What's up with all this Brady is declining crap??

[Mark12]

Honestly, Brady is the same Brady as last year or the year before, but the room for error is pretty much nonexistent for the offense. When your top 3 receivers are in the top 5 of drops and your O-line is probably the most inconsistent in the last 3-4 years, it is hard to put up Manning numbers.

I seriously saw Manning throw at least 8 long passes that were ducks today that should have been picked, but either the defender dropped it, or the receiver made a miraculous catch. Somehow he still manages to throw for 350+ yards and 3 tds.

In all fairness though, Brady has been missing more throws than usual, and having uncharacteristic mistakes like the pick 6. You NEVER see Brady doing that! I think Brady is just over thinking and trying to do much. I have faith that Brady will have a strong second half. Remember that in 2010 Brady was playing average at best the first eight weeks, then had an amazing run. I really think this can happen once all the pieces get healthy.

 

[supafly]

I really think this can happen once all the pieces get healthy.

My concern is that we keep using this as our mantra. "When everyone gets healthy, we're going to be a force." The fact remains that while we keep saying this, other important players are going down too, so the challenges are going to continue to present themselves no matter how you look at it.

I do hear what you're saying about the offense though, as Gronk can make more of a difference along with an improved running game and Amendola possibly playing better. If that happens and Vereen makes a difference in enough aspects, the offense will have an easier time scoring in the high 20's/early 30's in a lot of games--or at least we'd like to think.

Let's hope for a stretch run like you stated in the 2010 season, or most seasons for that matter, only with better end results of course.

 

[coolguy]

Tom brady is a terrible deep ball thrower. All these years the short passing game covered the fact brady wasn't good at throwing deep passes.

The patriots finally got him deep threats and he can't even throw the ball to them accurately.

 

[Nunchucks]

I am reading a lot of excuses for why Brady played like garbage.

 

[ALP]

What's up? Well his play for one thing...

 

[MassPats38]

I am reading a lot of excuses for why Brady played like garbage.

So that would be a yes to his abilities are in decline?

Brady has 20 sacks this year at game 7 (1 fewer than Big Ben and his awful O-line). He had 27 in all of 2013. Most agree he has made bad decisions (you have time to look before short passes, so the pick 6 is on him - throwing to JE in double coverage last game is on him), and most intelligent posters would acknowledge that outside of reading the playbook and seeing how a play is drawn up, it is tough to tell who is to blame. Apparently you have this insight, so feel free to share it.

So if Brady is playing like garbage, please tell the unenlightened what he needs to do as the QB to stop playing like garbage with the players he has at his disposal and the hits he is taking per game? Faster release works, but who is open to permit that faster release?

And while you are at it, since you have apparently concluded he has all the tools to make the offense go, see if you can identify any comparable change in NFL history in which a QB remained on the same team and literally lost his entire offense yet kept chucking the pigskin at a high level right after that major change. As noted in this thread, 2006 with the Pats was 2 players, not 5 players (all WRs but JE and all TEs).

 

[Nunchucks]

So that would be a yes to his abilities are in decline?

Brady has 20 sacks this year at game 7 (1 fewer than Big Ben and his awful O-line). He had 27 in all of 2013. Most agree he has made bad decisions (you have time to look before short passes, so the pick 6 is on him - throwing to JE in double coverage last game is on him), and most intelligent posters would acknowledge that outside of reading the playbook and seeing how a play is drawn up, it is tough to tell who is to blame. Apparently you have this insight, so feel free to share it.

So if Brady is playing like garbage, please tell the unenlightened what he needs to do as the QB to stop playing like garbage with the players he has at his disposal and the hits he is taking per game? Faster release works, but who is open to permit that faster release?

And while you are at it, since you have apparently concluded he has all the tools to make the offense go, see if you can identify any comparable change in NFL history in which a QB remained on the same team and literally lost his entire offense yet kept chucking the pigskin at a high level right after that major change. As noted in this thread, 2006 with the Pats was 2 players, not 5 players (all WRs but JE and all TEs).

He needs to be more accurate and make better decisions with the ball, obviously. Brady has guys open, yet he is forcing the ball to covered guys or missing the throws.

You really do not have to look any further than Geno Smith, the guy is on a crappy offensive football team, yet he was more accurate and made better decisions than Brady.

Excuses are for losers. Admit that he played like garbage and move on. I didn't not state he is declining, I just stated the obvious.

I've seen Brady play like crap before and I suspect I will see him play like crap again.

 

[letekro]

So that would be a yes to his abilities are in decline?

Brady has 20 sacks this year at game 7 (1 fewer than Big Ben and his awful O-line). He had 27 in all of 2013. Most agree he has made bad decisions (you have time to look before short passes, so the pick 6 is on him - throwing to JE in double coverage last game is on him), and most intelligent posters would acknowledge that outside of reading the playbook and seeing how a play is drawn up, it is tough to tell who is to blame. Apparently you have this insight, so feel free to share it.

So if Brady is playing like garbage, please tell the unenlightened what he needs to do as the QB to stop playing like garbage with the players he has at his disposal and the hits he is taking per game? Faster release works, but who is open to permit that faster release?

And while you are at it, since you have apparently concluded he has all the tools to make the offense go, see if you can identify any comparable change in NFL history in which a QB remained on the same team and literally lost his entire offense yet kept chucking the pigskin at a high level right after that major change. As noted in this thread, 2006 with the Pats was 2 players, not 5 players (all WRs but JE and all TEs).

There was a period when Manning had Wayne and then a bunch of rookies/scrubs (Blair White, Jacob Tamme, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon). He didn't miss a beat. Granted, until Gronk came back, Brady didn't even have his Wayne, but that's the closest comparison I could think of.

 

[MassPats38]

He needs to be more accurate and make better decisions with the ball, obviously. Brady has guys open, yet he is forcing the ball to covered guys or missing the throws.

You really do not have to look any further than Geno Smith, the guy is on a crappy offensive football team, yet he was more accurate and made better decisions than Brady.

Excuses are for losers. Admit that he played like garbage and move on. I didn't not state he is declining, I just stated the obvious.

I've seen Brady play like crap before and I suspect I will see him play like crap again.

Geno Smith? How long did he have to throw yesterday? Were you watching that game? He is an NFL QB, and when you give him a calendar month to throw, he will make the throw - rookie or not. Try counting in Mississippis next time when the QBs drop back. There was a bit of a difference in terms of pressure. And Smith can scramble, which helps when the line breaks down.

And thanks, Vince Lombardi, for the statement on perfection. I am sure you are writing from your desk as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company with that outlook. Noting that he missed open guys from your armchair in your critique is helpful - how much time did he have on all those throws to scan the field?

Plays fail for reasons. It is an excuse if Brady actually made a mistake on the play. It is not an excuse if a receiver did not get to a timing throw on time, or didn't read a pattern adjustment correctly. In most cases, the breakdown is not apparent, and a play just looks bad (BB said that recently, so you can either accept that simple statement or believe the statement of the guy with 3 decades in the NFL is wrong). It could be Brady, but maybe it isn't Brady. No fans can say, because no fan knows the precise requirements of the play called. Unless you know that, you can exchange your Lombardiistic mantra for the phrase ignorance is bliss. Blaming Brady simplifies the game for you, so go with that.

And why listen to QBs who played the game. You have all that time on the NFL football field, and appear to know the score.

 

[Nunchucks]

Geno Smith? How long did he have to throw yesterday? Were you watching that game? He is an NFL QB, and when you give him a calendar month to throw, he will make the throw - rookie or not. Try counting in Mississippis next time when the QBs drop back. There was a bit of a difference in terms of pressure. And Smith can scramble, which helps when the line breaks down.

And thanks, Vince Lombardi, for the statement on perfection. I am sure you are writing from your desk as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company with that outlook. Noting that he missed open guys from your armchair in your critique is helpful - how much time did he have on all those throws to scan the field?

Plays fail for reasons. It is an excuse if Brady actually made a mistake on the play. It is not an excuse if a receiver did not get to a timing throw on time, or didn't read a pattern adjustment correctly. In most cases, the breakdown is not apparent, and a play just looks bad (BB said that recently, so you can either accept that simple statement or believe the statement of the guy with 3 decades in the NFL is wrong). It could be Brady, but maybe it isn't Brady. No fans can say, because no fan knows the precise requirements of the play called. Unless you know that, you can exchange your Lombardiistic mantra for the phrase ignorance is bliss. Blaming Brady simplifies the game for you, so go with that.

And why listen to QBs who played the game. You have all that time on the NFL football field, and appear to know the score.

All your ranting does not change the fact that Brady played like garbage. If you asked him, he would tell you the same thing.

The ridiculousness that you go through to make excuses for poor play would almost be amusing, if it was not so sad.

Sure, the OL did not have a great game, the receivers could have done a little better job....and Brady could have played A LOT better.

All these things are true.

 

[upstater1]

There was a period when Manning had Wayne and then a bunch of rookies/scrubs (Blair White, Jacob Tamme, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon). He didn't miss a beat. Granted, until Gronk came back, Brady didn't even have his Wayne, but that's the closest comparison I could think of.

Lol at you comparing Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie to Edelman, Thompkins and Dobson.

 

[Kontradiction]

He's not declining. Granted, he didn't have a good game by any stretch yesterday. But he's gotten very little help throughout the season. Gronk was rusty yesterday, the run game was abandoned on early downs throughout the game, the WR's have been running the wrong routes, having trouble getting open consistently, and have been dropping the ball at a league-leading rate when they are able to get open. Further, the one guy that the Pats have that can quickly get a release off the LOS and get open quickly is an injury machine. You'll see Brady quickly "improve" when Amendola gets back (if he can stay on the field for more than a game), and even more when Vereen gets back.

 

[BrickPat]

Brady's performance has been sub par in a few games- can we please deal with it? Yes the rooks continue to have drops and the O- Line has issues but the fact remains that Brady has made more than a few inaccurate passes to otherwise open targets.

As a recent poster noted Brady was never a consistently accurate deep ball passer, it's surprising however to see him miss guys on the shorter routes. Stating the obvious with Brady's play of late is not the same thing as saying Brady is washed up.

 

[reflexblue]

hear, hear. good post

If Brady went from his best year ever to his worst in the span of months, it will be the biggest decline in history.

Just use your brain and realize that he hasn't looked good because of a variety of factors.

The INT was horrific play from him--but it's not like we've never seen him do that before.

As for the rest, the Jets D-line really rattled him. You could tell. When the DL gets on Brady, he has an answer half the time, and half the games he doesn't.

Today he let himself get rattled.

He'll turn it around, he always does.

Dobson played well today. That's good.

IU also think he could be hurt a little. It wouldn't be the first time TB has played hurt and we didn't know about t'll after the season.

 

[kennyb]

Brady's not a good deep ball thrower and that's a problem. Part of the sacks are due to receivers not getting open, cause they're not on the same page or maybe they're just not good.

Don't see what all the hype is about Kenbrell THomkins, thought he looked pretty bad yesterday.

The jets DL is really, really good. I said it'd be a tough win, probably almost got banned for it.

 

[realtime]

Lol at you comparing Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie to Edelman, Thompkins and Dobson.

Lol at the Brady apologist. The poster said excluding Wayne and mentioned Blair White, who is far worse than any current Patriots receiver. And, like Manning did then, Brady has Austin Collie now.

 

[upstater1]

Lol at the Brady apologist. The poster said excluding Wayne and mentioned Blair White, who is far worse than any current Patriots receiver. And, like Manning did then, Brady has Austin Collie now.

I'm a Brady apologist because I think Hall of Famer Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are better than Edelman, Thompkins and Dobson.

Laughable.

 

[PatsFan2]

He's not declining. Granted, he didn't have a good game by any stretch yesterday. But he's gotten very little help throughout the season. Gronk was rusty yesterday, the run game was abandoned on early downs throughout the game, the WR's have been running the wrong routes, having trouble getting open consistently, and have been dropping the ball at a league-leading rate when they are able to get open. Further, the one guy that the Pats have that can quickly get a release off the LOS and get open quickly is an injury machine. You'll see Brady quickly "improve" when Amendola gets back (if he can stay on the field for more than a game), and even more when Vereen gets back.

If you are waiting for Armendola to come back to make Brady look good, I have a Brooklyn Bridge to sell you. Seriously DA wont be healthy anytime soon he's just too fragile. Brady have been leaving too many plays on the field all year. We are very fortunate to be 5-2 especially with the way he's been playing. Brady's play has been abysmal to say the least.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I don't know if he's declining but his completion percentage is one of the worst in the league. You expect better from a legendary QB, I don't know if he'll ever fire 5 td in a game this season. He is ridiculously off on too many throws and his receivers are not helping either.

 

[Rob0729]

I still think Brady's struggles are more a mixture of poor line play, inexperience with his receivers and their struggles with the offense, and him trying to do too much at times. I don't buy he is getting old or declining.

There might be a slight decline, but he is not showing things that come with age for a QB. He still has a quick release when he is confident in his receiver. He still throws the ball really deep and usually overthrows his receiver if he is off target (he would underthrowing more if it was because he is getting old). He still can move around the pocket to avoid the rush (at least when the defender doesn't have a clean shot at him unblocked like has been happening the last few games).

When a QB gets old, his release gets slower, his deep balls get shallower, and his mobility slows down. None of that is Brady's problem this year.