New England Patriots
“That’s not why we lost the game. We talk to a lot of people and there’s a lot of film.”
Tom Brady Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images for Fanatics)
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Last month, during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald was asked if he reached out to anyone for advice before the Super Bowl that might be considered surprising.
He was quick to name John Harbaugh, but there was another figure whose identity he would not reveal.
“I probably can’t mention one guy that really helped us out that had some conflict of interest,” MacDonald said with a grin.
MacDonald said it wasn’t Bill Belichick, but could it have been Tom Brady?
During an appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said there’s a chance Brady had a conversation with the Seahawks coach.
“I mean, probably. He hired his offensive coordinator [Andrew Janocko],” Vrabel said. “That’s not why we lost the game. We talk to a lot of people and there’s a lot of film. That’s not why we lost the game.”
Brady, who is a minority owner of the Raiders and a broadcaster for FOX, said leading up to the game that he didn’t have a “dog in the fight” when asked about his rooting interests.
There were current and former Patriots who took issue with Brady’s comments. Linebacker Robert Spillane said Brady’s words made him sick. Five-time Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork, who is in the Patriots Hall of Fame, said the comments were “some B.S.”
Vrabel said during Friday’s radio appearance that Brady’s comments did not bother him.
“Clearly Tom has gone out of his way to make it known that he has a new job and a new role,” Vrabel said. “It is, really, what it is. Tom is a friend. He’ll always be a friend. He was a former teammate, but I mean, he has made it clear that ‘I’m doing something different now.”
The Seahawks pummeled the Patriots with a 29-13 victory in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara last February.
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker rushed for 135 yards. Seattle’s defense forced Drake Maye into three turnovers – a pair of interceptions and a lost fumble. The Seahawks did not turn the ball over. Seattle Kicker Jason Myers nailed five field goals while New England kicker Andy Borregales did not get an attempt.
Seattle was one of two teams to hold New England under 14 points during the postseason. Their game-plan for stopping MVP runner-up Maye was effective – New England was held scoreless for the first three quarters of the game.
The Patriots have six Super Bowl wins, which ties them with Pittsburgh for the most among NFL teams. Brady has seven Super Bowl wins. The Seattle triumph kept New England from tying his number.
Last month, radio host Zach Gelb said MacDonald told him Brady wasn’t the person he was talking about on the Dan Patrick Show.
“I reached out to Mike Macdonald to get clarification on his comments,” Gelb tweeted. “I asked if [Brady] was the person with the ‘conflict of interest’ that gave input to the Seahawks before the Super Bowl. Mike told me it wasn’t Brady that he was talking about in the interview.”
Vrabel said he has texted with Brady since the Super Bowl. He was adamant that any conversation that Brady might have had with MacDonald did not cause the Patriots to lose the game.
“I’m sure they talked,” Vrabel said. “He hired his offensive coordinator.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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