Tom Brady Channels Bill Belichick Ahead of Bengals Game

Tom Brady spent so much of his career in New England, it's not surprising he picked something up from his former coach.

The Buccaneers have surprisingly struggled this season, with a 6-7 record. Their year might have hit a low point with a blowout 35-7 loss to the 49ers as Brady threw two picks.

But he was ready to move on during his most recent podcast episode, according to CBS Sports.

"We're on to Cincinnati," he said, echoing Belichick.

He wasn't quite done yet though, as he didn't exactly praise the Bengals defense either.

"Great team. Great, young quarterback. Fairly tough defense. Good skill players. They do a lot of things well. We're going to have to put everything we've got into it." 

"Great team, great quarterback," but just a "fairly tough" defense. That's an interesting assessment coming from an offense that scored just seven points against the 49ers.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 07: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up before Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Brady Throwing Shade

You can never count out Touchdown Tom, but this will almost certainly provide more motivation for the Bengals this weekend.

Their defense, by advanced metrics, is in the top 10 in the league, which would seem to imply better than "fairly tough."

But Brady knows what he's doing, and he'll certainly have to make the Bengals look mediocre to secure a win.

This really hasn't been Brady's year overall, though.

His team is struggling and could potentially finish under .500 for the first time in his career. He split with his wife Gisele Bundchen due in part to coming back for another season.

Oh, and he likely lost a fortune as his investments in FTX collapsed.

READ: TOM BRADY COULD LOSE ENTIRE INVESTMENT AFTER FTX DEBACLE

Hard to be much worse than that.

Meanwhile, his former teammate says he'd be happily welcomed back to New England if he chooses to return.

A reunion with the coach he referenced might sound a lot more appealing if the Bucs aren't able to turn their year around.