Tom Brady knows what it takes to win, and that didn't always rely on his right arm, his offense, or even the defense.
Many of the dominant New England Patriots teams were elite on special teams. It's a lesson the Green Bay Packers can learn, and should've learned a decade ago. The Packers' special teams have too often become a punching bag, especially in the biggest moments.
Brady appeared on The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, where he broke down why the importance Bill Belichick placed on special teams helped them win championships.
"Bill Belichick, I think he's the greatest head coach ever, I think he's the greatest defensive coach ever, and I think he's the greatest special teams coach ever," said Brady. "We would win special teams almost every week. It was a great feeling as a quarterback knowing that whenever we kick the ball, we were gaining an advantage."
"There's other teams that special teams is an afterthought. And now I'm a quarterback sitting there, and we kick the ball off to the other team, and they run it back 90 yards for a touchdown," he added. "It's a very deflating aspect of the sport when your special teams are a liability. I think if you make it something that's a true asset to what you're doing, you gain a huge advantage every single time you take the field."
It's about time the Packers took their special teams into the 21st Century
Let's be honest: The Packers are one of those clubs that view special teams as an "afterthought."
It's why Romeo Doubs led the team in punt returns last season. It's why the Packers' last punt-return touchdown came all the way back in December 2014 when Micah Hyde took one to the house against the Detroit Lions.
It's why special teams have repeatedly cost the Packers in playoff losses, headlined by the 2021 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. Green Bay had home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed, but had a field goal blocked and then a punt blocked for a touchdown in a stunning upset loss.
It's why it took that playoff disaster for the Packers to finally pull out the checkbook and pay big money for an experienced special teams coordinator in Rich Bisaccia.
Even that didn't change the philosophy. Two-time All-Pro returner Keisean Nixon, the biggest success story of Bisaccia's tenure, didn't take that role by design. The Packers didn't sign him to return kicks or punts. They accidentally stumbled into that after Plan A, which was for Amari Rodgers to return kicks, failed miserably.
The hope is that the Packers will finally start to learn the lesson Brady is talking about. They signed Skyy Moore in free agency, a move primarily intended to fix their glaring weakness in the return game. We've also seen the Packers play more starters on special teams after multiple early-season blocked kicks, and it worked. It's a start.
Brady is 100 percent correct. Many roster builders and coaches see special teams as a chore and don't put the time or resources into it. Belichick's Patriots turned it into a strength, and it's part of the reason why they were the most dominant team in the NFL.
Brian Gutekunst, Matt LaFleur, take note.
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