Because some would like many more running plays. We had 390 completions last year compared with 403 in 2007. Many here (including you as I recall) thought that we relied on the pass too much in 2007 and preferred a bit more balanced attack.
I apologize if I am wrong and that you are one of those who would like to see Brady with over 400 completions. Is the model really 2007?
2001 306
2002 374
2003 320
2004 293
2005 352
2006 326
2007 403
2008 339
2009 390
2010 ???
The weapons were hugely upgraded in 2007. So, using your breakdown:
2007: 403
2008: [NOT BRADY]
2009: 390
It looks like the 400+ neighborhood should be where this attack falls -
if you think the quarterback and receivers are solely responsible for the number of completions.
Protection is more, not less, important than in 2007. Brady is not a scrambler, but he is a pocket-mover. You guys all know that he's not the Elway/statue model of quarterback, he shifts around to buy time. He doesn't make plays with his legs too often but he does make plays with his eyes, his brains, and his feet. You have to expect that a Brady that went down as he did in 08 and is 3 years older than in 07 will need either equivalent or upgraded talent on the O-line to procure equivalent or better outcomes.
Add to that the
real blueprint provided by the Giants at the end of 07. As TFB said, "they think they're holding us to two touchdowns? Have they watched our offense this year?" Evidently they did. Evidently they solved it. Evidently our O-line then, which was better than our O-line today, could not stop them.
Was that the 1 time out of 10 the Gintz win that game? Meh. Who knows. I do know
how they won that game, and I do know that if the Pats are having a strong year, that will always be the blueprint: get to Brady.
I see all this talk about the defense, which indeed seems to be finding its way out of the wilderness. I do think the Pats still have an above average line, but not a great one. You won't get 400 completions with "above average," except with checkdowns and screens. If the screens are working to keep defenses honest, he may get the time he needs - that's where the Welkers and Edelmans of the world come into play. That's one use of the Hernandezes of the world.
I think it's best to let go of 2007, and hope to get back the toughness of 01-04 (screw the magic. It was that those teams never gave up on a game or a season that got the Pats those rings.)
I see calls for an enhanced running game and I don't see it either. But I think sometimes we long for that because we don't think it's playing tough football to rely on a dominating pass attack. It absolutely
is tough football, if you play it that way... but even at their peak our O-line was capable of losing that edge. Mankins was b1tch-slapped with the rest of them in the Super Bowl, but is an elite talent or near-elite talent at guard. You need five guys above the level of JAG playing very well as a unit to keep a jersey fairly clean. You need a couple of them to be at or near the elite level to make sure that the QB/WR hookups we're all salivating over happen instead of tipped passes, hurries, and sacks.
How's that gonna happen in '10?