Tom Brady contended for championships on a yearly basis over the course of his two decades in New England.
Adam Vinatieri doesn’t believe that’ll change now that the quarterback is in Tampa Bay.
During an interview Wednesday with WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria,” Vinatieri said he expects big things from his former Patriots teammate this season.
“They’ve got some good receivers there now,” Vinatieri said of the Buccaneers, who signed Brady to a two-year contract in March. “Obviously, with (tight end Rob Gronkowski) coming back now, that will fill a hole, too. They’ve got a good, young team, and I hate to say it, but I think they’re going to be one of the teams at the very top at the end.”
Vinatieri also believes Brady will mesh well with Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who is known for his laid-back style and aggressive offensive approach.
“I was very fortunate to have him as my coach for a little while in Indy, and I really, really admire the guy,” the ex-Patriots and Colts kicker said on “OMF.” “He’s definitely an offensive-minded, and the thing that is great about him is he has no fear. He’ll be the guy where they’ll be up by four points and it’s third-and-long and there’s a minute left on the clock — normally, most guys hand the ball off, punt and let your defense. Bruce is the guy that does a play-action pass and throws it 25 yards down the field and gets a first down, then they kneel it out and it’s done.
“I say that because it happened. I was part of games (like that), and I just shook my head. This guy is ballsy, and he goes 100 miles an hour. And I think Tom’s going to love it, because I’m sure they gave Tom the keys to the car and said, ‘Run this thing like you want to.’ But Bruce is a really, really great offensive-minded coach.”
New England’s wild-card round loss to the Tennessee Titans last season snapped a streak of three consecutive Super Bowl appearances and eight straight AFC Championship Games for Brady and the Patriots. The Buccaneers have not reached the playoffs since 2007 and have not won a postseason game since 2002.
