Bruce Arians to Bucs on Patriots Showdown: 'For 98% of You, It’s the Next Game'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is treating Sunday night's clash with the New England Patriots just like any other game.

Although the game is of great significance since it marks Bucs quarterback Tom Brady's return to New England after spending 20 years with the Pats, Arians is downplaying that storyline to the rest of the team.

According to ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith, ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio said Arians texted him the following message: "I told them for 98 percent of you, it's the next game. We DON'T lose two in a row if we have the leadership I know we have. This is a team game. Teams win and lose, not individually."

Tampa enters the game coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but with a win in New England, the Bucs can get back on track and improve their record to 3-1.

Arians is right in that most of his players have no connection to the Patriots. Meanwhile, no player is more synonymous with that franchise than Brady.

During his two decades in New England, Brady was a six-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP and three-time NFL MVP. He made the decision to leave last offseason and it paid dividends, as Brady won his seventh Super Bowl and fifth Super Bowl MVP award during his first season in Tampa.

Much has been made about the relationship between Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, especially since it was long debated who was most responsible for New England's success.

To this point, the advantage sits with Brady, as Belichick and the Patriots went 7-9 and missed the playoffs without him last season.

There has been a great deal of rumor and innuendo regarding potential issues between Brady and Belichick during their time together, and some of that is set to come to light in a new book written by ESPN's Seth Wickersham.

In the book entitled It's Better to Be Feared, Wickersham wrote that Brady told those close to him as early as 2017 that he no longer wanted to play for Belichick.

For his part, Brady has been diplomatic about his time under Belichick in New England. Earlier this week, Brady told reporters that his split from the Patriots was handled "perfectly" and that he had a "great relationship" with Belichick and the organization.

When Brady arrives in Foxborough for Sunday night's game, he will not only look to move the Bucs to 3-1 on the season, but he will attempt to become the NFL's all-time leader in career passing yards.

Brady trails Drew Brees by only 68 yards, and it will be fitting if he breaks the record at the stadium in which he enjoyed so many of the greatest moments of his career.