Former New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola believes he has identified the true engine of the Patriot Way, and it certainly isn’t head coach Bill Belichick. He says it is Tom Brady who is heading to the Super Bowl on Sunday with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In an appearance on Fox Sports’ “First Things First” on Monday, Amendola was asked if he thinks it will be harder for Belichick to get players to buy the legendary Patriot Way while Brady is gone. Amendola, who won two Super Bowls during his five seasons with the Pats, answered the question by praising Brady and minimizing the role the coaches played in the team’s success.
Brady is the Patriot Way
If you see the ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it has Tom Brady’s photo next to it. None of those coaches got a pass… Tom Brady is the ‘Patriot Way’. That’s why he’s in the Super Bowl and the Patriots aren’t. “- @Danny_kroon pic.twitter.com/XtVd0ntJPc
– First things first (@ FTFonFS1) February 1, 2021
If you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, Tom Brady’s photo is next to it. None of those coaches passed. None of those coaches caught any passes. None of those coaches made tackles. They have guys in the right position because they watch a lot of movie and they spend all their time in the facility. But Tom Brady is the Patriot Way, which is why Tom Brady is now in the Super Bowl and the Patriots are not. “
Amendola has extensive knowledge of the Patriot Way, and to him it is only one man: Tom Brady. He, not Belichick or any coaching system, is the reason players came to the Patriots. And Brady supposedly took the Patriot Way with him when he left, as the Buccaneers play in the Super Bowl and the Patriots went 7-9 in their first Brady-free season.
Belichick was difficult to play for
Amendola respects Belichick, but he doesn’t seem to like him that much. After leaving the Patriots after the 2017 season, he said Belichick’s spiky personality made it challenging to play for him.
“It’s not easy, that’s for sure,” Amendola said via ESPN. “He’s an a ** hole at times. There were a lot of things I didn’t like about playing for him, but I have to say, the things I didn’t. It was all about improving the team, and I respected him. . “
The Patriot Way has proven successful, but only if you can get players to buy in. With Brady gone, Amendola doesn’t think Belichick has the personality to convince his players to do it.
More from Yahoo Sports: