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Where We're At & We're We're Going
It has been an immeasurable Pleasure and an incalculable Privilege to root for Tom Brady over the last Decade or so.
I've got plenty of Notions about how I imagine he could improve his Game, and I'm not shy about sharing them...But it seems to me that any Patriot Fan who deigns to write about Tom Brady ought begin by acknowledging that we are privileged beyond measure to share, one day at a time, the Ascension of Tom Brady to the status of Legend.
One ought as well acknowledge his Humanity, though, because in so doing one recognizes that his Accomplishments are Great not because he was preordained to attain them but because he overcomes his Flaws to earn them.
However, my particular Perception of things is that Tom Brady was a considerably better and deadlier QuarterBack from 2001 to 2006, when he scrapping and scraping with mediocre "Weapons" around'm, than he has been since 2007, which is of course when he ascended to Fantasy FootBall Legendary Status and perceived Greatness.
It's not even remotely coincidental that the Patriots won 3 Super Bowls before the Air Brady Era began...and none, since.
Yes, the Defense was considerably better, back then. And I'd be the last man ~ the very last one ~ to denigrate the Impact of a Tenacious Defense on any Team's Championship Prospects. I preach that stuff.
But only a Fool blinded by dazzling and absolutely meaningless statistics, or a Fan who simply doesn't understand how Championships are won and is ashamed to admit it, would deny that ~ despite all the transitory and meaningless Regular Season Statistical Glory of the last 7 Years ~ the Patriots's Offense has descended, devolved, and eroded into something bearing an horrifyingly eerie resemblance to the Peyton Manning Colts Offenses we used to destroy.
In a word: We cover ourselves with statistical Glory during the regular Season. But we do so employing a relentlessly Pass Oriented Offense ~ an unbalanced Offense ~ that invariably crashes to Earth when we run into the Iron and Steel of the League's Defenses in January: One need only peruse the Final Score of each Year's final Games since 2007.
Use The Whole Pig, Tom.
Good news is: There're signs that we're doing precisely that.
Brady's propensity, this past Year, to channel an horrifyingly enormous Share of his Passes towards Julian Edleman, Danny Amendola, or whoever was providing him an easy, soothing, and comforting Target in the Slot remains deeply disturbing, don't get me wrong, because it is precisely Brady's propensity to latch onto a Binky since the arrival of Wes Welker in 2007 that's rendered our Offense so predictable...and thus so easy to stop, come January.
But Coach Bill II The Mad (Genius), General Tom's CoConspirator, ere the last 7 Years, in developing an Offense that consistently racked up Fantasy Statistics and consistently got us to the PlayOffs while proving so Pathetically Predictable and Containable that it was virtually guaranteed to fail against the Iron & Steel of the NFL during The Only Games That Really Matter...saw fit, for whatever reasons of'is own, to thrust Brady into a situation, replete with Rookie WideOuts, where he was absolutely forced to choose between either insisting on requiring Tactical Perfection from his WideOuts on each and every Play, as he's so notoriously and foolishly done, ere the last 7 spoiled Years...or to embrace the Reality that Rookies make mistakes and ~ here's a crazy idea ~ work with the young, talented, and hard-working WideOuts.
Being Demanding is one thing.
Being destructively demanding...is quite another thing altogether.
I'm crazy about Tom Brady.
No joke. I love the guy.
Heart of a Lion.
Hardest Working Man in the NFL.
But somewhere along the line, he lost sight of the fact that Predictability Usually Equals Defeat.
Somewhere along the line, he lost sight of the fact that Using The Whole Pig ~ mixing it up constantly and relentlessly, to persistently and mercilessly keep Defenses guessing ~ dramatically increasing our chances of Winning It All.
Somewhere along the line, he forgot that it was just as important to earn his Players's Trust as it was for them to earn his.
Somewhere along the line ~ just about 2007, I'm thinking ~ it seems to me that he became entitled.
It gives me no Pleasure to write that.
I truly admire the man.
And he's long since proven that he's got the the Balls to overcome even something so addictive as a Bad Habit.
Use The Whole Pig, Tom.
Run when they expect you to Pass.
Pass when they expect you to Run.
Mix it up.
Involve every Player in the Offense.
Involve them constantly.
Involve every Player on the Offense when you need to Move The Chains, even if it costs us a Game or two in September.
Step away from the Binky, Tom.
Step away from the Security Blanket.
Use The Whole Pig, Tom.
Therein lies the way back to your Championship Glory...and your prospective Immortality.
What I'd Love To See
1 ~ Trade Ryan Mallett to the Highest Bidder. If we can pull in the first Pick in the Draft, great. If all we can get is the last Pick in the 7th Round in the 2017 Draft and a bowl of CornFlakes, great. I have nothing against the Lad, and in fact wish him well. But I don't like his Mechanics or his Poise, and wouldn't trust'm when the Bulletts were flying, so why bother? Presumably, he's gone a Year hence, anyway, so it's our last chance to get something back for 2011's 74th.
2 ~ Seek out young QuarterBacks with extraordinary Processing Speed, Poise Under Fire, and allegedly mediocre Arms. Arm Strength can increase significantly with Coaching, and Accuracy is Light Years more important, anyway. The QuarterBacks I've described are far more likely to Move The Chains against the best Defenses in January, yet preposterously tend to come cheapest in April ~ or May ~ and the Gutters are riddled with Rocket Arms.
3 ~ I've never subscribed to the notion that one needs to spend heavy Draft Capital on Franchise QuarterBacks. It seems to me that the best way to go about things is to continuously churn Late Rounders & UFA's, as I've laid out in Step #2, and develop them either to trade them for far more than one spent on'm, or, ultimately, to take the Reins.
4 ~ I don't think we need to be worrying about Tom Brady's Successor.
5 ~ But we do need to start developing Depth of Talent behind'm. It really ain't that hard to do so.
~ that one of the most advantageous ways to build a War Machine is to troll the Late Rounds ~ and beyond!! ~ for Field Generals with decent Arms that could be developed but with extraordinary Diagnostic Acuity, Processing Speed...and Poise.
~ but given the chance to attack Defensive Lines and just Run The Damned Ball, I believe that our Offensive Line of the last few Years could've dominated.
I don't know, Bro...
It seems to me that our Grizzlies are actually far better at Run Blocking than at Pass Blocking.
I want improvement on our O Line big time ~ stay tuned
Had we taken that approach in Super Bowl 46, I believe we would've demolished the Giants.
A damned fine point.
It plays beautifully into my insistence ~ against much Resistance!!
These guys tend to be available very late, so they'll only cost peanuts for their 1st Contract, and yet they are precisely the guys who separate themselves from the Pack and outfox Defenses deep in the Winter!!
Regarding Grizzlies
It All Starts In The Trenches.
Any of you who've honored my Site with your Visitations on previous occasions are all too aware of my Obsession with The Trenches. I believe that while it's certainly conceivable to build a successful Team by focusing on other Aspects of Offense and Defense ~ happens all the time ~ the most effective way to build a dominant War Machine is by directing one's greatest structural emphasis towards QuarterBack ~ of course ~ and on the Grizzlies who battle in the Trenches.
A mediocre QuarterBack with a mediocre HalfBack can win multiple Super Bowls behind a dominant Offensive Line.
Yet a tremendous QuarterBack with a tremendous HalfBack won't win diddly if they're constantly running for their Lives.
The 21st Century Game has evolved and Players are generally getting smaller and faster.
But the Principle remains truer than ever.
We no longer see the Hogs of the 1980's RedSkins or the amazing Offensive Line of the 1990's CowBoys demolishing Defenses, with the RedSkins in particular winning mulitple SuperBowls with mediocre Talent.
But we could.
The smaller, faster Defenses of the 21st Century are ripe for the picking.
If a Team were to restructure its deployment of resources and invest a Year or two in developing an Offensive Line manned entirely by elite level Talent ~ men of Power, Agility, and Intelligence ~ they could catch the League by storm.
That's no Joke: The Disruption in the Strategic LandScape would be immense.
If such a structural Redeployment were enacted with committed, violent speed, a Team could very well create such an enormously disproportionate Strategic & Tactical Advantage that they'd rack up multiple Championships in rapid succession before the rest of the League was able to adjust, redeploy, and effectively respond.
That's how ripe for the picking I believe that this Faster & Smaller League has become.
But that's me.
Where We're At & Where We're Heading
LT Nate Solder ~ An Ascending Star, both as a Run Blocker and as a Pass Blocker. Beast Years are Dead Ahead.
LG Logan Mankins ~ An excellent Run Blocker and adequate Pass Blocker. Going on 32. Past his Peak.
OC Ryan Wendell ~ A tremendous Run Blocker but horrific Pass Blocker. A Free Agent who should be wished well.
RG Dan Connolly ~ An adequate Run Blocker but awful Pass Blocker.
RT Sebastian Vollmer ~ A Star ~ yes: Star ~ both as Run Blocker & Pass Blocker since he joined us 5 Years ago.
OL Marcus Cannon ~ A talented Grizzly of impressive Core Power and Agility. Poised for a BreakOut Year.
As I perceive it, we are incredibly young and talented at Offensive Tackle, very adeptly talented at Offensive Guard, and hamstrung by an enormous, gaping wound at Center...which of course undermines absolutely everything.
What I'd Love To See
1 ~ We need a Top Shelf Center. Badly. I believe that Centers are the Lynch Pin of the entire Offensive Line and are both crucial to the Success of the Run Game and vitally important both to the Success of the Passing Game and to the QuarterBack's short term health and long term Durability and Success, especially in the 21st Century.
2 ~ The rest of the world doesn't seem to share my Perception about the vital importance of a Center as the Lynch Pin of the entire Offensive Line and thus the Offense as an whole. Thus, there is an annual Bear Market on Top Shelf Centers coming out of College, because the more talented Prospects tend to end up at Offensive Guard.
3 ~ And even within the depleted Ranks thereof, it is rare, indeed, that I find an experienced College Center who brings an exceptional level of both Power and Agility to the position and is also compact enough ~ less than 6040 or so ~ to withstand the rigors and abuse of the Job for a decade or more without breaking down.
4 ~ This Year, not one but two of that Caliber have declared for the Draft.
5 ~ Offensive Guard is way up there with Center, QuarterBack, and of course Defensive Tackle at the top of my List of Players whose potential Impact on a Team's Fortunes could be immediate and enormous.
6 ~ As it stands, we have a very good Left Guard who has peaked but who should still play at a superior though not great level for at least the next couple of Years ~ if we retain his Contract beyond this coming Campaign ~ and a young and talented Right Guard who I believe is poised to become a very good one, though I prefer them much more agile.
7 ~ The Achilles Heel of this Line, though, is Pass Blocking, and I foresee no improvement in the mediocre Pass Blocking that we received from our Offensive Guards last Year. Mankins is only adequate as a Pass Blocker, and is slowing down, while Cannon isn't exactly what I'd call "spry", and even if he excels overall will have enormous problems with Speed.
8 ~ As such, I would want us to aggressively seek out High Caliber Offensive Guard Talent in the Draft. It's always there, and tremendous Prospects are usually available for astonishingly low Investments, respective to their potential Impact.
9 ~ I would want us to draft at least two High Caliber Offensive Guard Prospects, and perhaps even three, for if I were running things, I'd ship Marcus Cannon off to the Highest Bidder. I'd hate to make that move when I believe that he's probably about to Break Out, but I seek Explosiveness and Agility in my Offensive Guards, and he's not a Match.
10 ~ I would likewise want us to draft not one but two High Caliber Offensive Tackle Prospects. It's a very tough job, and guys miss Snaps, especially Vollmer, the last couple of Years. With the crucial importance of Offensive Tackles to the health of the most vital component of a Team's success ~ the QuarterBack ~ I consider it criminally foolish to ignore development of High Caliber Depth of Talent at that Position. All it takes is once for some Scrub to get Brady killed.
Regarding Grizzlies
It All Starts In The Trenches.
Any of you who've honored my Site with your Visitations on previous occasions are all too aware of my Obsession with The Trenches. I believe that while it's certainly conceivable to build a successful Team by focusing on other Aspects of Offense and Defense ~ happens all the time ~ the most effective way to build a dominant War Machine is by directing one's greatest structural emphasis towards QuarterBack ~ of course ~ and on the Grizzlies who battle in the Trenches.
A mediocre QuarterBack with a mediocre HalfBack can win multiple Super Bowls behind a dominant Offensive Line.
Yet a tremendous QuarterBack with a tremendous HalfBack won't win diddly if they're constantly running for their Lives.
The 21st Century Game has evolved and Players are generally getting smaller and faster.
But the Principle remains truer than ever.
We no longer see the Hogs of the 1980's RedSkins or the amazing Offensive Line of the 1990's CowBoys demolishing Defenses, with the RedSkins in particular winning mulitple SuperBowls with mediocre Talent.
But we could.
The smaller, faster Defenses of the 21st Century are ripe for the picking.
If a Team were to restructure its deployment of resources and invest a Year or two in developing an Offensive Line manned entirely by elite level Talent ~ men of Power, Agility, and Intelligence ~ they could catch the League by storm.
That's no Joke: The Disruption in the Strategic LandScape would be immense.
If such a structural Redeployment were enacted with committed, violent speed, a Team could very well create such an enormously disproportionate Strategic & Tactical Advantage that they'd rack up multiple Championships in rapid succession before the rest of the League was able to adjust, redeploy, and effectively respond.
That's how ripe for the picking I believe that this Faster & Smaller League has become.
But that's me.
Where We're At & Where We're Heading
LT Nate Solder ~ An Ascending Star, both as a Run Blocker and as a Pass Blocker. Beast Years are Dead Ahead.
LG Logan Mankins ~ An excellent Run Blocker and adequate Pass Blocker. Going on 32. Past his Peak.
OC Ryan Wendell ~ A tremendous Run Blocker but horrific Pass Blocker. A Free Agent who should be wished well.
RG Dan Connolly ~ An adequate Run Blocker but awful Pass Blocker.
RT Sebastian Vollmer ~ A Star ~ yes: Star ~ both as Run Blocker & Pass Blocker since he joined us 5 Years ago.
OL Marcus Cannon ~ A talented Grizzly of impressive Core Power and Agility. Poised for a BreakOut Year.
As I perceive it, we are incredibly young and talented at Offensive Tackle, very adeptly talented at Offensive Guard, and hamstrung by an enormous, gaping wound at Center...which of course undermines absolutely everything.
What I'd Love To See
1 ~ We need a Top Shelf Center. Badly. I believe that Centers are the Lynch Pin of the entire Offensive Line and are both crucial to the Success of the Run Game and vitally important both to the Success of the Passing Game and to the QuarterBack's short term health and long term Durability and Success, especially in the 21st Century.
2 ~ The rest of the world doesn't seem to share my Perception about the vital importance of a Center as the Lynch Pin of the entire Offensive Line and thus the Offense as an whole. Thus, there is an annual Bear Market on Top Shelf Centers coming out of College, because the more talented Prospects tend to end up at Offensive Guard.
3 ~ And even within the depleted Ranks thereof, it is rare, indeed, that I find an experienced College Center who brings an exceptional level of both Power and Agility to the position and is also compact enough ~ less than 6040 or so ~ to withstand the rigors and abuse of the Job for a decade or more without breaking down.
4 ~ This Year, not one but two of that Caliber have declared for the Draft.
5 ~ Offensive Guard is way up there with Center, QuarterBack, and of course Defensive Tackle at the top of my List of Players whose potential Impact on a Team's Fortunes could be immediate and enormous.
6 ~ As it stands, we have a very good Left Guard who has peaked but who should still play at a superior though not great level for at least the next couple of Years ~ if we retain his Contract beyond this coming Campaign ~ and a young and talented Right Guard who I believe is poised to become a very good one, though I prefer them much more agile.
7 ~ The Achilles Heel of this Line, though, is Pass Blocking, and I foresee no improvement in the mediocre Pass Blocking that we received from our Offensive Guards last Year. Mankins is only adequate as a Pass Blocker, and is slowing down, while Cannon isn't exactly what I'd call "spry", and even if he excels overall will have enormous problems with Speed.
8 ~ As such, I would want us to aggressively seek out High Caliber Offensive Guard Talent in the Draft. It's always there, and tremendous Prospects are usually available for astonishingly low Investments, respective to their potential Impact.
9 ~ I would want us to draft at least two High Caliber Offensive Guard Prospects, and perhaps even three, for if I were running things, I'd ship Marcus Cannon off to the Highest Bidder. I'd hate to make that move when I believe that he's probably about to Break Out, but I seek Explosiveness and Agility in my Offensive Guards, and he's not a Match.
10 ~ I would likewise want us to draft not one but two High Caliber Offensive Tackle Prospects. It's a very tough job, and guys miss Snaps, especially Vollmer, the last couple of Years. With the crucial importance of Offensive Tackles to the health of the most vital component of a Team's success ~ the QuarterBack ~ I consider it criminally foolish to ignore development of High Caliber Depth of Talent at that Position. All it takes is once for some Scrub to get Brady killed.
I don't know, Bro...
It seems to me that our Grizzlies are actually far better at Run Blocking than at Pass Blocking.
I want improvement on our O Line big time ~ stay tuned
Had we taken that approach in Super Bowl 46, I believe we would've demolished the Giants.
~ we would've rolled those chumps.
Beautifully said.
Nobody knows better than you, Brother Mayo, how vehemently and relentlessly I've been pounding the Table, since I first appeared amongst you Earthlings, about the crucial significance of gathering as many Draft Picks as possible ~ and as many Top Shelf Coaches as possible ~ and seeking to constantly replenish one's Roster with Top Shelf Talent. As I see it, Experience is vastly overrated by most.
Nobody ~ not even you, my good man ~ even now embraces that Philosophy to the extent that I propound it...but you are certainly well beyond what most would dare embrace...and I admire you for it!!
