We've had a few years since the Belichick-TB breakup, and I think I'm coming to an opinion on the relationship.

Belichick is a defensive genius. His defenses will consistently play well enough to keep his team in the game most of the time, but if he doesn't have an offensive playmaker on the field who can take advantage of those opportunities, it doesn't really matter.

TB is clutch af. He may be the clutchest player in NFL history and quite possibly the clutchest player in the history of any American sport, but he can have VERY long stretches where he looks and plays pretty average and needs a solid defense to put him in a position where those clutch plays actually matter.

That's my current working hypothesis. I think most people have come to the conclusion that the dynasty was mostly Brady, because of the success he has had in Tampa Bay whereas New England hasn't had much success, but since the breakup, Brady has had a pretty good defense every year in Tampa Bay whereas New England has not had a good offense in any of those years.