How Bad Will the New England Patriots Be Without Tom Brady?

The New England Patriots will have a new full-time quarterback under center this season for the first time in 20 years. It’s a day many AFC East fans have been waiting for in what seems like their entire life. There are even circles around the entire NFL that couldn’t wait for the championship reign of the Pats dynasty to end.

But has it really?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the Patriots dynasty. One side of the coin thinks that Tom Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champ has made the Patriots dynasty what it is. The other side thinks that Tom Brady is a “system quarterback” and Bill Belichick is the guru who was the mastermind that orchestrated the entire thing. Well for the first time, we get to see which, if either, were correct.

More NFL: Did the Bucs Get It Right With Tom Brady?

For the first time, we get to see if Tom Brady can elevate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a playoff-caliber team. Talent may have been dwindling in New England with aging stars and lack of replenished stars. The Bucs offense is loaded with talent and should give Brady enough weapons to succeed. Brady with talent around him is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks to play the game and the Bucs are giving him a ton.

Then there is the “system quarterback” bunch. These fans push the narrative that there have been enough quarterbacks who stepped in, when Brady was hurt or suspended, to have success and still win games. The tough sell on a system quarterback is the system was created to give Brady success and his backups adjusted their game.

One of the biggest knocks on Brady coming out of college was his footwork. The system created for Patriot’s success was quick strikes with limited downfield plays designed to get the ball out of Brady’s hands quickly.

Their offense was designed around the strengths of Tom Brady. Going forward they’ll need to recreate an entirely new offense designed to play to the strengths of their new long-term quarterback. Of course, it would be perfect for the Patriots to find a quarterback who fits the same mold, but since they draft later in the first round it might take some creative thinking.

If Bill Belichick still has the Pats in the playoff hunt, would it take Brady’s legacy down a peg? With the rest of the AFC East getting younger and hungrier, now is the perfect time to pounce. It’ll be something new for Pats fans but renewed excitement for the rest of the division.

Could this be the first year the New England Patriots don’t win the division? Will it be the first time in a while we don’t see them win 10 games? Or will the Patriots continue to dominate until Bill Belichick retires?