The New England Patriots haven’t been the same since Tom Brady’s departure, which has led plenty of people to wonder how much Bill Belichick owes to his former quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey joined that conversation on an episode of the Punch Line Podcast.
“Is Belichick elite, or is Tom Brady elite? That’s the million-dollar question,” Humphrey said. “It’s looking more like Brady.”
#Ravens star CB Marlon Humphrey openly questions if #Patritos Bill Belichick is an elite coach: “Is Belichick elite, or Tom Brady elite? it’s looking more like Brady.”
“I don’t know if Belichick was ever daggum dirty.”
“It’s been three losing seasons?…. It looks like some… https://t.co/Aj6Gj6vvRe pic.twitter.com/8YyP1x5zOS
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 20, 2023
Humphrey questioned if Belichick “was ever daggum dirty” and claimed that the 71-year-old might be “getting washed.”
After opening the season with losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, the Patriots are 25-28 (including a playoff loss) since Brady left. They’re in danger of missing the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000.
While Belichick is still aiming for his first playoff victory as New England’s head coach without Brady, the star quarterback won his seventh Super Bowl when joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
The offense hasn’t ranked higher than 15th in each of the last three seasons. Turmoil took over the unit last year, leading Belichick to bring back offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien in hopes of sparking a rebound from Mac Jones.
No NFL head coach has as many playoff wins (31), conference championships (nine), or Super Bowl triumphs (six) as Belichick. Including the postseason, he’s 19 wins from surpassing George Halas as the all-time winningest coach.
Yet the question of how much he needed Brady may linger if Belichick doesn’t lead the Patriots to more success without the legendary signal-caller under center.