Mac Jones made himself partly in Brady's image an underdog who carried Brady's infamous combine photo with him as a high school recruit and imitated his passing mechanics down to how he contorted his off-hand. Robert Kraft ‘sort of likes’ Patriots being underdogs in 2023 And his successor will be under a heightened pressure to play like he's always dreamed of: just like Tom Brady did. It will be a reunion that inspires the type of rare joy he once fostered in his teammates and a region for almost two decades.īrady will be back. Brady's light should burn away any comparison, any lingering animosity, any pain born from his split with the franchise. Meanwhile, the Patriots wandered the NFL wilderness in that shadow with other mediocre franchises that lived in darkness for as long as Brady called New England home.įortunately on Sunday, there will be no shadow. The Patriots continue to chase the bar Brady set, but it's the shadow of the bar that's come to define them. I think that's why we do get that image of him throughout the building here and there, and this is my opinion, to remind you the hard work will pay off if you do it right." And the hard work it'll show at the end of the week. Mills continued: "It's one day at a time, one week at a time, one game at a time. That's kind of how we go about our work here." It wasn't like things were handed to him. "Being a sixth-round pick, and coming from the bottom and being who he is now, we call him the greatest to play the game. "I think when you think about the Patriots, and the hard work being paid off at the end of the week or end of the year, you do think of a guy like Tom Brady," Mills said. Patriots are still trying to figure out their backup quarterback situation They see the pictures, of course, but as a symbol of a promise of the past one they’ve failed to live out in his absence. Several players who never crossed paths with Brady in Foxboro, like defensive back Jalen Mills, told the Herald they don’t feel his specific presence in the building at all. To defy age, pressure, odds, even rules.Īt a minimum, for the fans who bought tickets and watch from home what that feels like, Brady will remind them of that feeling. They built and lived within a football fantasy, one fans shared in and saw themselves and imagined what it might be like to shatter limits in their own lives. They redefined excellence in their sport. Because together, Brady and Belichick achieved more than six Super Bowl wins. He’s retired, and for good this time.īut Brady’s return will serve as a reminder of what was, and what can be possible. Though whether Brady makes a speech at halftime or his number is retired, or even if he runs out of the tunnel to the same song, “Public Service Announcement,” which introduced him before every home game, he won’t help the Patriots score points against Philadelphia. Will they rediscover that identity this season? Will they forge a new one? And could that begin Sunday when Brady returns? So if the Patriots don’t identify with their greatest legend, or the pillars of Belichick’s program, who are they? Related Articlesĩ8.5’s Fred Toucher responds to Hardy morning show speculation Paul Perillo gives insight into Taylor Swift at Patriots game The Pats have crumbled down the stretch of their last four seasons, failing to play their best football after Thanksgiving - another hallmark - and lost their self-paved Patriot Way. The hallmarks of Belichick-coached teams - sound, smart and cool under pressure - seemed to depart with him in 2020. Which is why Brady’s return Sunday feels so timely. “(Tedy) Bruschi, (Rodney) Harrison, (Willie) McGinest, Troy Brown, (Jerod) Mayo, just keep right on going. “So, I can go all the way back to (Ron) Burton, Gino Cappelletti, Babe Parelli, back there to the more recent guys in the 80s - (Russ) Francis, (John) Hannah, Mike Haynes and (Raymond) Clayborn, guys like that, and then obviously all of the great players that we’ve had here. That’s part of becoming a Patriot, coming to the team,” Belichick said. In fact, Belichick grouped him with a host of franchise legends. On Friday, when asked how Brady does or does not live on through his team, Bill Belichick didn’t speak to the future Hall of Famer on his own. They teamed up to win six Super Bowl titles. 25, 2007 game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, talks with head coach Bill Belichick during a Nov.
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