Brady's mental game - 2009

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

from ...

As Patriots gear up again, their hopes rest on Brady's health - USATODAY.com

"When you're coming back from an injury, especially where someone hit him low, you need to feel that pocket presence, need to feel it closing. It will be good for him the first few times to get hit. He'll realize, 'I can stand in the pocket, take the hit and everything will be OK. This is just work as usual.' "

- Trent Green who torn his ACL

You have to think that the hit and the injury has the potential to enter into Brady's head. I cut the quote from the article cause when he stratrts to get hit more, maybe with each hit the injury starts to fade even more.

See Brady step up must put the fear of god into the secondary. I can't wait to see him do that with the same confidence and authority as he always used to. I actually wouldn't mind having him hit a couple times in practice, not hard obviously, just get him used to some contact b4 September...

 

[BradyManny]

Its a valid point - but Brady will start facing contact August 13th - and I think it'll be good for him. I hope he plays in all 4 exhibition games.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

I don't know how Brady is gonna feel, but I expect I'll be queasy every time I see Brady take a big hit now

 

[ScottieC]

from ...

As Patriots gear up again, their hopes rest on Brady's health - USATODAY.com

"When you're coming back from an injury, especially where someone hit him low, you need to feel that pocket presence, need to feel it closing. It will be good for him the first few times to get hit. He'll realize, 'I can stand in the pocket, take the hit and everything will be OK. This is just work as usual.' "

- Trent Green who torn his ACL

You have to think that the hit and the injury has the potential to enter into Brady's head. I cut the quote from the article cause when he stratrts to get hit more, maybe with each hit the injury starts to fade even more.

See Brady step up must put the fear of god into the secondary. I can't wait to see him do that with the same confidence and authority as he always used to. I actually wouldn't mind having him hit a couple times in practice, not hard obviously, just get him used to some contact b4 September...

Tom Brady - We are talking about Tom F'n Brady folks.

Enough said.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

Brady's last two games...

SB 42, sacked five times, pressured/hit numerous others.

Week# 1, 2008 Sammie Morris fails to hold his block on Pollard, allowing Brady to be hit low and go on IR.

Additionally, Cassel was sacked a league high 47 times.

I'm guessing Brady's mental health is directly proportionate to how well he's protected.

That said, I'm hoping the improved D will take the pressure off the O and that the Pats will run more and have Brady execute shorter drops with quick releases, like they did in 2001.

 

[Deus Irae]

Brady's last two games...

SB 42, sacked five times, pressured/hit numerous others.

Week# 1, 2008 Sammie Morris fails to hold his block on Pollard, allowing Brady to be hit low and go on IR.

Additionally, Cassel was sacked a league high 47 times.

I'm guessing Brady's mental health is directly proportionate to how well he's protected.

That said, I'm hoping the improved D will take the pressure off the O and that the Pats will run more and have Brady execute shorter drops with quick releases, like they did in 2001.

Brady's mental health was fine in 2001-2003, when he was getting sacked 41, 31 and 32 times, the three highest totals of his career. People are beating a horse that was never alive.

 

[supafly]

Its a valid point - but Brady will start facing contact August 13th - and I think it'll be good for him. I hope he plays in all 4 exhibition games.

I'm not sure that I'd want or expect him to play in all 4 pre-season games

I don't know about you, but watching starters/vets in preseason games for me is like having 'under the total' in games..meaning I just want the clock to tick away and the damn game to end

I'd expect to see him in maybe the 1st qt in the 3rd game, and maybe the 1st half in the 4th game. I think it's very important for KOC to see some game time too, particularly this year. We need snaps from O'Connell, we don't have the luxury of having a 4 yr backup this yr (even if most of us wanted Cassel cut last yr, I valued his knowledge of the playbook, reads, formations, etc)

 

[sieglo]

Hopefully the offensive line will be out for blood this year, with something to prove.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I'm not sure that I'd want or expect him to play in all 4 pre-season games

I don't know about you, but watching starters/vets in preseason games for me is like having 'under the total' in games..meaning I just want the clock to tick away and the damn game to end

I'd expect to see him in maybe the 1st qt in the 3rd game, and maybe the 1st half in the 4th game. I think it's very important for KOC to see some game time too, particularly this year. We need snaps from O'Connell, we don't have the luxury of having a 4 yr backup this yr (even if most of us wanted Cassel cut last yr, I valued his knowledge of the playbook, reads, formations, etc)

But the Pats were willing to trust Cassel after one year in the system, inexperience and all. . . .

 

[supafly]

But the Pats were willing to trust Cassel after one year in the system, inexperience and all. . . .

2005
2006
2007
2008

4 yrs, right?

edit:unless maybe you're talking of garbage time in Dolphins game. My point was when TB went down, we at least had someone who had 4 yrs knowledge of the system. And FWIW--not trying to knock KOC in the least. Just saying Cassel at least had 4 yrs in the system, that certainly helped in camps, preseason games, formations, reads, etc, but probably most of all the playbook

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

2005
2006
2007
2008

4 yrs, right?

Cassel moved from #3 to #2 his sophomore season, O'Connell was #3 until Tommy was knee-capped, then he was slotted to #2. He had #2 reps all of last season so he's ahead of Cassel at the same point in their careers, he also started in college so he's ahead of Cassel on that point too.

Part of what was killing folks last year about Cassel's preseason is he "was" running the offense, which meant the entire offensive unit was getting evaluated instead of just the QB. O'Connell needs to do the same this year, and since he's had all those #2 reps last season he should do a reasonable job of it. It may well be that Tommy is in the game longer because Galloway & Lewis, & Baker, & Alex Smith, & etc. will need to demonstrate they understand the offense and are making the same read as Tommy. O'Connell may just be asked to run the offense with the second and third string while most of the evaluations are being done on Tommy's watch.

 

[supafly]

Cassel moved from #3 to #2 his sophomore season, O'Connell was #3 until Tommy was knee-capped, then he was slotted to #2. He had #2 reps all of last season so he's ahead of Cassel at the same point in their careers, he also started in college so he's ahead of Cassel on that point too.

Part of what was killing folks last year about Cassel's preseason is he "was" running the offense, which meant the entire offensive unit was getting evaluated instead of just the QB. O'Connell needs to do the same this year, and since he's had all those #2 reps last season he should do a reasonable job of it. It may well be that Tommy is in the game longer because Galloway & Lewis, & Baker, & Alex Smith, & etc. will need to demonstrate they understand the offense and are making the same read as Tommy. O'Connell may just be asked to run the offense with the second and third string while most of the evaluations are being done on Tommy's watch.

Fair enough Box, couldn't disagree w/ you anyway (or CT for that matter), but my point was that I don't like to see vets/proven players in pre-season too much, due to obvious injury risk.

I still don't see Tommy starting all 4 preseason games, but anyone/everyone will always have their own opinion. I know and understand KOC may be ahead of Cassel at this point etc, but still think that Cassel's 4 yrs of experience helped him tremendously when it was his turn to start. I still think that KOC needs most of the reps especially this preseason due to TB's situation.

I still wouldn't feel as comfortable w/ KOC under center if something were to happen, as I would with someone who's backed him up for 4 yrs. But that's just my opinion, and I understand/respect your point.

Tom has done well w/ WR changes left and right in the past, so I don't think he needs more than a couple games in the pre-season. He needs a couple games to knock the rust off and get used to getting pressured, etc--but again, my opinion only. Just don't see any use in adding to what will already amount to some preseason injuries.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Fair enough Box, couldn't disagree w/ you anyway (or CT for that matter), but my point was that I don't like to see vets/proven players in pre-season too much, due to obvious injury risk.

I still don't see Tommy starting all 4 preseason games, but anyone/everyone will always have their own opinion. I know and understand KOC may be ahead of Cassel at this point etc, but still think that Cassel's 4 yrs of experience helped him tremendously when it was his turn to start. I still think that KOC needs most of the reps especially this preseason due to TB's situation.

I still wouldn't feel as comfortable w/ KOC under center if something were to happen, as I would with someone who's backed him up for 4 yrs. But that's just my opinion, and I understand/respect your point.

Tom has done well w/ WR changes left and right in the past, so I don't think he needs more than a couple games in the pre-season. He needs a couple games to knock the rust off and get used to getting pressured, etc--but again, my opinion only. Just don't see any use in adding to what will already amount to some preseason injuries.

I agree with your discomfort with KOC's readiness compared to Cassel's, KOC is still more of a deep ball man from the reports I've read and suffers accuracy issues on the shorter routes. Cassel had solid mechanics coming out, whereas KOC needed remedial work from McDaniel's Community College to prep him for the role, I'm sure the muscle memory he'd need to fully cement his corrected mechanics is not as set as his bad habits are, so I want to him to get more preseason reps for that purpose, but he's not the only player who needs reps so Tommy may get a few more just to ensure the guys BB is evaluating get the best testing environment possible - we'll just have to wait an see.