Why Bucs vs Patriots is a revenge game for Bill Belichick's side and not Tom Brady
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to take on Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Should Brady and the Bucs be victorious, Brady will make history again by becoming only the 4th quarterback in history to beat every team in the league.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots will attempt to spoil that record.
Brady leaving the Patriots after 20 years, and winning an immediate Super Bowl with a new team is a sting that Belichick won't soon forget. Should the Patriots win, this game will serve as deeper revenge for the Pats than it would for the Bucs.
Will the Patriots be able to beat the Bucs?
Bill Belichick has been instrumental in painting the picture of the legend that is Tom Brady. Together, the duo dominated the AFC East for the better part of two decades, while winning six Super Bowl rings.
Tom Brady has defeated every NFL team except the Patriots. With a win this week, Brady will become the 4th QB in history to defeat all 32 teams:
Brett Favre 32
Peyton Manning 32
Drew Brees 32
Tom Brady 31
4 others tied with 31
Now that Brady has moved on to greener pastures, Belichick is likely kicking himself for not having dug deeper to make things work for Brady.
Unfortunately, the Patriots seem to be in deep water. Their replacement, Cam Newton, did not work out and it seems that Mac Jones has been having issues in his rookie season. The Patriots are 1-2 and are sitting in third place in the AFC East.
Seeing Brady flourish with the Bucs comes across even worse for Belichick now that Brady has coaxed long-time teammate Rob Gronkowski to his side.
The Bucs are a tough team to beat on both sides of the ball, so it will be a tough matchup for the Patriots. The only loss the Bucs have is against the current NFC kings: Los Angeles Rams.
The Bucs are certainly gearing up to return to the playoffs and quite possibly the NFC Championship game, so the Patriots will have their hands full while attempting to pull out a win.
Belichick, regardless of the New England Patriots' record last season and the beginning of this season, is still a mastermind of the game of football. Belichick and the Patriots also have an inside track into what makes Brady tick.
Belichick knows how his team can get under Brady's skin to allow the Patriots to rattle the 44-year-old veteran. Should the Patriots find a way to win this game, they will be back on track with a .500 record and be a record ruiner for Brady.
If Bucs’ quarterback Tom Brady sets the NFL all-time passing record Sunday night against his former team, and he needs only 68 yards to do it, the Patriots will pause to acknowledge it but not stop the game for a ceremony.
espn.com/nfl/story/_/id…
The Patriots also have a unique opportunity to attempt to keep Brady from achieving the all-time passing record, though that is not likely to happen.
While traveling will always prove to be a factor for any team, the Patriots will have the advantage of playing at home.
The truth is that the Bucs are a much more well-rounded team, and they boast one of the best quarterbacks to ever play football.
Should the Patriots find a way to win, they will prove (to a degree) that Belichick has the upper hand and that letting Brady go was a good decision that will not haunt them for years to come.