🏈 The Conversation Every NFL Fan Wanted To Witness

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick met behind closed doors after the Bucs’ win over the Patriots on Sunday. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: As Sunday night crossed over into Monday morning, Bill Belichick went looking for Tom Brady at Gillette Stadium, found him, and the pair shared a private conversation ... we take a look at our MLB playoff picks ... and we celebrate Derrick Rose’s 33rd birthday. Maybe the conversation wasn’t as interesting as you’d think. Maybe it was a lot of platitudes with a bit of “how’s your family” thrown in. Perhaps the stories shared and memories regaled were incidental and minor rather than the way we’d ideally imagine it, which is as some epic retelling of the finest moments of a historic football partnership. But is there any conversation in sports you’d love to have been a fly on the wall for more than this one? As Sunday night crossed over into Monday morning, Bill Belichick went looking for Tom Brady in the visitors’ locker room at Gillette Stadium, found him, and the pair found something to chat about for around 25 minutes. We’re not going to know what the topics were because they’re not going to say. We probably won’t even hear about who did the bulk of the talking or if there were some laughs shared. Belichick doesn’t reveal anything publicly that he doesn’t have to and Brady wasn’t biting. “All those are personal,” Brady said, when asked about the details of what was said. “We’ve got a personal relationship for 20-plus years. He drafted me here. We've had a lot of personal conversations that should remain that way and are very private.” [STORY IMAGE 1] For a moment, it looked as if there would be some lingering awkwardness from a now-separated duo that combined for the small matter of six Super Bowl rings. Belichick’s New England Patriots did a masterful defensive job of containing their former quarterback on Sunday night. However, it wasn’t quite enough as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squeaked out a 19-17 victory as Pats kicker Nick Folk saw his 56-yard field goal attempt drift into the upright as time ran out. If it hadn’t, Brady would’ve had just under a minute to get the Bucs into field goal range. How delicious an ending would that have been? We can’t always get what we want, and as close as this game was, the storyline was always going to be about Brady and Belichick, who hadn’t spoken, it is believed, since Brady left New England. Reports have suggested Brady was hurt that the coach did not want to meet personally at Foxborough to see him off once the decision was made. Things were tense and made tenser by public comments from Brady’s father Tom Sr. and mentor Alex Guerrero that did not cast Belichick in a good light. Then, after the Bucs won on Sunday, the on-field exchange was momentary. Rarely has a postgame on-field meeting been more greatly anticipated. The cameras made sure they were ready for it. Yet while Brady had a long hug for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and for plenty of former teammates, Belichick interacted with him for no more than a second before heading off. [STORY IMAGE 2] But that was just what we saw on television and it wasn’t the real story. “So much is made of our relationship,” Brady said later. “But nothing is really accurate that I ever see. It's all kind of – definitely doesn't come from my personal feelings or beliefs.” Away from the cameras and the spotlight, Belichick made a gesture and it wasn’t a small one. He could have met Brady in a corridor, could have invited him into his office, could have done it some other way, but instead he went to him, went into the one part of Gillette he doesn’t make a habit of frequenting. People show their respect and love in different ways. Brady tells everyone he loves them, calls many of his teammates “baby,” unwittingly sparked a silly controversy when he kissed his son in a documentary and never met a hug he didn’t like. Belichick is not that way and never will be, but when one of the greatest coaches to have ever lived heads to an enemy locker room to have a conversation, it means something. “Hurt feelings, slights or misunderstandings drove them apart,” [wrote Dan Wetzel on Yahoo Sports](. “Or maybe Belichick just bet on the idea that no one could be an elite quarterback at age 44, so he moved the franchise on to the inevitable rebuild. Then Brady proved him wrong.” [STORY IMAGE 3]( And so it is. For now, for certain, Tampa’s immediate future is brighter than that of New England’s. The Patriots played an excellent game – “Belichick coached better than Brady played,” [FS1’s Chris Broussard said on “First Things First”]( - but it still wasn’t enough. That’s how it goes sometimes, when you’re up against a historically great QB instead of having one to call upon yourself. It changes the decisions you make, it affects how you feel and the perception of a lead or deficit. Maybe that was one of the things they chatted about. Who knows? [STORY IMAGE 4] This was the game the league had been waiting for, the fixture circled on the calendar months in advance, and now it’s come and gone. It was anticipated for the soap opera element, centered around the extraordinary reality that two iconic football figures who for so long had been intertwined now seemed to have some beef. It feels like that’s done now. The talking has taken place, by the people who were supposed to do it. It was quite a show, for quite a while. It’s time to move on to something else. [STORY IMAGE 5]( AMERICA’S GREATEST GAME DAY EATS SHIPPED TO YOU! Sponsored Content It’s MLB playoff week—and it’s time to knock it out of the park with an all-star line-up of eats from across the USA. And you know your star slugger—[Goldbelly]( America’s #1 food experience marketplace, shipping iconic regional foods from across the country right to your door for a home-run feast! Forget the peanuts & Cracker Jack—we’ve got the [heavy hitters on-deck](. Nathan’s hot dogs, the Coney Island original complete with crinkle-cut fries, or real Vienna beef dogs, dragged through the garden with all the works. And hey, throw in the best soft pretzels & all-American apple pies. Bring the heat and order these feasts & more, with a promo code for Fox Sports fans! Playoff Season 2021 just got a whole lot more delicious with [Goldbelly]( Here’s what others have said ... Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: “I got a lot of respect for him as a coach and obviously a lot of respect for this organization and all the different people here that try to make it successful.” Skip Bayless, Undisputed: “For Tom Brady's sake, I am so relieved this is over. I don't believe he ever wanted to win a Super Bowl more than he wanted to win last night. In the end, Bill Belichick lost his nerve and he lost faith in his next Tom Brady.” Kevin Wildes, First Things First: “My head is spinning in circles. My guarantee of a Patriots victory may have been right, even though they lost?” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Week 4 showed us who’s for real: the Cowboys and Bills, plus QBs Justin Fields and Zach Wilson. [FOX Sports NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks has the story](. - As October kicks into high gear, [FOX Sports' MLB Writers make their playoff picks]( from wild cards to World Series. - With Dak Prescott healthy and the offensive line dominating, Dallas is suddenly very dangerous, [FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz writes](. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Happy Birthday, Derrick Rose. In order to celebrate, we have to share one of the greatest graphic designs we've ever seen from Jimmy Mitchell, who is the manager of content design for the Chicago Bulls. After becoming the youngest player ever to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2011 at age 22, Rose would go on to struggle with a number of significant knee injuries. After it looked like his playing days were coming to an end, Rose had an incredible bounce-back season in 2018 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is represented beautifully in this art piece from Mitchell. Wishing you a happy, healthy 33rd birthday, Derrick! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Monday Night Raw (USA, 8 p.m. ET) WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg returns to Raw. Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (ESPN, 8:15 p.m. ET) Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders take on Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: OVER 51.5 The scoreboard operators better be ready for a busy night at SoFi Stadium because this game has all the makings of an offensive shootout! Derek Carr and the high-powered Raiders offense currently ranks first in the NFL in yards per game (471) and passing yards per game (379.7). They are one of only six teams putting up 30-or-more points per contest heading into this Monday Night Football matchup. On the other side, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers have been nothing short of outstanding on the offensive side of the ball as well. Herbert ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards per game (318.7) and is coming off a 281 yard, four touchdown outing last weekend in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Taking the over of 51.5 points scored in this game looks like a great play. [WHAT THEY SAID] “I tried not to predict what was going to happen and how I would feel. Had a few emotional moments this week just thinking about the people that have really meant so much to me in my life and that are a part of this community.” — Tom Brady [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 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