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Was Bill Belichick or Tom Brady more important to the team?

By Lou Scataglia

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 03: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on as Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs past during the fourth quarter in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 03: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on as Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs past during the fourth quarter in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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We are in the third year of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady not playing and coaching with each other. Who was more responsible for the team’s success?  Perhaps this is a random time for this discussion, but we are now in the third year of the post-Brady era.  One of the biggest questions when Brady left New England was who was more responsible for the team’s success?

There are valid arguments for both parties, and I don’t think there will ever be a clear answer, however I think you could make an argument more in favor of one of them.  Let’s breakdown how each person has done since the breakup after the 2019 season.

Bill Belichick

Since the beginning of the 2020 season, Bill Belichick is a even 20-20 in the regular season.  In 2021 with a rookie Mac Jones, he coached his team to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth.  In that timeframe, the offense has ranked 27th, 6th, and 16th in points scored.  The defense has ranked 7th, 2nd, and 14th in points allowed.

We can tell that the defense is still it’s elite self, but the offense has sputtered a bit.  In every year between 2004-2019, Brady’s last year, the Patriots ranked at least 10th in the NFL in points scored, which is an insane level of consistency.

Tom Brady

Since arriving in Tampa Bay, Tom Brady is 27-14 in the regular season.  He has thrown 92 touchdowns on 25 interceptions.  He is 5-1 in the playoffs during this time and added 13 touchdown passes and four interceptions, along with a Super Bowl title.  So in total, he’s won 32 games as Buccaneer in just over three seasons.  His .680 winning percentage in the regular season and playoffs in Tampa is much better than Belichick’s .488 winning percentage in the same timeframe.

Now, to be fair, Tom Brady is arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, and is the epitome of a franchise QB.  Perhaps if Belichick had a franchise QB in the waiting when Brady left, we’d be having a different conversation.

As of now though, I think Brady has the edge.  His first eight games in Tampa this year have not gone to plan.  His Buccaneers are 3-5 and don’t look even the slightest bit competitive.  I think the fairest assessment for this situation is to have this debate again when both are retired, which I would expect could happen as early as the end of this season.

What do you think?  Has Bill Belichick or Tom Brady been more successful since their breakup?

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