Game Thoughts: They're dropping like flies edition

[Pats2000]

I think Brady purposely threw the interception in order to show what a good tackler he is. He knows Belichick likes players who can do more than one thing.

Still can't believe he took out the blocker and the guy that intercepted the ball at the same time

 

[Tunescribe]

I'm saying that anyone in that situation, even Tom Brady likely would try to compensate for the OL issues by attempting to observe, orient, decide act in a quicker fashion than normal leading to poor reads, mechanics, throws, etc.

What are you basing this on? Personal conjecture? Nothing has happened to suggest such "negative anticipation" on Brady's behalf affecting his performance. The coaches might adjust protections for different personnel combinations altering Brady's game by design, but he otherwise expects whoever is playing to do their job. He's stated as much and so has BB. How the opposing defense plays against second-string blockers stands a much greater chance of disrupting Brady's overall game vs. Brady developing the "yips" based solely on what names are protecting him.

 

[PScottman]

What are you basing this on? Personal conjecture?

The same thing you are. It seems you're taking it to the Nth degree in ascribing a total loss of confidence which is not at all what I'm saying whatsoever.

Was Brady as effective in the second half as he was early in the game? No. That's not conjecture. Nor is it a personal attack on him which you seem to be likewise internalizing. He missed some throws he normally makes. He hurried others.

Great players become so for a lot of reasons. One of which is the ability, perhaps being maybe Brady's greatest strength, to assume a greater and greater percentage of the game pressure through his own play. He masks a lot of other team deficiencies. That said, he also remains human.

Stating that the uncertainty of the new OL, forced upon the team mid-game without time to practice, contributed to his poorer second half by making Brady through those circumstances do things in a manner he wouldn't normally is NOT saying he's completely gone with a case of the "yips". That he simply missed a few throws, rather than completely fall apart is recognition of his higher abilities...not the opposite as you claim.

That said, observation (which is all you have as well because neither of us are in Brady's head) on my part does lead to a situation where some of those misses and miscues were causal by him forced, through a lack of full confidence whether admitted or not, in that revamped on the fly OL in addition to their overall lesser play.

Such lower confidence is not a complete breakdown, simply the difference of a few percentage points in completion and a couple missed scoring opportunities. That doesn't degrade Brady as you seem to think I'm doing, it instead shows more his tremendous abilities succeeding where many or even most other QBs may have completely lost their game.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

It's funny how the Pats...on O had a very ehhh performance..yet all along we all sat there during the game going...yeah this one will be in the bag. They are just so above everyone else right now. OL can't get injured anymore...

 

[Tunescribe]

The same thing you are. It seems you're taking it to the Nth degree in ascribing a total loss of confidence which is not at all what I'm saying whatsoever.

Was Brady as effective in the second half as he was early in the game? No. That's not conjecture. Nor is it a personal attack on him which you seem to be likewise internalizing. He missed some throws he normally makes. He hurried others.

Great players become so for a lot of reasons. One of which is the ability, perhaps being maybe Brady's greatest strength, to assume a greater and greater percentage of the game pressure through his own play. He masks a lot of other team deficiencies. That said, he also remains human.

Stating that the uncertainty of the new OL, forced upon the team mid-game without time to practice, contributed to his poorer second half by making Brady through those circumstances do things in a manner he wouldn't normally is NOT saying he's completely gone with a case of the "yips". That he simply missed a few throws, rather than completely fall apart is recognition of his higher abilities...not the opposite as you claim.

That said, observation (which is all you have as well because neither of us are in Brady's head) on my part does lead to a situation where some of those misses and miscues were causal by him forced, through a lack of full confidence whether admitted or not, in that revamped on the fly OL in addition to their overall lesser play.

Such lower confidence is not a complete breakdown, simply the difference of a few percentage points in completion and a couple missed scoring opportunities. That doesn't degrade Brady as you seem to think I'm doing, it instead shows more his tremendous abilities succeeding where many or even most other QBs may have completely lost their game.

I give you credit for stubbornness in doubling down on unfounded conjecture and little else. Where you're coming from on this is not "the same thing" as myself -- you rely on layman's "observation" and I offered you facts in my prior post. Absolutely nothing supports your claim that an alleged lack of confidence in the patchwork offensive line on Brady's behalf led to miscues vs. Washington in the second half. Nothing at all.

 

[1960Pats]

On the plus side of dropping like flies, it's great to see that LaFell has returned to form after a shaky return.

 

[PScottman]

I offered you facts in my prior post.

What "facts"? A post-game interview of "expectations". Expectations are not facts. They are...wait for it...conjecture in anticipation of a hoped for event.

You have your OPINION (and that's what quoting an interview is regardless of your protests and claim not to be a layman yourself) why Brady's accuracy was off...I have mine.

You ascribe (or Tunascribe as the case may be) full absolution of any and all errors from our QB apparently. That's fine. I take a team approach wherein everyone has some culpability to the sloppy play that simply was not as crisp as previous efforts.

 

[JMC00]

Was Brady as effective in the second half as he was early in the game? No.

Wrong.

1st HALF
15 of 22 (68.1%)
166 yards
1 TD
1 INT
95 QB Rating

2nd HALF
11 of 17 (64.7%)
133 yards
1 TD
108.2 QB Rating

 

[PScottman]

Wrong.

1st HALF
15 of 20 (75%)
166 yards
1 TD
1 INT
95 QB Rating

2nd HALF
11 of 17 (64.7%)
133 yards
1 TD
108.2 QB Rating

Wrong.

1st HALF
15 of 20 (75%)
166 yards
1 TD
1 INT
95 QB Rating

2nd HALF
11 of 17 (64.7%)
133 yards
1 TD
108.2 QB Rating

I thought the collective 'we' here didn't accept quarterback rating as the single valid measurement of effectiveness? Given my original argument was based on missed throws, the stats support that rather than refute it.

So all that said, I have obviously tread upon the third rail of the board which is thou shalt never make observations that could even be halfway construed as besmirching the QB. Where should I report for my re-education and indoctrination training?

 

[Tunescribe]

What "facts"? A post-game interview of "expectations". Expectations are not facts. They are...wait for it...conjecture in anticipation of a hoped for event.

You have your OPINION (and that's what quoting an interview is regardless of your protests and claim not to be a layman yourself) why Brady's accuracy was off...I have mine.

You ascribe (or Tunascribe as the case may be) full absolution of any and all errors from our QB apparently. That's fine. I take a team approach wherein everyone has some culpability to the sloppy play that simply was not as crisp as previous efforts.

First of all, the facts I offered you involved what Brady and BB said specifically regarding the roles of reserve offensive linemen in terms of scheme (protection adjustments) and performance. Second, you're putting words in my mouth with the harebrained notion that I believe Brady incapable of making mistakes unilaterally. Where you're over the top is this fantasy of Brady's game suffering because he anticipates the patchwork O-line might screw up.

If you prefer instead to believe something conjured from your imagination, nobody can argue with that. Just don't try to present it as something that should make sense to anyone but yourself.

 

[JMC00]

btw messed up my math earlier Brady was 15/22 in the first half.

 

[Fencer]

You suggest Brady is seeing ghosts. What he's REALLY seeing (and compensating for) is a downgrade in offensive line play around him with defensive linemen swarming faster.

There's a third possibility. If Brady thinks it's likely he'll have to get rid of the ball very quickly, sometimes he will even when on that particular play it isn't necessary. The reason I say that may not exactly be "seeing ghosts" is that it may be more in the way of how he plans ahead what his actions will be as the play unfolds.

 

[PScottman]

Where you're over the top is this fantasy of Brady's game suffering because he anticipates the patchwork O-line might screw up.

vs.

There's a third possibility. If Brady thinks it's likely he'll have to get rid of the ball very quickly, sometimes he will even when on that particular play it isn't necessary. The reason I say that may not exactly be "seeing ghosts" is that it may be more in the way of how he plans ahead what his actions will be as the play unfolds.

I would concur with this nuanced alternative as another possibility as well. On a spectrum of possible explanations for missing throws he might normally make (like the quick out patterns to LaFell or the fade over the head of Gronk), everything from complete OL breakdown to simply bad mechanics to tripping on a blade of artificial grass could be the culprit (or most a likely a combination of many causal factors).

It's well known that Brady is masterful at placing the ball where his receivers, and not the defenders, can get the ball. It's not outside the realm of possibility that an easy adjustment for someone with that skill set is to, when pressured due to an inexperienced line, place the ball so it's either a miraculous catch or an incompletion. 2d and 10 vs a sack and second and longer.