Belichick ain't s**t without Brady - NFL fans mock Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady
Bill Belichick's legendary coaching career suffered its biggest blemish Saturday. The New England Patriots were downright embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills in a 47-17 blowout loss.
The Patriots' loss had fans in the NFL buzzing on social media about Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady. Without the three-time NFL MVP, Belichick's win-loss record isn't as close to success as it was with Brady.
His record raises the question in fans' minds whether Brady was responsible for the Patriots dynasty more than Bill Belichick.
One NFL fan tweeted that without Brady, Belichick wouldn't be anything. Belichick is a three-time NFL coach of the year, so saying he wouldn't have a suitable career without Brady is debatable.
However, it certainly didn't hurt to have Brady's services for 19 years as a starter.
Another fan noted Belichick isn't being coined as a genius anymore after his humiliating loss to the Bills. Belichick was praised universally for his game plan in the first meeting with the Bills this season.
Mac Jones threw just three passes in that game, and the Patriots' defense carried them to the win. The Bills made the Patriots' defense look like a below-average unit Saturday, scoring touchdowns on each of their first seven drives.
MLB Hall of Fame voter Rob Maadi made the case that it's obvious Brady was the leader of the Patriots' six Super Bowls, not Belichick.
While some fans used social media to debate the question, others used Twitter as an outlet to create comedy. For example, Alfonso Morell made a meme that Bill Belichick called Brady on the phone asking him to come back before being rejected.
Another meme was created comparing Bill Belichick to former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett notoriously never took the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs with the Cowboys, owning a 2-3 postseason record.
Someone else noted that Belichick's one playoff win without Brady was more than he and anyone who's ever coached in the NFL has.
In addition to enjoying seeing Belichick struggle without Brady, one fan enjoyed watching the Patriots lose after 20 years of dominance over the AFC East.
Another coaching comparison Bill Belichick got was his offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. McDaniels went 11-17 in two seasons as Denver Broncos head coach in 2009 and 2010.
While Greg Ehrenberg believes Brady carried Belichick to glory before this week, the Bills' destruction of the Patriots served as confirmation bias for him.
In the end, one fan went as far as to call Belichick the most overrated head coach in NFL history. It's a further stretch than any of the other takes, but social media allows anyone to say what they think.
Bill Belichick has already confirmed he will return as the Patriots' head coach in 2022. He will be highly motivated to improve on the areas the Bills exploited.
He has too much respect for himself and the game to allow fans' criticism of him to affect how he does his job.
With Bill Belichick and company eliminated, what's next for Brady and the Buccaneers?
The Buccaneers begin their playoff journey today against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team will obviously be without the services of Pro Bowl receiver Chris Godwin as well as Antonio Brown.
While star linebacker Lavonte David is set to return from injury, running back Leonard Fournette is questionable but expected to play after being rested from a hamstring injury the past few weeks.
If the Buccaneers can get their significant players back in the fold and get adequate help from backups like receivers Tyler Johnson and Scottie Miller, the Bucs may just see themselves as repeating as the champions.