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Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots failed to win the AFC East division last year. The Buffalo Bills took the title for the second-straight season before dismantling New England 47-7 in the playoffs.
Prior to that, Belichick led New England to 11 straight divisional titles and dominated the division. It is hard not to see Tom Brady's departure as a significant factor in the Patriots' change in fortunes.
Skip Bayless spoke about the Patriots, Belichick and Brady on Undisputed. Unlike in recent years, Bayless seems to lack faith in the head coach. He focused on recent years and how the Patriots have fared compared to Brady. Bayless said:
"Bill Belichick has always been a product of ratings. He is always going to struggle and is getting desperate. It's all about Brady, who went to Tampa during the pandemic on a torn MCL and he won the Super Bowl. Last year, he won a playoff game and nearly beat the eventual champions by bringing it all the way back to 27 all...making Belichick look even more foolish.
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He compared this to New England's recent history:
Belichick got blown off in his playoff game last year 47 to 17. Here we go again. Brady's team will be favored...it'll be right at the top of the list with Kansas City and maybe Buffalo but they will be right up at the top favored to win next year's Super Bowl because the goat is back at age 45."
In the two seasons since Brady left the Patriots, they've gone 17-16 and made the playoffs once. The year before, New England finished third in the AFC East with a 7-9 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Patriots found their replacement for Brady when they drafted quarterback Mac Jones in the first round. In his rookie year, Jones went 10-7 in the regular season and made the playoffs but lost in the first round to the Buffalo Bills. He finished the regular season with 3801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Tom Brady's success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brady has played two seasons with the Buccaneers since his departure from New England. Brady transformed the Buccaneers in his first season, leading them to their first playoff game since the 2008 season.
They made it to the Super Bowl where they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. Last season, they fell short to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. A last-minute Buccaneers touchdown tied the score, however, the Rams scored the game-winning field goal.
Brady was set to retire after his 22nd season, but decided to return for a third year with Tampa Bay.
The Patriots, on the other hand, will go into the season as underdogs in their division. The Bills will be the clear favorites to win the AFC East. With the New York Jets having an excellent draft and Tyreek Hill joining the Miami Dolphins, it is unclear as to how New England will match up.
Much will hinge on the development of Mac Jones. If the young quarterback plays to his potential and the Patriots build on last season's 10-7 record, they could potentially go all the way.
