Mark Madden: Tom Brady's mystique is dissipating while others step into spotlight

When Tom Brady ditched New England and coach Bill Belichick to join Tampa Bay for the 2020 season, debate raged immediately: Who made who?

What we’ve learned, however, should have been obvious: They made each other.

Minus Brady (and eight covid opt-outs), Belichick’s Patriots are 4-6 and out of realistic playoff contention.

Brady’s Buccaneers are 7-4, but they’re too capable of going splat to be called a legit Super Bowl contender. Brady looked weak-armed and made bad decisions in Tampa Bay’s 27-24 home loss to Los Angeles on Monday. He threw two interceptions and is on pace for 13. That would be his highest total since 2009.

More intangibly, Brady’s mystique is dissipating. He got the ball with 2 minutes, 32 seconds remaining and a chance at a game-winning drive. But you knew he wouldn’t. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes got the ball in a similar situation Sunday night at Las Vegas. You knew he would.

Mahomes did. Brady didn’t. Brady floated a pick that lacked mustard, accuracy and confidence. It looked like something Duck Hodges might lob.

Brady is 43. He might be the greatest ever, but right now he’s not close to that. Nothing lasts forever, but Brady might not be able to see when it’s over.

Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians might tell him, though. Arians pulls no punches when discussing Brady, and Monday night was no exception: “When guys are open, we’ve got to hit ‘em, and we can’t misread coverage.”

If Brady takes exception, Arians might not win that argument. But Arians shouldn’t be faulted. Brady shouldn’t be able to milk a legacy built elsewhere.

Nor should Brady leave the field after losing before shaking hands with the opposing quarterback. Brady snubbed Chicago’s Nick Foles after the Bears beat the Bucs on Oct. 8. On Monday night, he did the same to the Rams’ Jared Goff.

Brady might be the GOAT and have six rings, but that’s a punk move. Whoever Brady beats next should snub him. Sportsmanship is unconditional. Brady doesn’t get to dictate terms. Perhaps Brady’s slight of Goff was designed to distract from how bad Brady played.

Media and fans are having a difficult time accepting Brady’s decline.

Tiger Woods’ every move remains fodder for the masses, but he’s nowhere near the top now. Woods is an OK golfer who still wins the occasional tournament, as many OK golfers do. But he’s still treated like reigning royalty. Brady’s exit figures to go the same.

Of greater interest in this locale might be the ballad of Antonio Brown.

Brown led the Buccaneers in receptions and targets Monday, finishing with eight catches for 57 yards. Those are chump-change numbers, as are his totals after three games: 18 catches, 157 yards and no touchdowns. Anything less than spectacular is unacceptable and certainly won’t be Brown’s fault. Brown imploding isn’t guaranteed, but it’s definitely the way to bet.

Tampa Bay is 1-2 with Brown. That was also the way to bet.

Tampa Bay hosts Kansas City on Sunday. Will Brady skip out on shaking Mahomes’ hand after Mahomes rips the torch from his hands and beats him upside the head with it? It’s refreshing to see a few of the younger quarterbacks nudging the old QBs out of the spotlight.

Ben Roethlisberger is an exception to that rule. He hung an “L” on Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson earlier this season and figures to do so again Sunday, luck and covid permitting.

As previously discussed in this space, hype surrounding Roethlisberger has been minimal despite the Steelers’ 10-0 record. He’s inexplicably on the outer fringes of NFL MVP discussion.

Roethlisberger can solve that by going 16-0. If the Steelers put together the third undefeated regular season in NFL history, there’s no way to deny him the MVP.

Until that happens, anyway.

When Miami went 14-0 in 1972, Washington running back Larry Brown was MVP. But when New England went 16-0 in 2007, Brady was MVP. He shook everybody’s hand.