Like Gregg Popovich with Tim Duncan in basketball, Bill Belichick did not hold back from making an example of Tom Brady in front of the team to keep others in line.
Appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday, former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount recalled a moment that stood out from his time in New England where Belichick tore into Brady for missing a read.
The first time I heard him yell at him was … he had a wide-open guy running down the sideline and he missed him. Bill was basically saying, ‘Hey man, you’re an NFL quarterback. You’re supposed to be this Pro Bowl guy… If you’re the best quarterback like all these people walking around sucking you off… If you’re this guy, there’s 100 other football players – even college guys – even high school guys – can hit this wide-open guy on a throw.’
Blount said that moment set the standard for everyone else on the team that they’re not exempt from criticism.
Others have talked about this same thing, which played a big role in the “Patriot Way” being so successful over a two-decade stretch.