Dr. Z's Power Rankings

[DynastyDriven]

This guy needs to be commited...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/dr_z/10/17/power.ranks.part1/index.html?eref=T1

Well, New England returns to No. 1 after a soul-searching week that had veterans wringing their hands and asking, "What in God's name did we do to deserve getting dropped to No. 2?" Nothing. I just liked the Colts better at the time. Now the Patriots move back up. Changeable as the weather, that's the old Powerful Rankings column.

1

New England Patriots (6-0)

This is going to sound nuts. Tom Brady was throwing funny at the start of the Dallas game. The ball was nosing on him. It almost looked as if he were deliberately aiming his passes at knee level. Then after a couple of series, things straightened out. I saw him get off to a bit of an erratic start in the Cleveland game, too. Here's my theory, and if you want to laugh at it, fine. Remember those offseason rumors about him having some kind of vague shoulder trouble? Well, it looks to me as if he comes into a game a little tight, then as he gets into it, his delivery warms up and he's fine. Just a theory, but I go with what the two eyeballs tell me.

 

[richpats]

Z is a front-runner if I've ever seen one.

 

[patsox23]

Brady was facing a lot of pressure on those first few throws. Z's an idiot.

 

[Dagg]

I think us scoring on every opening drive this season pretty much pops that Ballon.

WTG Dr Z!!!

WTF is he taking about!!!!

 

[Richter]

He's got a point about Brady though. At the start of the game, I was saying to myself that Brady's mechanics looked off. He looked tight and was overthrowing some. After a while, he seemed to get loose, return to his usual smooth, precision throwing mechanics and lit it up effortlessly. I don't know if it's a shoulder issue or simply a matter of getting loose and into the game, but he definitely looked a little off to start. Good thing he works harder on his mechanics than any other QB in the league.

 

[Slagathor]

Because as we know, all QB's go into games with cold arms.

 

[jays52]

If that Dr. satus SI gave him means a PHD in football, that's like calling Al Sharpton a reverend. I maintain that we shall one day see Chris Hanson interview him...he's got it written all over him.

 

[FlyingElvis75]

My "theory" is that he was bored and thinking about where to go for dinner. Then when the Cowboys got the lead, he was like, "Aw man, you're gonna make me WORK today?" and finished them off. That would explain why he was so excited about the last TD that put the nail in the coffin. He was like, "YES! Time for Applebees!"

 

[ArmyPatsFan]

/shrug....could it be that Dallas stadium is crowned in the middle...maybe Brady was trying to compensate for that? Just a swag.

 

[shmessy]

/shrug....could it be that Dallas stadium is crowned in the middle...maybe Brady was trying to compensate for that? Just a swag.

That's it. I was saying that during the game in the game thread. The field is the most "crowned" in the NFL. Dr. Z never noticed that several of those throws in the first quarter were towards the sides (downhill) and Brady was having a terrible time adjusting to the dropoff.

Dr. Z evevidently didn't notice that all the big passes later in the game were right up the pipe, and that Brady stopped throwing toward the sides (except for a couple of quick 1 yd outs to Stallworth).

 

[godef]

I think us scoring on every opening drive this season pretty much pops that Ballon.

Pop that Baloney you say?

 

[RayClay]

He's got a point about Brady though. At the start of the game, I was saying to myself that Brady's mechanics looked off. He looked tight and was overthrowing some. After a while, he seemed to get loose, return to his usual smooth, precision throwing mechanics and lit it up effortlessly. I don't know if it's a shoulder issue or simply a matter of getting loose and into the game, but he definitely looked a little off to start. Good thing he works harder on his mechanics than any other QB in the league.

I think he's got some jammed fingers. He threw a Joe Kapp pass in the Cleveland game too.

I don't think a bad shoulder leads you to overthrow Randy Moss. A weak grip might.

It's a long season,I'm sure he has lots of hurting parts.

NEWS FLASH!!! I just noticed he was listed as questionable shoulder on the report. Z was right!!!

 

[TOzgood]

I remember Reiss saying something about the field in Dallas before the game. He mentioned there was a significant "crown" on the field and it could affect some of Brady's throws, essentially he would be throwing almost downhill to his receivers. This was also his first time in Dallas, maybe that could be a reason?

 

[Richter]

I remember Reiss saying something about the field in Dallas before the game. He mentioned there was a significant "crown" on the field and it could affect some of Brady's throws, essentially he would be throwing almost downhill to his receivers. This was also his first time in Dallas, maybe that could be a reason?

That crown has been there for a long, long time. They used to make a big deal of it during the Dallas championship days. It wouldn't surprise me if Brady had some trouble with it, lots of good quarterbacks have. Favre used to struggle all the time with it.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

NEWS FLASH!!! I just noticed he was listed as questionable shoulder on the report. Z was right!!!

I hope that was sarcasm

 

[RayClay]

I hope that was sarcasm

You mean he's on there every week? Who knew?

 

[PromisedLand]

He's got a point about Brady though. At the start of the game, I was saying to myself that Brady's mechanics looked off. He looked tight and was overthrowing some. After a while, he seemed to get loose, return to his usual smooth, precision throwing mechanics and lit it up effortlessly. I don't know if it's a shoulder issue or simply a matter of getting loose and into the game, but he definitely looked a little off to start. Good thing he works harder on his mechanics than any other QB in the league.

I was saying that too. God forbid anyone should suggest that anything but quarterback pressure caused it.

 

[unoriginal]

Z is a front-runner if I've ever seen one.

It's a rankings column.