New England Patriots: It’s officially Bill Belichick’s team now

The twenty-year marriage between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is over, now the New England Patriots solely belongs to the coach.

So, Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots to play his final years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  As shocked and excited as the rest of the NFL is about the end of a twenty-year marriage, Bill Belichick was looking forward to this since that time Matt Cassell led the team to an 11-5 record back in 2008.

As crazy as it may seem, the one season Brady missed in his long, storied career was the moment Belichick realized he could win with any quarterback who followed the script.

Once upon a time there was a guy named Drew Bledsoe leading the Patriots.  A franchise quarterback who brought the organization back to relevance took a brutal hit during a scramble which opened the door for a sixth-round draft pick who ended up following the script to lead Belichick and the Patriots to an upset victory over the then St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Not only was it the birth of a dynasty and Tom Brady’s march to a Hall-of-Fame career, it was proof that Belichick’s system could win championships as it wasn’t about the superstar players, it was about the team.

And it still is for Bill Belichick.

As Tom Brady ascended, the Patriots really became a team with two coaches.  Whether you believe there was a rift between Belichick and Brady the last few seasons or not, the fact is the man Robert Kraft hired to be the head coach of the team was ready to move on when he drafted Jimmy Garoppolo, which fueled Brady to continue playing at a high level.

But, again, when Brady missed games, Belichick again proved he can win without TB12 under center.  Garoppolo won a couple of games and Jacoby Brissett even led the team to a win.

In Bill we trust?

Well, we have no choice now because Tom Brady is walking out that door and away from a man he shared twenty years of success with.  If you are a Patriots fan, you are in mourning because of the nostalgia.  If you actually watched the games in 2019, you see a quarterback who wasn’t working in the system anymore.

Sure, there were a lack of targets, but the Brady who followed the script for so many years has made it work with less.  Within that, Bill Belichick was not only seeing a player slipping physically, but a player checked out mentally.  This departure certainly motivates him in his quest to prove the world and Belichick once again down there in Tampa.

It also motivates Belichick who now has his team back solely under his control.  Can he find the player who can recreate the gold he struck with Tom Brady?  He has twenty years of proof that he can.

With that, the New England Patriots will be just fine.  You’ll see.