Here are some stats for Dan Fouts. I took the time to investigate just a little bit about the topic to realize that TB doesn't get as over-protected as many people think.
2010-12 Patriots offense
Over the last 3 seasons (2010-12), the Patriots have enjoyed the best offensive peak ever by a team: 1588 points, breaking the record held by the 1999-01 Rams. In that span, Brady had a 109/24 TD-INT ratio, with an 1.4 INT% and the 2nd most passing yds with 13,962. Now that's "effective", right?
Referees "protecting" Brady
Over the same period, the Pats were beneficiated with only 5 roughing the passer penalties on their favor. That is the 4th (tied) least amount in the league. NFL teams averaged 3 per season from 2010-12, while we only had 5.
Breaking down the RTP penalties
How about those penalties? Many might argue that he gets his way at home, or any kind of ridiculous theory, but the fact is that out of those 5 flags, only 2 came at home. The 1st was on MIA Paul Soliai on 2010 in a blowout win by NE. It was already a blowout when they called. Bad call or not, it did nothing for Brady have a better game given that it was over by the time of the call.
The 2nd one was a little bit more controversial. It was on DAL Anthony Spencer on 2011 in a close win by NE. Many fans, and the media, argued about the severity of the ruling, but Spencer clearly hit Brady late on the play. In fact, Brady has been hit like this many times this season, and no referee threw a flag. So 24 home games, and only 2 RTP calls? That doesn't sound like home cooking.
QB hits
But let's get deeper. NE's opponents had a total of 190 QB hits (as FootballOutsiders.com explains: "These are plays knocking down the quarterback after a pass, not sacks.") in this 3-year span. While that is the 5th best total for a team (thanks O linemen), the relationship between the RTP penalties called, which could have been many if TB was actually "being protected by the refs", is very low. TB gets a RTP flag every 38 times he gets hit (statistically hit). That, Mr Fouts, is the 7th worst in the league. By this, we can safely say that TB is the 4th least referee-protected QB in the league in the past 3 years, just behind Tony Romo, Joe Flacco and Josh Freeman (the 3 remaining teams ahead of NE have had several QBs since 2010). If we add sacks, Brady gets a RTP flag every 54.8 hits+sacks, 8th worst.
2010-12 NE Offensive Line
And what about the O line? According to PFF, these were the pass block/protection rankings for our OL since 2010:
2010 - 10th
2011 - 8th
2012 - 16th
I'm not taking PFF as the last word, but they have a much less biased analysis than most of the "analysts" when it comes to football. As you see, we had an above average line over these 3 years, regarding pass blocking. Good, but not superb. Given that his criticism comes this year, I'm not sure what kind of games he watched. Not only our OL was average in PB, but we had only 2 OL healthy all year.
Conclusion
TB has guided the most prolific offense in any 3-year span ever, while not getting as much protection from the referees as everyone wants to think. Once again, BB, TB and NE haters fail to make a valid point in what they think is a good argument to pick on the Pats.
Fouts' isn't just wrong, he is completely lost. While he claims that TB "needs to be protected to succeed", it is completely the opposite:
In a 3-year span, Tom Brady led the best offense in the history of NFL, while being the 4th least referee-protected QB in the league, and behind a good-but-not-great pass blocking O line.
Next time, try to hate with actual facts that can back up your statements.
[Added on]
QB hits: NFL Stats: by Team Category
OL stats since 2009
RTP penalties: NFL Penalties - 2012 League Penalty Stats - NFL Penalty Stats Tracker - List/Statistics/Data of NFL Penalties - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
NFL penalties breakdown since 2009. By team, season, player, type of penalty, etc.
Patriots offensive stats: Pro-Football-Reference.com - Pro Football Statistics and History
OL rankings:
2012 - https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/10/24/offensive-line-rankings/
2011 - Part 1 & part 2
2010 - Part 1 & part 2
That's all of them.
2010-12 Patriots offense
Over the last 3 seasons (2010-12), the Patriots have enjoyed the best offensive peak ever by a team: 1588 points, breaking the record held by the 1999-01 Rams. In that span, Brady had a 109/24 TD-INT ratio, with an 1.4 INT% and the 2nd most passing yds with 13,962. Now that's "effective", right?
Referees "protecting" Brady
Over the same period, the Pats were beneficiated with only 5 roughing the passer penalties on their favor. That is the 4th (tied) least amount in the league. NFL teams averaged 3 per season from 2010-12, while we only had 5.
Breaking down the RTP penalties
How about those penalties? Many might argue that he gets his way at home, or any kind of ridiculous theory, but the fact is that out of those 5 flags, only 2 came at home. The 1st was on MIA Paul Soliai on 2010 in a blowout win by NE. It was already a blowout when they called. Bad call or not, it did nothing for Brady have a better game given that it was over by the time of the call.
The 2nd one was a little bit more controversial. It was on DAL Anthony Spencer on 2011 in a close win by NE. Many fans, and the media, argued about the severity of the ruling, but Spencer clearly hit Brady late on the play. In fact, Brady has been hit like this many times this season, and no referee threw a flag. So 24 home games, and only 2 RTP calls? That doesn't sound like home cooking.
QB hits
But let's get deeper. NE's opponents had a total of 190 QB hits (as FootballOutsiders.com explains: "These are plays knocking down the quarterback after a pass, not sacks.") in this 3-year span. While that is the 5th best total for a team (thanks O linemen), the relationship between the RTP penalties called, which could have been many if TB was actually "being protected by the refs", is very low. TB gets a RTP flag every 38 times he gets hit (statistically hit). That, Mr Fouts, is the 7th worst in the league. By this, we can safely say that TB is the 4th least referee-protected QB in the league in the past 3 years, just behind Tony Romo, Joe Flacco and Josh Freeman (the 3 remaining teams ahead of NE have had several QBs since 2010). If we add sacks, Brady gets a RTP flag every 54.8 hits+sacks, 8th worst.
2010-12 NE Offensive Line
And what about the O line? According to PFF, these were the pass block/protection rankings for our OL since 2010:
2010 - 10th
2011 - 8th
2012 - 16th
I'm not taking PFF as the last word, but they have a much less biased analysis than most of the "analysts" when it comes to football. As you see, we had an above average line over these 3 years, regarding pass blocking. Good, but not superb. Given that his criticism comes this year, I'm not sure what kind of games he watched. Not only our OL was average in PB, but we had only 2 OL healthy all year.
Conclusion
TB has guided the most prolific offense in any 3-year span ever, while not getting as much protection from the referees as everyone wants to think. Once again, BB, TB and NE haters fail to make a valid point in what they think is a good argument to pick on the Pats.
Fouts' isn't just wrong, he is completely lost. While he claims that TB "needs to be protected to succeed", it is completely the opposite:
In a 3-year span, Tom Brady led the best offense in the history of NFL, while being the 4th least referee-protected QB in the league, and behind a good-but-not-great pass blocking O line.
Next time, try to hate with actual facts that can back up your statements.
[Added on]
QB hits: NFL Stats: by Team Category
OL stats since 2009
RTP penalties: NFL Penalties - 2012 League Penalty Stats - NFL Penalty Stats Tracker - List/Statistics/Data of NFL Penalties - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
NFL penalties breakdown since 2009. By team, season, player, type of penalty, etc.
Patriots offensive stats: Pro-Football-Reference.com - Pro Football Statistics and History
OL rankings:
2012 - https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/10/24/offensive-line-rankings/
2011 - Part 1 & part 2
2010 - Part 1 & part 2
That's all of them.
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