Off The Grid
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2010
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QB "Terminator" Tom Brady
Nobody is a more obnoxiously relentless fan of Tom Brady than I. For my money, he has no peer, this Century. His Diagnostic Acuity, his Work Ethic, his relentless efforts to integrate each and every player, and, above all, his Processing Speed under fire raise him head and shoulders above the rest, when considering his whole Body of Work.
But there is a problem.
An enormous problem.
When Tom Brady was his best ~ yes: I'm afraid I just used the past tense ~ it was when he was spreading the ball around. I've always said that the greatest Field Generals Use The Whole Pig. And it was precisely Brady's unfettered willingness, from 2001 to 2004, to involve every single man in the Attack that made us so dangerous, so difficult to stop when we were driving downfield, deep in the depths of Winter, even against the most stalwart, tenacious D's.
Brady was dedicated to spreading the ball around ~ to being unpredictable.
And that made him....deadly.
But something rather horrible has happened, since 2007.
Brady has become...conservative.
He has ~ virtually ~ stopped taking chances.
I am not a Stats guy, but sometimes Statistics illustrate a dramatic change in trend.
Consider, if you will: the number of Patriots with 10 Receptions or more, since 2001:
2001 ~ 09
2002 ~ 10
2003 ~ 09
2004 ~ 10
2005 ~ 10
2006 ~ 11
2007 ~ 06
2008 ~ 06
2009 ~ 09
2010 ~ 07
2011 ~ 06
With the vast improvement in his Weaponry since 2007, Brady has made what on the face of it would seem to be a logical choice: He's focused virtually all of his attention ~ and his Targets ~ on the premium Weaponry.
This has resulted in a tremendous reduction in Interceptions, in addition to his legendarily gaudy statistics.
One problem.
He has become predictable.
And predictability is fatal when you finally get to the Big Games.
In 2001 and 2003, I not only hoped that General Tom would lead us downfield for the Super Bowl Winning Drives...I expected it.
In 2007 and 2011...I only hoped.
Tell me you remember it differently.
Tom Brady is ~ without peer ~ the best QuarterBack of this Era.
I pray that his dedication to self-improvement will tell him what he needs to do to be the best QB of 2012:
Use The Whole Pig, Tom.
QB Ryan Mallett
It's no secret that I've never been a fan of Ryan Mallett, and was horrified to see Bill The Mad (Genius) burn off a perfectly good 3rd Rounder on the guy. I think it was an horrible mistake, just as I thought drafting Kevin O'Connell was an horrible mistake at the moment it happened, in 2008...when Red Bryant was sitting there. Hopefully, Bill The Mad (Genius) will be proven right, this time, as he has indeed been on so many other occasions.
But I don't think so: Mallett commands exceptional Diagnostic Acuity, but his Processing Speed sucks, and that, Ladies and Laddies, is something that I'm afraid will prove fatal at this level. I pray for Tom Brady's health, because I think that the only chance Mallett has to be a success for us, this year, will be if he's thrown into the fire in the second half of the Super Bowl, when there's been absolutely no chance for the opposing DC to study him.
Positional Prognosis
General Tom Brady is ~ without peer ~ The Greatest QuarterBack of his Generation, possibly of All Time.
And when I say "Great", I'm not talking about Golden Arms and Fantasy FootBall Championships.
When I say "Great"...I speak exclusively of how equipped he is to go toe to toe with the best Defenses in the world, in the deepest part of Winter...and emerge victorious.
And there is not a Soul I'd rather have under center, this Winter, thank you very much, Aaron Rodgers...Though I do reserve the right to change my mind if he doesn't start spreading the ball around, like the Tom of Old.
But our Depth of Talent sucks.
Mallett is not ready...And Mad Bill is gambling that either he will be, or that we won't need'm.
Not the wisest Bet he's ever made, if you ask me.
The Future
Given my Druthers, we'd've stolen a combination of Greg McElroy, Kellen Moore, and Ricky Stanzi, during the last two Drafts. In my deeply twisted view of the world, Greg McElroy and Ricky Stanzi were the best two QuarterBack Prospects of the 2011 Draft, and Kellen Moore was right up there with Andrew Luck. No, that is not a typo!! Hah!!
But Chances are good that someone'f their ilk will emerge this season, and I pray we land'm.
And until then, I'm praying that I'm as wrong about Mallett as I was spot on about Kevin O'Connell, Mad Bill's previous 3rd Round QuarterBack blunder, taken with Red Bryant still on the Board. Oy!!