Brady's lack of mobility is an issue

[BPF]

As Ron Jaworski always says, Tom Brady is the most mobile QB in the NFL. This lack of mobility being an issue is BS. No QB in the league can step up and avoid the rush like Brady. Possibly no QB in history can do it like him.

I love how Brady has a historic season as a passer and after one game, he becomes a flawed QB with major issues. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Besides, most of Brady's sacks and pressures were not because he didn't have time. He had time and his options weren't open. If Brady scrambled out of the pocket, that wouldn't have changed.

Captures my thoughts perfectly.

This is a silly topic. I guess jumping to conclusions is a lot eaiser than digging for facts.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't know if you watched the Patriots prior to 2007 season, but Brady used to stand in the pocket and get hit while delivering a strike. That was what separated him from the rest of the QBs. Sunday, you saw him ducking defenders when no one was near him. It's not the first time I've seen him do that when defenses were getting to him. It's not me being negative, it's what really happened. I blame this on his injury. I truly believe that it's still in the back of his head.

So you are going to base your entire theory on one game?!? Brady completed 65.8% of his passes this year (second highest completion percentage of his career), he was sacked 25 times (third lowest of his career), and had 4 INTs (lowest of his career). And you are arguing that Brady has lost his poise in the pocket and acts like Tony Eason when the rush is coming on?!?

The guy is the overwhelming concensus MVP of the league this and it isn't because he is hearing footsteps and getting jittery in the pocket. To me, what ever he was doing this year (good and bad) other than last week, I hope brings to the team for the next 6-8 years.

 

[letekro]

Wrong. The issue was he got freaked out by the rush---he didn't know where they were coming from and he ended up rushing a few throws at key moments. He did this a lot in 2009 and first half of 2010. I thought that issue was behind him, but credit the Jets for getting inside his head.

 

[condon84]

So you are going to base your entire theory on one game?!? Brady completed 65.8% of his passes this year (second highest completion percentage of his career), he was sacked 25 times (third lowest of his career), and had 4 INTs (lowest of his career). And you are arguing that Brady has lost his poise in the pocket and acts like Tony Eason when the rush is coming on?!?

The guy is the overwhelming concensus MVP of the league this and it isn't because he is hearing footsteps and getting jittery in the pocket. To me, what ever he was doing this year (good and bad) other than last week, I hope brings to the team for the next 6-8 years.

If you really think there's no difference between the poise Brady showed pre-injury compared to the poise he now shows post-injury when he gets hit, then I guess we'll agree to disagree. I just don't remember Brady ducking imaginary guys like I saw him against the Jets and a couple of times during this year and last year before he got injured.

 

[letekro]

So you are going to base your entire theory on one game?!? Brady completed 65.8% of his passes this year (second highest completion percentage of his career), he was sacked 25 times (third lowest of his career), and had 4 INTs (lowest of his career). And you are arguing that Brady has lost his poise in the pocket and acts like Tony Eason when the rush is coming on?!?

The guy is the overwhelming concensus MVP of the league this and it isn't because he is hearing footsteps and getting jittery in the pocket. To me, what ever he was doing this year (good and bad) other than last week, I hope brings to the team for the next 6-8 years.

I agree entirely with Condon, which is a rarity in my personal universe. Since the injury, the anomaly was weeks 9-17 of this year. Pretty much all of 2009, the first half of 2010 and this playoff game, he has looked jittery in the pocket. Actually, I take that back, jittery COMPARED TO pre-injury Brady, whose greatest asset was the ability to buy the final 1/8 of a second necessary for the receiver to come open.

 

[blackglass3]

Michael Vick is a Free Agent. Maybe we can grab him. He could also run the Wildcat, which I have heard Bill Belichick is very intrigued with.

 

[condon84]

To me, what ever he was doing this year (good and bad) other than last week, I hope brings to the team for the next 6-8 years.

Lastly, I'm not saying he's never going to get over the hump, which is a total possibility, but compared to Brady pre-injury, Tom has looked jittery in the pocket once he starts getting hit. He never was like that before.

 

[JMarr]

I know...he didn't run with the ball but still hoisted trophies in '01,'03, and '04...so what?

Just looking back at that nightmare 4th quarter verses the Jets and it's pretty clear the formula to beat Brady and the Pats : Send 4 rushers at Brady by attacking the middle of the line and flood the secondary with the kitchen sink. Dare him to pass. He won't make the risky throw because he knows that turnovers are BAD, so he'll be patient. Eventually the rushers will press him and he'll throw the ball away. One element of the offense that the defense will NEVER EVER have to game plan...Brady scrambling for a 1st down. Defenses don't need to leave a LB underneath if the pass catchers extend the field, because there is zero % chance that Brady will cross the line of scrimmage.

Sure, the Patriots amassed a 14-2 regular season record and our Boy is MVP...no worries, right? But playoff football is a different beast and competion is against the best...which includes the best defenses. Great defenses can keep the score close or even better yet help their team get the lead. Force Brady to have to throw the ball every down knowing that they can devote total resources in the secondary. Eliminate the passing game, and the offense has to run the ball and the clock.

The Jets defensive game plan and execution was a mastery because their pass rushing success early in the game affected both Brady's and the coaches thought process in the 2nd half. Brady was hearing footsteps all evening and the coaches had to adjust protection packages. During crunch time, 4 rushers were all that was needed to get Brady dancing, but with no where to throw with 7 dropped in coverage. A mobile QB would have taken advantage of the wide open space which subsequently would force the defense to change. A mobile QB can create opportunities and space for his WRs instead of the "throw it away and try again next play" reality. Just a few plays can detirmine the winner of a game, and playmaker QB may be able to alter a game with his legs, but not Brady.

I'm not here to diminish Brady's skills, I'm just pointing out that he has his limitations and defenses scheme knowing these limitations, and the Jets executed perfectly.

I agree.

It's ironic that Brady has become Bledso-esque, at least in terms of his extreme lack of mobility. I called Brady 'one of the least mobile QBs in the league' in another thread, but I think he actually must be by far THE least mobile QB in the game right now. Maybe I'm missing someone.(?)

Anyone remember if Montana was this way later in his career? I ask this because I don't think I've ever seen a QB absolutely refuse to run (when the D was daring him to) to the extent Brady did in the Jets game.

People will say that "if the offense had executed the way it is capable of, then this wouldn't be an issue." I say "BS." The best offense in the league was unable to find a rythym precisely because the Jets were able to drop 8 and sometimes 9 guys into coverage, and no scheme nor QB is going to be able to execute a passing game when that happens.

 

[ATippett56]

He's the slide and glide pocket passer, as others posted. i'm waiting for the "Kill Brady" thread, Poor Tom.

I'm starting the "Kill Brady" thread!

Best Regards,

Dan Connolly

 

[JFK]

Brady is nice in the pocket but he doesn't run for yards when his Receivers are covered.
He needs to do that when he can.

 

[robbomango]

He's also a worse postseason QB than Manning because of the 2 point difference in QB rating as of late 85.6, 88.4.

A silly stat thats been posted in many articles lately

stop the nonsense!!!

 

[Nikolai]

I know you Negative Nancys have been eagerly waiting all season to return to the board to biatch how Brady has become soft and lost his passion for football.

This is probably the most accurate utterance in this thread. Half of these guys were absent from this board after Labor Day, and now they're back. I just wonder if they're trolls or vultures. I can't decide.

 

[ATippett56]

I know you Negative Nancys have been eagerly waiting all season to return to the board to biatch how Brady has become soft and lost his passion for football. But other than complaining to the refs, Brady rarely did what you described this season.

The issue isn't Brady, it definitely more the offensive line. While it seems that Mankins return to the team coincides with Neal's injury, the depth of the offensive line was seriously tested against the New York Jets. Let's face facts, Dan Connolly was severely abused in that game.

First, Nick Kaczur underwent back surgery in August and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. Second, Stephen Neal plays the first eight games into the season and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. In the AFC Playoffs, the Patriots offensive line has to potential to play either the Jets defense, Ravens defense, Steelers defense. Sometimes the offensive line play is only as good as its weakest link.

 

[The Dynasty]

The issue isn't Brady, it definitely more the offensive line. While it seems that Mankins return to the team coincides with Neal's injury, the depth of the offensive line was seriously tested against the New York Jets. Let's face facts, Dan Connolly was severely abused in that game.

First, Nick Kaczur underwent back surgery in August and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. Second, Stephen Neal plays the first eight games into the season and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. In the AFC Playoffs, the Patriots offensive line has to potential to play either the Jets defense, Ravens defense, Steelers defense. Sometimes the offensive line play is only as good as its weakest link.

The offensive line was one of the strengths of the team this season. The OL wasnt the issue last Sunday, Brady had plenty of time to throw. Most of the sacks on Brady were coverage sacks.

 

[Fencer]

One reason Cassell was less of a step down from Brady than was expected is he could occasionally run for a first down.

 

[javajunky]

The offensive line was one of the strengths of the team this season. The OL wasnt the issue last Sunday, Brady had plenty of time to throw. Most of the sacks on Brady were coverage sacks.

The Jets were daring the Pats to run with 6,7, and 8 defensive backs. We should have dominated the line of scrimmage, we didn't. Gronk, Vollmer, and Mankins knocked people back. The rest acted like Jags in the run game.

 

[FalconHeavy]

One reason Cassell was less of a step down from Brady than was expected is he could occasionally run for a first down.

Oh, I remember ! the man took off and looked like a man running for his life

 

[Run DMC]

Just re-watched this game yet again. Brady had no pocket to step up into, since Ellis absolutely abused Connolly the entire game. Our middle OL was horrid in this game.