“Old-fashioned p*ssing match” – Mike Florio pinpoints Tom Brady as reason for Bill Belichick vs Robert Kraft friction
Tensions are on the rise in New England as the post-Tom Brady Patriots have floundered. Bill Belichick appeared to blame Robert Kraft and the owner turned it back on the head coach. The relationship seems a bit strenuous at the moment.
Mike Florio believes Brady is to blame, sort of. The team has struggled since he shocked the world by deciding to leave for the first time in two decades, and Florio believes that's the root cause of the issues.
He said via NBC Sports:
"Hidden in this back-and-forth is an old-fashioned p*ssing match, with Belichick trying to subtly shift blame for post-Brady struggles to Kraft for not spending, and with Kraft pushing it back to Belichick for not asking for the money to be spent."
In a press conference, Belichick said that he wished the team would spend more, implying that that was a reason they had struggled. Kraft was later asked about Belichick's security as he chases Don Shula's record. He was coy:
“Look, I’d like him to break Don Shula’s record, but I’m not looking for any our players to get great stats. We’re about winning, and doing whatever we can to win. And that’s what our focus is now. And I -- it’s very important to me that we make the playoffs, and that’s what I hope happens next year.”
If they don't turn it around this year, things could very well come to a head soon.
Breaking down Bill Belichick's Patriots coaching record since Tom Brady's exit
Since Tom Brady left the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick's record has taken a hit. They've made the postseason just once in three years. In year one, they tried to replace Brady with Cam Newton, but the roster was so threadbare on offense (a big reason Brady left in the first place) that they limped to a 7-9 record.
The Mac Jones era hasn't been all that much better. They went 10-7 and earned a Wild Card spot and then 8-9 and missed the postseason. In total, they've gone 25-25 since Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.