades this season, and there are some who believe it could be his last hurrah. Naturally, Belichick has no intention of revealing his plans — if he has even thought that far ahead.
One Las Vegas oddsmaker feels there are better odds of Belichick leaving the Patriots next season than returning. When asked about that during an appearance on WEEI on Monday, Belichick gave his classic “we’re just focused on Miami” response.
One oddsmaker has it more likely Bill Belichick leaves NE in 2021 than he returns. On @OMFonWEEI, Belichick was asked about it: "Yeah, I am just trying to get ready for Miami. I don't know. Long-term for me would be Sunday."
It’s incredibly unlikely that Belichick will leave New England to coach another team. If he were to leave the Patriots, it would probably be to retire. Belichick turned 68 in April and said at one point that he does not want to coach into his 70s, but his opinion may have changed in recent years with his son taking on a prominent role on his coaching staff.
Belichick is almost certainly motivated by trying to prove he can win a Super Bowl without Tom Brady. If he were able to pull that off this season, it’s possible he could give serious thought to retirement. We gave you an in-depth look this offseason at whether Belichick or Brady stands to lose more from the divorce.
A lot can happen over the course of a season, but as of now there is no reason to think Belichick is entering his final year as coach of the Patriots.
Bill Belichick has a reputation for being hard on players, and Cam Newton was well aware of that prior to signing with the New England Patriots. The former MVP even had concerns about it, but he already sounds happy with his decision.
“I didn’t know what to expect. Just the same questions that a lot of people and talk shows, gossip talk, barber shop talk, chit-chatter, text messages — they wanted to know, I wanted to know as well,” Newton said. “I wanted to know is it real what they say about Belichick? Just, I didn’t know.
“Honestly, it’s been a match made in heaven for me just knowing I am at a place where everything is pulling in the same direction and everything is geared towards winning.”
Newton said any previous opinions he had about Belichick changed the first time he had a conversation with the future Hall of Famer.
“I think every type of stereotype that I had about Coach Belichick changed the day I talked to him,” Newton added. “You look at the players he’s had over the years — obviously the Brady’s, the Randy Moss’, the Corey Dillon’s, the Lawrence Taylor’s, and the list goes on, Tedy Bruschi, it’s no wonder why he’s sustained success over the years.
“If he was able to accomplish those things with those players, it made a lot of sense. The time when I spoke to him and obviously meeting with him face-to-face, it removed any type of doubt, if I even had any. It’s just exciting to play for a person like that.”
Most of the NFL has given up on Newton because of his injury history. Health will still be the biggest question mark, but he has a tremendous opportunity to revive his career in New England. Even if there are times when he becomes frustrated with Belichick’s style, Newton knows this is his best chance to prove he can still be an elite starter.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has named Cam Newton the team’s starting quarterback for Week 1, but don’t expect him to admit that publicly.
Several NFL reporters said Thursday that Belichick has informed his players Newton is the starter entering the season. When asked about those reports on Friday, Belichick had a predictable response.
Belichick still won't publicly name Cam Newton the starter, despite reports otherwise. "We're not naming any starters at any positions. Any conversations that I have with the team will stay between me and the team. Sorry I'll have to bypass that one." #Patriots@nflnetwork
Belichick may not be naming any starters publicly, but it’s pretty obvious Newton has gotten the job. If the reports aren’t convincing enough for you, perhaps the fact that the Patriots have announced him as a captain will be.
Belichick has basically gushed about Newton all offseason, and there’s a reason for that. New England did not sign the former NFL MVP to keep him as a backup. Newton is one of the most talented players in the league, and he has a chance to prove he can still be an elite starting QB when healthy.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
Bill Belichick surprised some people earlier this offseason when he was spotting filming an ad spot for Subway, but the finished product turned out pretty great.
The Subway commercial Belichick stars in (or at least one of them) was released this week. It’s simple yet spectacular, with Belichick scolding a man who opted for a box of fried chicken over a Subway footlong. The New England Patriots coach then does a little bit of wardrobe enhancement for the star-struck fan.
One of the worst-kept secrets in sports is the way the relationship between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick deteriorated during their final years together with the New England Patriots. However, a new book that was published this week provides a behind-the-scenes look at a notoriously air-tight organization.
In his book “The Dynasty,” author Jeff Benedict describes how the issues between Brady and Belichick reached a boiling point following New England’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. In the middle of the previous season in 2017, which ended with the Patriots’ miraculous comeback win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI), Belichick started limiting the access Brady’s personal trainer and best friend Alex Guerrero had to the team. Owner Robert Kraft called several meetings following the loss to the Eagles in an attempt to clear the air, and one of them involved Brady’s wife Gisele.
According to Benedict (via Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston), Gisele spoke up for Brady during a meeting at Kraft’s house weeks after the 2018 Super Bowl. Belichick was not present, but Gisele told Kraft she and Brady were sick of Belichick treating the quarterback like “f—ing Johnny Foxboro.” Gisele said it was bad enough that Belichick refused to voice approval for Brady but even worse that he still unloaded on him during meetings and gave him a hard time with Guerrero.
At that point, Benedict says Brady and Gisele informed Kraft they wanted to move on. Here’s more:
When the conversation shifted to the future, Brady and Bündchen indicated it was time for them to make some changes that were in the best interest of their family. Among other things, they were contemplating a change of scenery.
Kraft wasn’t surprised by their feelings toward Belichick. He hadn’t, however, expected to hear that Brady and Bündchen wanted to leave New England.
Another interesting piece of information from the book was that Kraft assured Brady in 2010 that he would step in if Belichick wanted to get rid of Brady. Brady feared at the time that Belichick might part ways with him like he has with so many other key veteran players, so he wanted assurances from Kraft before signing an extension.
When Brady expressed a desire to leave in 2018, Kraft told him he was not going to let him out of his contract. The Pats owner then changed his mind and told Brady he could go if he wanted. Brady, after hearing that Belichick wanted him back, chose to stay. He said he would work things out on his own end, which is around the time he stopped showing up to voluntary offseason workouts.
Brady has always tried to avoid drama by any means necessary, but that was not the only time we know of that Gisele was animated in defending her husband. She infamously ripped New England’s receivers during a Super Bowl loss back in 2012.
In the end, Brady stuck around in New England and won another Super Bowl with Belichick. Gisele was undoubtedly happy about that, but it’s probably safe to assume she is pleased to have her husband playing for a new team in 2020.
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have teamed up yet again! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Tampa Fiesta shirt. You can buy it here.
Bill Belichick has still only spent a very small amount of time on the practice field with Cam Newton, but the New England Patriots coach is already impressed with what he has seen.
Belichick has praised Newton for his work ethic numerous times in recent weeks. That theme continued during the coach’s appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio Monday morning.
“He’s an extremely hard worker. Nobody works harder than Cam does. He’s here early. He stays late, and he works very hard,” Belichick said. “Some players like to work on things they’re good at — you know, if you’re strong on the bench press and just keep throwing more weight on the bench. Cam’s the type of player that works on things he’s not as good at and really tries to improve on a daily basis.”
The Patriots are going to play the quarterback Belichick feels gives them the best chance to win. While Stidham may have a bright future, Newton is a former NFL MVP who is still just 31. If he’s healthy, it’s hard to imagine him not winning the job. Belichick has said he is open to taking a unique approach at the position, but our guess is Newton will be named the Week 1 starter.
Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Cam Newton Patriots shirt. You can buy it here.
