Remember how downright annoying it was to hear about the “Patriot way” in New England? Weird how that disappeared in 2020 as the Pats played to a 7-9 record and third-place finish in the AFC East…
Well one former Patriots player said that’s no coincidence.
Danny Amendola, who was one of Tom Brady’s wide receivers in New England from 2013-2017, said via FS1 on Monday that when the QB left, so did that philosophy.
“When you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s gonna have Tom Brady’s name next to it,” Amendola said. “None of those coaches threw any passes, none of those coaches caught any passes, none of those coaches made any tackles. They get guys in the right position because they watch a lot of film and they spend all their time at the facility.
“Tom Brady is the ‘Patriot Way,’ and that’s the reason why Tom Brady’s in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t.”
While the Bills are not connected to Amendola in any way, they are to the their division rival and from the sounds of it, he believes that his former team won’t be catching up to the Bills in the AFC East in the future without Brady. Time will tell if that’s true.
Adding some intrigue to the idea Amendola presented this week was actually Brady himself. Ahead of playing in Super Bowl LV on Sunday with the Bucs, Brady was complimentary of Belichick and his former team.
“I have a great relationship with him,” Brady told reporters on Monday. “I’m just incredibly grateful for what he’s meant in my life as a coach. He’s everything you could ask for as a player.
“I loved my time and two incredible decades there. My football journey took me to a different place. I certainly could never have accomplished the things in my career without his support and his teachings.”
Of course, context is key. Amendola hasn’t been a huge Patriots fan since departing. He played for the Lions in 2020.
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