Even if Garoppolo is as good as Andrew Luck.. that sucks in comparison to Brady.
Agree today. Disagree at some point in the future. That point is not yet known.
What was "damning" about Brady games 1-4 last year became a strength through the rest of the season.
He had a period there of "d%#*!@t O-line do what I am used to an O-line doing. d%#*!@t receivers be more open, be more sure-handed..." And then, the "word of the day" was "Trust" the rest of the season.
Say the magic word and win a fourth SB ring.
Back last fall I did a breakdown of targets in the first 4 games looking at receiver involvement, and compared with Cinci onward for a few games. Much more involvement of other WRs. Gronk was a constant. So it became not just gronk and edelman, it became what we now remember as the familiar mix, with JoJo being involved, Amendola chipping in, etc.
The other aspect of his game he turned and "fixed" on a dime was that he got to the point where he got the ball out in 2.5 seconds on average. Think back - he was never the guy you described as having the lightning-fast release. Good but not great in that category. He compensated with awareness, digested the new data -- you will just not have as much time -- and decided "then
this is the way we win this year." (With a lot of help, I am sure, from Bill n Josh.)
So there's my paeon to Brady for 2014. Trouble is, there will be a day when all the smarts, all the hard work, etc., won't do the trick.
We saw 4 games of "decline" - then we saw what very few QBs could do like Brady, an adjustment that negated its effect. There was not a sharp drop in physical skills - there was hubris about being able to do it all himself, when different conditions were pertaining. He corrected the mental game, worked at combined mental/physical aspects (All you get is 2.5 secs,) and we saw the results.
So I don't underestimate his ability to find ways to win, don't get me wrong. But at 40, can he make the adjustments his made at 37? 42??
45?
No way to know, but given TFB's contract window, I think JAG really is the heir apparent (not a placeholder for the next heir apparent.)