It took a few days to sort this out, but as many expected, Bill Belichick is parting ways with New England Patriots. This ends one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, let alone NFL history.
Belichick won six Super Bowls as the head coach of the Patriots. As the league evolved, Belick evolved with it and kept on winning.
Of course, he had Tom Brady for those six Super Bowls, and Brady went on to win his seventh after leaving New England. In this video clip, sportswriter Charles Pierce addresses the Belichick vs Brady question in terms of who deserves more credit, which in some ways is a silly question. Both were critical. Brady probably never has his career without Belichick believing in him and keeping him in the starting lineup over Drew Bledsoe. Meanwhile, Brady’s amazing talent and focus helped Belichick with his blind spots.
You can weigh in here on your thoughts on the Belichick/Brady question.
Tom Brady has announced his retirement from the NFL, and it’s not hyperbole to say that this is the end of an era. Brady is the most successful quarterback in NFL history and is widely recognized as the greatest player to have played the position. Patrick Mahomes may have something to say about that over the next ten years, but for now nobody is coming close to Brady’s accomplishments.
After last year’s retirement fiasco and his subsequent personal issues, Brady handled this one in a clean and subdued manner, with a simple announcement on Instagram that didn’t leak. He handled it with class.
He also avoided any silly Brady vs. Belichick talk following his announcement by having Bill Belichick join him on his podcast, giving both of them the opportunity to gush over the other’s accomplishments, which frankly came off as very authentic.
Belichick was effusive in his praise of Brady, and went into great detail about how Brady saw the field and recognized coverages.
The line for this game was bet up to double digits, but we were concerned that the Cowboys could make this a game so we avoided this one. Tampa Bay is the hot pick to get back to the Super Bowl, and Tom Brady seems to be getting better. But Dallas showed up with a pass-heavy game plan and the Buccaneers gave away turnovers. The result was a very close game that the Cowboys could have won.
It’s easy to overreact to the first week of NFL games, and of course we’ll all be tempted to do that here. But here are some impressions after watching this first game:
First, Dak Prescott looked very good last night. He may have lost some zip on some passes as a result of the shoulder injury, but he played like a top-tier quarterback last night. Dallas is dangerous when he’s throwing the ball.
Ezekiel Elliott was mostly a decoy and a pass blocker last night, and of course many are overreacting to this. There’s plenty to criticize with Mike McCarthy, but using a pass-heavy game plan against a very stout run defense makes total sense. And it worked! As the year goes on we’ll see Elliott carrying the ball more. So you might pick him up cheap in a fantasy trade if you have amateurs in your league.
Still, McCarthy does have a reputation of throwing too much, so for the sake of winning games he’ll need to make sure he uses the running game, but Zeke should get enough carries to be a solid RB1 in fantasy.
The bigger issue with McCarthy is game management. He’s in love with field goals, and going for a long field goal late in the game, giving Brady plenty of time to answer, is typical McCarthy.
Naturally, Brady easily marched the Bucs downfield for the winning field goal. He makes it look so easy, and keeps proving that he’s the best to ever play the QB position. Also, Antonio looked like he was in all pro form with a big night. Those of us who scooped him up in late rounds in our fantasy drafts feel pretty good this morning.
Overall, Tampa still looks like a contender, and Dallas showed they have a shot at the playoffs in a week division, even with McCarthy’s flaws. The defense still has real problems, but let’s see if they can do better against weaker competition.
Comments Off on Buccaneers survive in opener versus the Cowboys
The NFL season is finally here, and things are somewhat back to normal with fans heading back to stadiums and Tom Brady defending another Super Bowl championship.
Tonight’s opening game has the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as heavy underdogs. The line has been bet up to Dallas plus 10 on BetUS.com as more money flows towards the defending champs.
Tampa brings back most of its roster, so many are bullish on their prospects. Meanwhile, Dallas has gone through more drama this spring with the Dak Prescott shoulder injury. Dak enters the game with no preseason reps and he hasn’t played since last season’s devastating ankle injury.
This is a tough one to pick for the first game of the season. It makes sense that the line has been bet up. There are so many question marks with the Cowboys, including the fact that Zach Martin won’t be playing. But this is a huge spread with an explosive team like Dallas as the underdog. Consider placing bets for fun, but this one seems like a tough pick.
Comments Off on Tampa Bay big favorite over Dallas to open NFL season
With mandatory minicamps underway around the NFL and the start of training camp less than two months away, there are numerous questions looming around the league. Let’s take a look at some of the top questions.
Around the league, the biggest obsession is the quarterback play. Surely the rookies will get extended looks, but the status of those coming back from injuries, as well as battles for the starting position will be under major observation.