The Reunion: Brady vs. Belichick

09/30/2021

By: Jeff Yoder

Tom Brady & The Bucs Head to New England for the G.O.A.T. Reunion Game

Week 4 in the NFL is fast approaching. It’s Jaguars vs. Bengals tonight on Thursday Night Football, but Sunday’s feature piece is a can’t-miss showdown between the quarterback and coach who formed the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers travel to Foxborough to take on Bill Belichick and the Patriots for a game that’s been circled since Brady left New England in March of 2020. Together, Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowls. Now, they’re enemies.

 

The Brady—Belichick Breakup

ESPN’s Seth Wickersham teased the release of his new book this week, “It’s Better to be Feared”, where he details the breakup of Brady and Belichick. In the book, Wickersham claims that Belichick didn’t meet with Brady face to face on his way out of New England, and Brady said he “didn’t want to play for Bill anymore” as early as 2017.

 

The Matchup: Bucs at Patriots (Sun. 8:20 pm ET)

The two teams enter Sunday coming off losses in Week 3, but the Bucs are the clear-cut favorite (-7). Tampa Bay is averaging 34.3 ppg while New England is averaging just 18 ppg. Brady has thrived since the departure, obviously, after winning Super Bowl LV. But his heir apparent, rookie QB Mac Jones, has something to prove in TB12’s return to Gillette Stadium.

 

QB Comparison (2021 Stats)

T. Brady (TB): 68.8% Comp. 1,087 Yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs

M. Jones (NE): 67.5% Comp. 737 Yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs

 

It’s Brady vs. Bill in what could be the G.O.A.T.’s final game in Foxborough.

 

Additional Storylines

NFL: Who Needs Win Most in Brady-Belichick Reunion?

NBC Sports: Belichick Has Special Praise for Tom Brady Ahead of Patriots-Bucs

Yahoo! Sports: “It’s Better to be Feared” Says Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Called Belichick “The Biggest (Expletive) A**Hole In My Life.”