Meaningful moments from 'The Dynasty: New England Patriots' Episode 8: Score to Settle

After returning from his suspension, Tom Brady was prepared to prove everyone wrong. And he wanted that Super Bowl victory more than ever. 

But he just needed the team to get past the first four games of the season without him. And they couldn't have done that without Jimmy Garoppolo. 

However, his presence on the team brought up some other issues. And it was what was described as the beginning of the end. 

Here are the meaningful moments from "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" Episode 8: Score to Settle

2014 NFL Draft

With the 67th overall pick, the Patriots selected quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. And considering they had Tom Brady, taking a quarterback with this high of a pick was a bit of a strange decision. 

“Right after we make the pick, I think to myself, ‘Wow. This was a big move and it was a statement from Bill Belichick,’ Robert Kraft said. “I think Bill thought Tommy was starting to lose it. Remember, Bill used to show me different statistics. Tommy’s throws over 20 yards were ranked near the lowest in the league and Bill said, ‘We have to be ready to move on.’”

And Belichick still stands by it. 

“Look, age is age," he said. "And as a coach and somebody who’s responsible for an organization, it’s trying to do what’s best for the team and that’s what I’ve always tried to do.”

So that was what started the downfall. 

“I think after that Jimmy Garoppolo draft, the tension between Bill and Tom increased," Kraft said. "I think it was the turning point in their overall relationship dynamic.” 

2016 Training Camp

With Tom Brady preparing for his four game suspension, training camp was very important for Garoppolo. 

"I remember that training camp. They were trying to get Jimmy ready to play and they were splitting reps up in camp," Amendola said. "I could feel the tension with Tom. With all the noise - is he two old - they drafted his replacement, he got suspended. It pissed him off.”

And while everyone knew Brady was the Patriots quarterback, Garoppolo was a very likable guy. 

“The impact of Garoppolo was felt, I think, throughout the Brady circle. I remember clearly having someone close to Brady say, ‘When he returns from his suspension, Tom will destroy him,’" NBC Sports Bostons' Tom Curran said. "But there was an awful lot to like about Jimmy Garoppolo's game.”

Patriots Season Opener

The Patriots opened the season against the Arizona Cardinals and it was Garoppolo's time to shine. 

“I remember the way our team responded and rallied around Jimmy," Matthew Slater said. "The excitement, the enthusiasm, it was almost like we had won a playoff game. But it was Week 1.”

Brady Kept Busy

Brady was forced to watch the team play without him for four games. So during that time, he returned to the place where his career got started. 

“It had been a long time since I had been back to Ann Arbor. And everybody always said, ‘How many times did you get back to Michigan?’ And I said, ‘I’m playing in the fall every year. I never get a chance to go back there,” Brady said.

He got to serve as the honorary captain in Michigan.  

Throwback to the Michigan Days

This episode provides some clips from Brady's time at Michigan. And even there he was a huge underdog. 

“When I first got to Michigan, I got beat up a little bit. It was a tough experience," Brady said.  The competition was fierce. Sh**, I didn’t know if I’d play or not.” 

However, in his final year, he finally was set to be the starter and was even voted to be a captain. But he wasn't exactly the one that people wanted to be playing. 

"But the coach wanted this other guy to succeed. Drew Henson. He was a great player, great athlete," Brady added. "I mean, faster than I was, stronger, quickly, more elusive, better arm. And Coach (Lloyd) Carr said, ‘Alright Tom, you’re going to start the game and Drew’s going to come in and play from time to time.’ And he said he’s going to go with the hot hand."

And his college friend Joe Flannelly recalled one day that would kickstart Brady's competitive nature. 

“I’ll never forget one of the media days at Michigan. All the players go out and they sign autographs for the fans. It’s all out on the football field. Drew Henson had a line from the end zone to the 50 yard line of people to sign autographs for," Flannelly said. "Tommy I think in an hour, and I sat with him for most of it, I think he signed less than five autographs. One of them was my niece. And the best part of this thing is Tom is watching the line with Drew Henson and if you know, we talk about the Tom Brady look of death, this was the birth of Tom Brady look of death.”

Brady Returns 

After four games, Brady took the field again. And he was looking to quiet all the haters. 

“From my standpoint, I was pretty intent on going to earn it again and prove it," Brady said. "Don’t want to argue, just do it and show it.” 

So the rest of the season was summed up perfectly by one song: 'Look What You Made Me Do,' by Taylor Swift.

“You could tell he was f****** angry," Amendola said. "And we’re like, the king is back. Here he goes. Watching him get f****** get pissed off and go.” 

Brady had one specific name for this season

It was an FEA year. F*** ‘Em All," he said. "Said that for a long time. They’re not pulling for us anyway.” 

Belichick and Brady

While all of this was happening, Belichick wasn't willing to put his faith in Brady completely. 

“During that season, Tom was unbelievable. But Coach Belichick being Coach Belichick, held Tom to even a higher standard than everyone else," Slater recalled. ”Do I think Tom felt disrespected? Yeah, I think so. I don’t think I’d want to be treated differently, but I would expect a certain level of respect, especially as a grown man. But what that does for Tom Brady, that’s gonna add fire to an already burning inferno.”

But that was always the case with Belichick. And he treated the team very similarly. Even after a win, it would feel like a loss because of the way he spoke to the team. However Brady did get the worst of it. 

“When I first got to New England, I was surprised how Belichick had treated Brady. I remember one time, he’s showing all these lowlights, because they were not highlights, they were lowlights," Donté Stallworth said. "The dropped passes, the fumbles, the missed blocks, the missed tackles. The first lowlight that he showed was of Tom Brady, and he turns around and he looks at Brady and he says, ‘What the f*** is this sh**.’ And he plays it again and he looks back halfway and he turns and he says, ‘I can Johnny f****** Foxborough from down the street to make a better throw than this.’”

Robert Kraft knew it also. 

“Tom and I, we had a number of discussions about how Bill treated him. Tommy is very sensitive," he said. He was always looking for Bill’s approval, almost in a father-son kind of way. And it’s not Bill’s style ever to give that.”

Some of Brady's other teammates had stories too. 

Randy Moss 

“I remember one time, Bill tore Brady’s head completely off. Decapitated Brady. He said, you guys are telling me that my Hall of Fame quarterback, can not complete a five yard out.

Matthew Slater

“‘I mean the quarterback play here is just awful. This stinks.’ And I’m sitting there and I’m sure my mouth was wide open because I’m like, that’s Tom Brady. This guy has won four Super Bowls. But I think that speaks to Bill. To him, nobody is bigger than the team. He’s going to coach everybody the same because he feels like that’s going to give the team the best chance to have success. And honestly, he’s not worried about hurting anybody’s feelings. He really doesn’t care. If you’re offended, get out because I’ll find somebody else.”

Wes Welker

“Tom could have very easily been like, ‘Alright Bill, screw you man. Play somebody else Week 1.’ I personally talked to Tom and was like, ‘Basically, you’re an abused dog.’ You just sit there with the tail between your legs. Like you just keep on coming back.”

Super Bowl LI

This Super Bowl was truly one for the ages. Everyone wanted the Patriots to lose, so it was up to the Atlanta Falcons to make that happen. And with everything going on the past season, the Falcons had the upper-hand in some ways.

But the players rallied around Brady. 

“I remember before the Super Bowl, Tom was definitely going through a lot off the field. And he had everything really swirling around his head," Amendola said. "But at the end of the day, Tom really was the heart and the sole of the team. We worked for Bill, but we played for Tom.” 

However, the first half was not what anyone wanted to happen. And when they headed into the locker room, they were down 28-3. 

“We dug ourselves in a hole," Belichick said. "It was just too many mistakes on our end and Atlanta obviously being a good football team, they were able to capitalize on them. It was just bad football.”

And for Tom, he was worried that everyone was going to think that they had been right about him all along. 

“I drop back to throw a pass and I remember that ball coming off my hand. And then you realize, oh sh**. I threw an interception returned for a touchdown in the Super Bowl," Brady said. "That’s f****** as bad a play as you can make. You know, when that happens it just goes in your mind, like, ‘f*** man, if we lose this game, that’s all they are going to want to talk about. Me being washed up.’”

It's Not Over Until It's Over

While everyone on the Falcons sideline had started celebrating, there was one person who was all too familiar with the Patriots. And he knew that it was way too early for all of this. 

“In 2016, I worked for the Falcons as the assistant general manager. When we were up 28-3, I’m watching the game. We had a suite for the entire personnel department. All the folks I’m working with, they’re high fiving. It’s out of control. But I was a mess. I felt this nervousness and I’m sitting there. Someone slaps me on the back and says, ‘Come on Scott, lighten up. You got to enjoy this moment,’" Scott Pioli said. "And I just erupted. And I just whipped around and said, ‘You f****** people don’t get it. That guy, No. 12 across the field, is Freddy F****** Kruger. He’s coming back and he’s going to get a bunch of us. I just hope he doesn’t get us all.’”

And for Brady, he was now in his element. 

“Tom, he never even flinched," former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "Never gave an indication that it’s too insurmountable. Never.”

Julian Edelman's Miracle Catch

“We started driving. I was pretty confident that Tom was going to come my way. But I rushed my route," Edelman said. "I didn’t run a good route. And I look over my shoulder and I just remember the DB's eyes. And I see him looking at the ball. And I’m like, ‘oh sh**. We’re going to lose this Super Bowl.’

“The fate of the team is in that play’s hands. Everything happened so fast. It was all a reaction. I’ll tell you right now, I had to check my pants after that play because that could have been the game.”

So with that catch, the Patriots now had the opportunity to tie the game and force overtime. As McDaniels said, "this is fate."

When they charged down the field in overtime and won it, this victory felt different. 

The Ultimate Praise? 

While Belichick was always very critical of Brady, there was no denying what he did during that Super bowl. 

“Well, I think Tom’s performance like everybody else’s is related to other things besides him," Belichick said. "But there’s not many guys who can do what Tom Brady did. Especially at that point in his career.”

And with that, Deflategate was also in the rearview mirror. 

“Finally I felt like there was some closure to the saga. We made our point. I could now start chasing what I wanted to chase," Brady said. "I think I was chasing what I deemed to be my potential. I said I was going to play until my mid 40s. So let me just go to work and let my play do the talking.”