With the NFL’s New England Patriots struggling without former star Tom Brady, retired linebacker Bart Scott delivered a brutal shot while comparing the situation in New England to what happened when the Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James.
Patriots have lost three straight while @TomBrady has the second-most TD passes behind Russ
🐐 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/lglHk6gdlX
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 1, 2020
Entering Sunday’s action, the Patriots have a 2-4 record, while Brady’s new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, stand atop the NFC South division with a 5-2 mark. During Brady’s 20 seasons with the Patriots, the team won six Super Bowl titles and lost three other trips to the big game.
The slow start for the Patriots puts their run of seasons with double-digit victories in jeopardy. The last time that the Patriots failed to win at least 10 games was during Brady’s third season in 2002.
Comparing the Patriots’ woes now to those of the Cavs when James left on two different occasions seems harsh but fairly accurate.
In 2007, James managed to lead the Cavaliers to the franchise’s first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals, but was unable to stop a four-game sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs in the series.
When James left the first time in 2010, the Cavaliers collapsed and wouldn’t return to prominence until James came back to the team in 2014.
During the next four seasons, the Cavaliers reached the finals, but were only able to capture one NBA title in 2016.
After James left again in 2018, the Cavs again took a steep dive, with consecutive 19-win seasons occurring over the past two years.
Following each of James’ departures, the four-time MVP has ended up leading his new teams to NBA titles. James won two titles with the Miami Heat and of course just won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Scott’s comparisons might be tinged with some past animosities toward the Patriots. During his 11 NFL seasons, Scott played with both the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets and faced Belichick’s Patriots on numerous occasions.
Regardless of Scott’s biting criticism, the Cavaliers will continue to focus on rebuilding the team, with the team holding the fifth overall pick in the Nov. 18 draft.
