Felger on the DRIVE "Palmer over Brady"

[Patters]

Today, there really isnt such a thing as a 'system QB'. The implication of it is that you are a 'dink and dunk passer' because that was what the Walsh system called for. Young QBs can LOOK more successful when asked to do less, which kind of looks like the system QB thing. But to succeeed long term, you must be able to do it all.

I think every QB is in a system and when they stay in this system they pick certain habits and ways of thinking. It's practically embedded into their neural pathways. Just look at Bledsoe's difficulty in throwing short or Fahvre's difficulty in throwing the ball away.

Brady is smart, extraordinarily talented, and has suberb vision, but put him on a team with a coach who wants more mobility or who restricts the role of the QB, and Brady won't shine as much. That said, given the talents Brady has, he would be an upgrade on any team (including the Colts).

 

[Pats67]

Hey 67, I'm okay. Just floated it out there.

Someone will always grab it.

That's why this board is too easy. It's like clubbing baby seals.

I see your point, but I might have used a more apt metaphor, like, "That's why this board is too easy. It's like defending Peyton Manning in January."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I see your point, but I might have used a more apt metaphor, like, "That's why this board is too easy. It's like defending Peyton Manning in January."

67, your so evil, you know there's only one team that finds that easy.

 

[thechris]

I read the thread title and thought to myself "I wanna see Pats/Bengals in the playoffs".

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think every QB is in a system and when they stay in this system they pick certain habits and ways of thinking. It's practically embedded into their neural pathways. Just look at Bledsoe's difficulty in throwing short or Fahvre's difficulty in throwing the ball away.

Brady is smart, extraordinarily talented, and has suberb vision, but put him on a team with a coach who wants more mobility or who restricts the role of the QB, and Brady won't shine as much. That said, given the talents Brady has, he would be an upgrade on any team (including the Colts).

Favre and Bledsoe's calamities are clearly the product of ego rather than system. Both have the gunslinger mentality and neither shows consistently clear thinking or discipline. In the end both would fight any system that required them to adapt or adjust to it, or work at their craft. They require you build a system to suit them. Brady clearly landed in the best possible place for him, but that is because he is driven and adaptable.

And after two whole seasons in Cincy, whose to say what Palmer would do in another system, let alone what he'd do if he lost half of his offensive weapons and his Oline kept losing layers.

 

[mikey]

If he went to another team, his skills would remain the same, but his ability to truly understand and master a new system would probably be impeded by his bias for the BB system and things he's become accustomed to.

Brady is a survivor.

He survived high school, college, and the NFL.

He is the epitome of Darwin's theory of evolution: the specie which survives is the one that best adapts to the changing environment.

In another team, Brady will simply adapt to a different system.

I have little doubt that if Brady played for Baltimore 2 seasons ago, the Ravens would have won their 2nd SB.

And if Brady plays for Dallas today, the Cowboys are in the playoff.

This ability to change and mutate is what makes Brady a survivor and a winner.

Palmer, Manning, and others may be stronger and faster, but as Darwin noted, it is not the strongest, smartest or fastest that survived, but it is the one who adapts to the environment that prevails.

.

 

[DarrylS]

Back to the original post, all Felger can think about is ratings, he is up against some big perceived talent in the Boston Area. While I like him, he sometimes gets a lot flustered when confronted on an issue. He can say whatever he wants and we can argue the meaning of a system QB, however when Carson Palmer has 3 rings then start the comparison, until then it is all about getting people to call his show.

 

[DaBruinz]

Brady is one of the greatest quarterback and I agree with everything you say about him, except I think he is a system quarterback. He only knows one NFL system and has worked in it for 5 years. To some degree, the system has been designed around Brady's skills and with Brady's input.

If he went to another team, his skills would remain the same, but his ability to truly understand and master a new system would probably be impeded by his bias for the BB system and things he's become accustomed to.

Patters -
You are only partially correct. Though Brady has been in the Patriots system for 5 years, the offensive system has changed almost every year Brady has been in it.

In 2001, it was the dink and dunk with a running game
In 2002, it was more the 3 WR set.
In 2003, it was a spread offense, short to intermediate routes, and little run support.
In 2004, it was a system more dedicated to the run. They started to stretch the field, but not much.
In 2005, its more of the spread offense again, except with more deep balls than ever before.

I find it better to say that the Patriots PHILOSOPHY hasn't changed in the 5 years that Brady has been here. But the Offensive system they run most certainly HAS changed.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think every QB is in a system and when they stay in this system they pick certain habits and ways of thinking. It's practically embedded into their neural pathways. Just look at Bledsoe's difficulty in throwing short or Fahvre's difficulty in throwing the ball away.

Brady is smart, extraordinarily talented, and has suberb vision, but put him on a team with a coach who wants more mobility or who restricts the role of the QB, and Brady won't shine as much. That said, given the talents Brady has, he would be an upgrade on any team (including the Colts).

Patters - A good coach develops his game plans around his players abilities.

The problem here is that you seem to be confusing the Patriots philosophy with the Patriots offensive systems. And they are different.

In my opinion, the reason Brady is successful is that he understands the Patriots philosophy and preaches it as a mantra to his teammates. Because he does this, he benefits from the philosophy. And the philosophy benefits from him in that he believes in it. And, in time, Brady has become a contributor to the philosophy because he's earned the trust of BB. Brady sits in on strategy meetings and such when they develop the game plans.

Now, I agree that different players accel in different systems. And I have had the argument before that I don't believe Brady would be as successful with another team as he is with the Patriots. That doesn't mean he would stink. It just means I don't believe that there is another coach that Brady would have the same respect for as Brady does with Belichick.

The Patriots have a philosophy or a system, by which the team makes all its decisions. BB and Pioli have said such. And its why they go after certain players and not the "fans pick" or the "pundit's pick" Its why they don't necessarily go for the most talented guy in the draft. Its why they don't use any of the NFL Scouting Services and why they have one of the biggest scouting departments in the league. Its why the Patriots have 5 different rating lists that they use to develop their FINAL draft list. Its why they evaluate their players after every season and do things like cut a player to try and light a fire under his butt (hello Patrick Pass).

All their decisions are goverened by that philosophy. And the fact that Tom Brady has bought into it helps him be a great leader and helps the Patriots succeed as a team.

 

[DaBruinz]

Brady is a survivor.

He survived high school, college, and the NFL.

He is the epitome of Darwin's theory of evolution: the specie which survives is the one that best adapts to the changing environment.

In another team, Brady will simply adapt to a different system.

I have little doubt that if Brady played for Baltimore 2 seasons ago, the Ravens would have won their 2nd SB.

And if Brady plays for Dallas today, the Cowboys are in the playoff.

This ability to change and mutate is what makes Brady a survivor and a winner.

Palmer, Manning, and others may be stronger and faster, but as Darwin noted, it is not the strongest, smartest or fastest that survived, but it is the one who adapts to the environment that prevails.

.

Mikey -
While Brady is a survivor and would adapt, I have to disagree about the level of success he would have. Mainly because I don't believe that Parcells would get the level of respect and buy in from Brady that Belichick gets. Parcells ego has him believing that he is the Super-Coach. That he is right all the time and that if there is a failure on the field, its the player's fault and not his. That isn't the philosophy that BB uses. And we all know that.

MoLewis hit the nail on the head when he talked about Favre's and Bledsoes' "GunSlinger" mentality. The problem with Favre and Bledsoe is that they never developed beyond the college mentality that their physical abilities made them better than anyone else so they can just continue to use those abilities to beat people. And the coaches be damned. Their egos are what keep them from being successful regularly. Because they think they know more than the coach does. Its why BB was quick to realize he made a mistake with Bledsoe ($110 million) and was quick to jettison him. Its why, I honestly believe that Manning will never be successful in the play-offs. His ego. Because he CLEARLY believes he's smarter than his coaches and why he insists on audibling on nearly every play. And, when he fails, he can't understand why he failed.