Are the Patriots power brokers on the verge of imploding on one another?
Certainly seems that way if you believe what is in this very long and in-depth piece of reporting by Seth Wickersham of ESPN.
Again, quite lengthy but well worth it and fascinating stuff with in.
Quote:
On Dec. 3, when the New England Patriots played the Buffalo Bills, Tom Brady walked to the sideline after throwing late and behind receiver Brandin Cooks on third down, ending a first-quarter drive. Brady was angrier and more irritable than usual, as has often been the case this season in the eyes of some Patriots players and staff. As he unsnapped his chinstrap, Brady passed offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on the sideline.
"He was wide open," McDaniels said to Brady, referring to Cooks.
Brady kept walking, and glaring at McDaniels, so the coach repeated: "We had him open."
Brady snapped, pivoting to McDaniels and yelling at him, "I got it!" Everyone within earshot, including head coach Bill Belichick, turned to watch as Brady screamed. He removed his helmet, and as a Patriots staffer held him back -- and with McDaniels' father and legendary high school coach in Ohio, Thom, in the stands behind the bench -- capped off the exchange by yelling, "F--- you!"
After all, many in the Patriots' building knew that Brady's explosion wasn't really about McDaniels. It wasn't about Cooks. And it wasn't about the Bills game. It was about the culmination of months of significant behind-the-scenes frustrations. For almost two decades, Belichick has managed to subvert the egos of his best player, his boss and himself for the good of the team, yielding historic results. This year, though, the dynamics have been different.
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Just the tip of the problems apparently.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page...power-struggle