Bill Belichick spent Monday morning pouring cold water on widely believed theories and notions.
With the Patriots' Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints now in the rearview mirror, attention shifts to the highly anticipated matchup between New England and the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The primetime tilt will mark Tom Brady's first game at Gillette Stadium as a visiting player.
Brady was the primary talking point of Belichick's latest appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show." In addition to refuting the narrative that the Patriots wanted to move on from Brady last year, Belichick also countered the idea that he didn't get along with the star quarterback.
"Tom and I had, I feel like, a good relationship and a lot of production, obviously, while we were together," Belichick said. "And I enjoyed coaching Tom. And, you know, he was a great player for us. Sunday night, we line up across from Tampa, not just him but the entire team. They're obviously a very good team."
Were Brady and Belichick always in good standing over the course of their partnership in Foxboro? That's highly unlikely. Over the span of two decades, you're bound to encounter trying times and hardships.
But the future Hall of Famers seemingly always saw eye-to-eye on one thing: Their commitment to winning. And while their separation arguably could have been handled better, Brady and Belichick have a treasure trove of fond memories to look back on.