Pats 5 - 1 with "adequate" QB play

[RyanP421]

Yeah and STATISTICALLY SPEAKING Tom Brady had the 2nd best season of his career last year. Any objective person who watched every game last season knows that was not one of Brady's best years. Stats, shmats....what do your eyes tell you Patriot fans??
Why is Brady struggling every game?

No kidding.

But to use the word "adequate" is ignorant at best.

Maybe he could be playing better football than he is at times, but to say he has been adequate is just stupid.

I'm beginning to get very disappointed with the amount of idiots scattered throughout our fan base and this message board.


Brady has a 96 QB rating and he is an adequate QB right now...RIIIIIGGGGHT.

I guess any QB with a rating less than that means that that QB flat out sucks right?

Give me a break. If you want to argue that Brady hasn't been playing as well as he could be, then yes I will give you that and that makes for a great conversation, but again, to use the word adequate just makes you adequate at best when it comes to actually knowing about the game of football.

 

[RodThePat]

To be fair, it's either his route running is suspect, or he isn't able to get separation from a lone CB. Those are pretty much your possibilities right there. San Diego was dropping eight into the box yesterday and Tate was only able to register one catch for three yards. He is what he is, so far: an excellent return man who has contributed **** in the passing game.

I guess you could say the same about every WR we have. The only guys I've seen get some some consistent separation the last few games are Branch and Hernandez. It seems as if Brady has to be perfect on every throw for the pass to be complete. I don't know if it's a route running problem, or if the scheme is bad, but watching other teams' games I see guys running open down the field a lot, and that never seems to be the case with the Patriots. Every window is tight.

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

Brady is still a very good QB, but I can't deny what my eyes tell me. He didn't look good on Sunday. Yes the OL and WRs didn't help much, but it goes beyond the game on Sunday. He has been off on his throws a bit even with good protection. That being said. I have confidence that he will settle down soon. I think the entire offense is in flux. They all need time to settle
down.

Yes. The entire team is changing week to week. Has Brady looked like "BRADY" this year? Not so much, but all you have to do is turn your head to the left 10 degrees and squint a bit and you can see the "BRADY" just fine. It's just not in focus yet. Give it some time.

 

[Kontradiction]

I guess you could say the same about every WR we have. The only guys I've seen get some some consistent separation the last few games are Branch and Hernandez. It seems as if Brady has to be perfect on every throw for the pass to be complete. I don't know if it's a route running problem, or if the scheme is bad, but watching other teams' games I see guys running open down the field a lot, and that never seems to be the case with the Patriots. Every window is tight.

Welker can get consistent separation, but what has happened to him is that Moss is gone and he's being double covered on every passing play. He's being specifically game planned against and that's something that has never happened in his career. Yesterday, the Chargers went about taking both him AND Branch out of the game, and you saw the results. When something like that happens, you would expect to see Tate. However, there's a reason why Brady almost never looks his way and those are pretty much the only two options that I can think of.

Two things can really help this passing game out. The first is for the coaching staff to let Gronkowski run routes more than they have. It's fantastic that he's a good blocker, but we need some more options at receiver and we have a 6'7" freak of a tight end at our disposal. The second is for Edelman to stay healthy and become a factor in the passing game.

 

[RodThePat]

Welker can get consistent separation, but what has happened to him is that Moss is gone and he's being double covered on every passing play. He's being specifically game planned against and that's something that has never happened in his career. Yesterday, the Chargers went about taking both him AND Branch out of the game, and you saw the results. When something like that happens, you would expect to see Tate. However, there's a reason why Brady almost never looks his way and those are pretty much the only two options that I can think of.

Two things can really help this passing game out. The first is for the coaching staff to let Gronkowski run routes more than they have. It's fantastic that he's a good blocker, but we need some more options at receiver and we have a 6'7" freak of a tight end at our disposal. The second is for Edelman to stay healthy and become a factor in the passing game.

I just think we need a guy to be a threat in the outside. We are crowding the middle of the field too much, and that makes it easy for defenses to take guys away. I think Gronkowski will continue to fill this role of catching two balls a game for 19 yards and a TD. Brady will look for him in the redzone, but his role as blocker is pretty solidified by now, and with the emergence of Hernandez as a pass catching threat I don't see that changing any time soon.

I won't even comment on Welker because he oviously isn't 100% yet and teams are actively trying to take him away. I think he's done as good a job as he possibly could under those conditions. I just think that the playbook appears to be somewhat limited to either 3 yard passes or 40+ yard bombs. The intermediate routes are being severely underused, and that hampers the passing game. At least that's the impression I get.

 

[Bostonian1962]

So much for the "Patriots can't win unless Brady carries them" mantra. What is wrong with Tom Brady?? Even before his binky Moss was traded Tom Brady has not put together a great game from beginning to end. Until yesterday the O-line has been quite good this year. Brady has been given time and has been clean at the end of most games this year and yet his passing game has been very erratic. Tom has been "off" alot this year. Throws at guys feet, throws to their wrong side, missing wide open receivers.....
Any theories as to why??

I don't know why he seems so off this year, but I have to agree with you. Even some of the balls that have been caught have been low, high, or otherwise not on the mark.

The troublemaker in me wants to say it's because he stays on the West coast and doesn't put in all the time with the team that he used to, but the honest answer guy in me says "I don't know why".

 

[Kontradiction]

I just think we need a guy to be a threat in the outside. We are crowding the middle of the field too much, and that makes it easy for defenses to take guys away. I think Gronkowski will continue to fill this role of catching two balls a game for 19 yards and a TD. Brady will look for him in the redzone, but his role as blocker is pretty solidified by now, and with the emergence of Hernandez as a pass catching threat I don't see that changing any time soon.

I won't even comment on Welker because he oviously isn't 100% yet and teams are actively trying to take him away. I think he's done as good a job as he possibly could under those conditions. I just think that the playbook appears to be somewhat limited to either 3 yard passes or 40+ yard bombs. The intermediate routes are being severely underused, and that hampers the passing game. At least that's the impression I get.

Tate and Branch are supposed to fill the roles of outside threats. In our offense, though, outside threats (being the flanker and split-end) are also required to be able to go over the middle. Branch seems capable of doing either. Tate doesn't seem capable of doing anything. If Tate can come on, that will be of tremendous assitance to our offense.

As for Gronk, there's always a place for a 6'7" tight end that can potentially ruin things for the defense down the seam and over the middle.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

What people don't realize is the patriots might be the only team in the NFL without even close to a # 1 NFL receiver. Brady has a bunch of midget slot recievers to throw too, and a couple stud rookie tight ends. No Tall Fast Deep Threat(Vincent Jackson), No Tall Physical Top Talents(A Johnson, B Marshall, M Colston, D Bowe) no amazing skilled route runners with gifted abilities(Wayne, G Jennings, White)...

I mean we have a HOF QB and we have no # 1 recieving threat to help him out. I would love even a Lee Evans on our team I was angry we did not go after Brandon Marshall, but I would love to spend a high draft pick on a Stud Tall Physical Reciever.

I'm glad we got rid of moss. His legs have aged quite a bit. I would love to replace him with a YOUNGER 6'4 220lb fast physical possession receiver capable of making big plays.

 

[Brady2Welker]

Brady has two so-so games in a row and now has to prove he is "still elite". Welcome to New England, we just happen to have the most jaded, self entitled and spoiled fans around!

Herp Derp Derp? I fully believe Brady is a top 3 QB, that said, I only use elite as the top two players at any position really. So if Brady improves back to the 65% -300 yards 3tds 1int type stats, them he'll solidly be in the elite passing category with Peyton. That said, I think Rivers is simply passing better than Brady currently with equally little to work with.

Call me jaded and spoiled but that's just how I measure elite.

 

[MoneyFX]

Hate to say this, but the offense was better with Moss. If only Moss shut up and played his heart out for a contract. Moss made everybody's job easier and the receivers won't really get separation like they used to. Wes Welker now isn't as effective as he was with Moss. The Pats offense was on full cylinders when they had Moss as Brady in 2 games without Moss has 2TDs and 2INTs but against tough defenses and both were wins. Brady had the best QB performances in Weeks 1 and 3 against the Bengals and Bills respectively. Maybe Brady will start getting some big stats against some softer defenses.

 

[patsfan-1982]

So much for the "Patriots can't win unless Brady carries them" mantra. What is wrong with Tom Brady?? Even before his binky Moss was traded Tom Brady has not put together a great game from beginning to end. Until yesterday the O-line has been quite good this year. Brady has been given time and has been clean at the end of most games this year and yet his passing game has been very erratic. Tom has been "off" alot this year. Throws at guys feet, throws to their wrong side, missing wide open receivers.....
Any theories as to why??

go back and look at Brady, stats ( other then 2007 ) and you will see that through the first 6 games he stats are just as good if not better this year then in any of the SB years


i think you need to get that record year out of your mind. that brady, is never comeing back teams played him and Moss, scared that year, this is the Brady, that won three SB's not puting up big stats but not turning the ball over and leading he's team to a win by a FG

 

[OldNEPatsFan]

Brady is now married, has 2 kids, and football is no longer the number one thing in his life and it is showing on the field. Hell when a guy has to wear his hair the way his wife wants maybe it's time to trade him to a team like the 49ers for 2 first.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Stats don't tell the whole story. How many QB's are there aside from Brady that you see this team at 5-1 with right now? I can think of one, maybe two. That doesn't translate to 'adequate QB play' for me.

 

[Kontradiction]

Brady is now married, has 2 kids, and football is no longer the number one thing in his life and it is showing on the field. Hell when a guy has to wear his hair the way his wife wants maybe it's time to trade him to a team like the 49ers for 2 first.

Now I'm wondering why it took me so long to put you on my ignore list...

 

[sbpatfan]

And this is why Fantasy Football is moronic.

 

[Kontradiction]

And this is why Fantasy Football is moronic.

It is when people get WAAAYYYYY too into it.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Brady is now married, has 2 kids, and football is no longer the number one thing in his life and it is showing on the field. Hell when a guy has to wear his hair the way his wife wants maybe it's time to trade him to a team like the 49ers for 2 first.

You've got to be kidding. Were you also one of those who thought we should have kept Cassell over Brady at the start of last season?

I think people have forgotten the Tom Brady who won 3 Super Bowls, and how he did it. In those 3 Super Bowl years, Brady averaged 216 yards per game, 61.5% completion percentage, and 23 TDs, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. Oh, and 13 wins a season.

In 2009, Brady had his second-best statistical season ever, though many thought he was awful. In 2010, Brady is on pace to throw for over 3,600 yards, a bit above his average during those Super Bowl years. He's also on pace to complete 66.2% of his passes and throw 29 TDs (both figures would be his second-highest ever, only topped by the record-breaking 2007), as well as a passer rating of 96.0, only topped by 2009's 96.2 and the record-breaking 2007. And the most important stat is 5 wins already, which projects out to 13 wins.

But keep making fun of his hair and picking on him because he has a family. Or tell us how Cassell's a much better QB or how we should trade him for some draft picks. I think I'll go with our HOF QB who was the quickest to win 100 games, won 3 Super Bowls, and has led us to the best record in football.

 

[Dufflebagz]

Brady is now married, has 2 kids, and football is no longer the number one thing in his life and it is showing on the field. Hell when a guy has to wear his hair the way his wife wants maybe it's time to trade him to a team like the 49ers for 2 first.

........:bricks:

 

[cardiak]

Eh no they aren't forgetting about those pats.. they don't even know. Most of this gibberish comes from fans who slobbered on in mass during our amazing streak where the pats were a complete powerhouse.

These are the same people who think the QB is off target when he throws to the backside of his receiver when he is crossing the middle because they are too clueless to understand that you cannot lead your reciever into zone coverage when on a crossing route.

These are the same people who view a pass that goes to the knees of a receiver as a bad pass when in fact 9 times out of 10 Brady throws these passes exactly there because they are safe plays with the ball being placed where only the receiver has access to it.

These are the same people that think Tom Brady is the same type of QB as Manning or Brees or Favre. He simply is not, he does not make the "amazing threading the needle pass" because he does not attempt them. He is the ultimate game manager who will always side on the safe pass over the fancy risky throw (until moss came that is). He is the QB who makes almost no "WTF" type of passes and makes just as many "WOW" passes. He simply plays it safe.. and is better then just about anyone else at doing so.. and guess what... thats how you win football games and bring home trophies.

It wasn't until BB tried to turn Brady into a Payton Manning clone and moved our offense from a conservative clock dominating force with a power running game into a high powered scoring machine that throws 70% of the time to match the Colts and the then newly introduced PI rules that Brady started scoring big time... BB has realised the errors in his ways and is slowly converting this team back to what brought us those previous championships.

1) A power running game
2) Minimal throwing game with dink/dunk safe passes enough to move the chains
3) Clock management (wear the defense out and run it down their throat to end games when they are too exhausted to stop the run)
4) Bend but don't break defense that does not allow big plays and is geared to stop the run in favor of allowing the passing plays underneath which eventually lead to turnovers or in-completions which end drives.
5) Heavy hitting defense that sets the tone.. With heavy hitters you create an identity. Our defense is currently finding theirs right now. Our old D would never dominate a game, they would hang in and when push came to shove at the end of games they would punch you in the teeth and leave you bleeding on the 1 yard line. That was their identity... can these new guys rejuvenate it?

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Stats don't tell the whole story. How many QB's are there aside from Brady that you see this team at 5-1 with right now? I can think of one, maybe two. That doesn't translate to 'adequate QB play' for me.

This team isn't 5 - 1 because of QB play.
What do you people watch during these games??