The New England Patriots had one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history with Tom Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as head coach.
Whether fans choose to look at the Patriots' run with Brady and Belichick as one dynasty or two separate dynasties, their dominance was clear. During an appearance on "Pardon My Take," Belichick went into detail about how Brady got to be so great and become the greatest quarterback of all time.
“He just day by day takes incredibly small steps that eventually lead to a high performance," Belichick said on "Pardon My Take." "He was our 4th string quarterback, you can’t name another 4th string quarterback in any level of football. That’s how far down he was. I brought in Damon Huard because I didn’t think (Tom Brady) was good enough to be the backup. He beat Huard out, and then (Drew Bledsoe) got hurt. He didn't lose games. He didn't win many, but he didn't lose them. We won them on defense, and we won them in the kicking game... and then by 2003, 2004, we won games with Tom Brady. Then from 2004 on, not only did we win games because of Tom Brady, but every week, he was the focal point of our opponents. It was, 'We gotta stop Tom Brady, and what's our game plan to stop Tom Brady?' That's the real greatness. When they're doing something to stop you, and there's a target on your back, and you're still producing at a high level. I always say Tom wasn’t great, he wasn’t even really good, but he became great.”
Every football fan knows the story of Tom Brady. He was the 199th overall pick who had to climb his way up the depth chart. He got his opportunity when Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe got hurt, and he never gave the job back.
Brady went on to win six Super Bowls for the Patriots and added a seventh ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fans can debate whether it was Brady or Belichick who drove the Patriots to success for 20 years, but the reality is that it took both of them and many other star players to make sure the Patriots won six Super Bowls. Belichick was there to see Brady become a great player and oversaw his development.
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