Debating if Tom Brady meant more to the New England Patriots than head coach Bill Belichick is a completely fruitless endeavor. Rather than just accepting that the partnership was mutually beneficial for both parties, even former Patriots themselves have decided to take a stand for one side to further fuel the win-less debate.
After former Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola came out and said that “The Patriot Way” was entirely on Brady, former left tackle Matt Light insisted that Amendola was “an angry elf” that was looking to get something off of his chest.
Yikes. Shots fired. Looks like Light is a true company man!
Former Patriot Matt Light said Danny Amendola sounded a bit like "an angry elf... a South Pole elf" when he said the Patriot way was more about Tom Brady than Bill Belichick. (@dpshow)
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) February 2, 2021
Matt Light thinks that Bill Belichick has as much to do with the Patriots’ success as Tom Brady
Light, who made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team in New England, was around Brady at a much different time than Amendola was. Light was there for the early years, when Brady was an efficient game-manager and Belichick’s stacked defense helped them win three championships. Having seen Belichick develop Brady from a sixth-round pick into one of the greatest of all time, it’s easy to see why Light thinks that Belichick had the premier hand in creating the dynasty.
Former #Patriots Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman Matt Light says he'd choose Bill Belichick over Tom Brady. "Can he win without Tom Brady? Yeah I think he can, we did it in 2008." pic.twitter.com/6mmfUSJCR5
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 2, 2021
By the time Amendola arrived, Brady was leading an aerial circus while establishing himself as one of the most productive passers in the game, oftentimes able to overcome some bad Belichick drafts and conservative offense by way of his golden arm. With Brady having led Amendola to three Super Bowls and two championships, the diminutive wideout likely felt his QB had much to do with it. Playing with a failed “Patriot Way” system in Detroit likely didn’t help change Amendola’s mind either.
This debate will never end, and it has already forced some well-respected Patriots to start cannibalizing each other as they take a stand for or against Belichick. Can’t we all just admit they’re both the best ever at what they do and leave it at that?

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