NFL
Antonio Brown Just Made Patriots Fans’ Worst Nightmare Come True
Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sportscasting in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots. Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways. Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2013 and a master's in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.
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When Antonio Brown joined forces with Tom Brady last fall, New England Patriots fans envisioned the two superstars leading the franchise to a seventh Super Bowl title. Of course, that plan got decimated due to Brown’s off-field behavior.
But with the talented wideout reuniting with his former quarterback, Patriots fans’ worst nightmare just came true. After dreaming of having Brady and Brown lead New England to another championship, they will have to watch the duo make magic together for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that now looks like the favorite to win Super Bowl 55.
Antonio Brown didn’t last long in New England
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Just over a year ago, Patriots fans couldn’t contain their excitement about the team’s Super Bowl potential. For a brief time, Brady had Antonio Brown, Josh Gordon, and Julian Edelman all at his disposal. Plus, New England had drafted N’Keal Harry in the first round after adding Sony Michel with the 31st overall pick in 2018.
Everything seemed to be trending in the right direction for an offense that showed some struggles the year prior.
Yet, that group never got a chance to make magic together. The Patriots cut Brown on Sept. 20 after allegations of sexual conduct emerged. They waived Gordon from injured reserve on the final day of October. After missing ample time with an injury, Harry never got on the same page as Brady. And Michel struggled to make an impact running behind a banged-up offensive line.
While Edelman racked up impressive numbers, the Patriots fell woefully short of winning their seventh title. Brady left New England this offseason, and Bill Belichick’s team does not appear close to contending for a championship this year due to its punchless offense.
Reuniting with Tom Brady
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Despite all of his character concerns, Antonio Brown has still remained an intriguing option for NFL teams. Over the summer, he worked out with Lamar Jackson, which made the Ravens a possible fit. Recently, Russell Wilson gave a powerful endorsement of AB.
However, neither the Ravens nor the Seahawks ended up signing the talented receiver. Instead, Tom Brady got his wish, and the Buccaneers inked Brown to a one-year contract on Friday.
In doing so, one of the best receivers in NFL history will be reunited with the greatest quarterback of all time. Considering how poorly their 2019 seasons went, the two future Hall of Famers now have a chance to erase those bad memories. And by taking his talents to Tampa, Brown just made Patriots fans’ worst nightmare come true.
Brown just made Patriots fans’ worst nightmare come true
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As Cam Newton and his underwhelming group of weapons struggle to gain first downs, Tom Brady and his deep arsenal of pass-catchers should have no trouble putting up 30-plus points per game. Tampa already boasted the league’s eighth-ranked scoring offense. Now, that unit will feature the most productive receiver in the NFL over the last decade.
Don’t forget that the Buccaneers also have an excellent defense. With Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Lavonte David, Devin White, and Shaquil Barrett dominating the line of scrimmage, Tampa has held opponents to just 20.3 points per game.
Ultimately, with Antonio Brown in the mix, the Buccaneers should win Super Bowl 55. They have too much firepower on offense, and their defense has the perfect mix of youth and veteran talent to win a title.
After dreaming of watching Brown and Brady hoist the Lombardi Trophy as Patriots, New England fans will have to suffer through the emotional toll of seeing the two superstars achieve Super Bowl glory for a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2007—the year in which the Patriots finished one game short of achieving a perfect season.
Meanwhile, New England may not make the playoffs in the first year without Brady under center. Given their struggles on offense, the Patriots face a monumental challenge in winning the AFC East, let alone a Super Bowl title.
At the end of the day, Patriots fans will have to live the nightmare of watching Brady and Brown dominate for another franchise. And if the Buccaneers live up to their potential, that nightmare will only get worse once the two stars win a ring together.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
