Surprising Bruschi interview regarding Wes Welker situation

[12ClutchFactor]

I have sit her for the past 7 minutes trying to recall "clutch throws" by Brady and I am at a loss. I know my memory is not that bad and I've watched pretty much every televised Patriots game. Can anyone help me out? It's late and maybe I'm tired.

Maybe your memory isn't that bad. Most of the clutch moments from the championship years belong to the defense.

 

[nekromantique]

I have sit her for the past 7 minutes trying to recall "clutch throws" by Brady and I am at a loss. I know my memory is not that bad and I've watched pretty much every televised Patriots game. Can anyone help me out? It's late and maybe I'm tired.

cant say throws exactly, but comeback/gamewinning drives in the first 2 superbowls were huge...even if they werent touchdowns. guy was nearly perfect in the last drive of sb36

 

[DaBronxPats14]

cant say throws exactly, but comeback/gamewinning drives in the first 2 superbowls were huge...even if they werent touchdowns. guy was nearly perfect in the last drive of sb36

Brady in Superbowl 36 that last drive under 2 minutes NO timeouts left and where they started from,was like a surgeon how he marched pats down. What makes that more impressive was that he was holding a clipboard for D.Bledsoe that year. End of that drive when Brady spiked it with like 7 seconds and ball popped up in his one hand and handed it to ref for AV to seal it. Sends goose bumps just ask John Madden.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

youre right...the 4th ranked defense overall isnt very good.

I am right, they weren't "very good". Ranking means nothing, especially that year. Think being the highest scoring offense of all time might have something to do with it? Basically the whole defense with the exception of Wilfork was gone the next 2 years. Brady and the offense were spotting the defense 3-4 touchdowns per game every game, leaving the opponent to play catch up.

 

[JJDChE]

I am right, they weren't "very good". Ranking means nothing, especially that year. Think being the highest scoring offense of all time might have something to do with it? Basically the whole defense with the exception of Wilfork was gone the next 2 years. Brady and the offense were spotting the defense 3-4 touchdowns per game every game, leaving the opponent to play catch up.

I remember the '07 defense being average to above average. They looked good statistically because we we're putting up double digit points in the first quarter of every game. They faced lots of desperate, one-dimensional offenses which led to lots of turnovers. I remember not being confident that the D could win a game for us if we needed it. That's my lasting memory of the 2007 defense.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

cant say throws exactly, but comeback/gamewinning drives in the first 2 superbowls were huge...even if they werent touchdowns. guy was nearly perfect in the last drive of sb36

How about the go ahead drive in the first Giants SP, that was clutch, they just left a little too much time on the clock.

 

[BananaRepublican]

Startling revelations...

Can you name another ex teammate that has said that he prefers Eli over Tom?

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Thank you. Have to agree, at this point, Eli is more clutch, money or whatever you want to call him. But when you need "the throw", Eli is now much more likely to give it to you than Tom.

I take issue with the phrase "much more". That says the gulf between EM and TB is big. Consider:
- In last year's SB, I won't rip apart TB for not throwing a slightly better ball or WW for missing a catchable ball (but certainly not a routine catch). But the play should have been made as is.
- In the perfect season SB, you simply have to tip your hat for the heave-ho, wing and a prayer throw by EM and the very difficult catch made by the Giant receiver.
Two plays that were close to arbitrary in their outcome. Yet those two plays literally define EM getting the nod over TB. If those two plays go the Patriots' way, history now says EM can't get it done and TB is a living legend (where no one would dare breath the phrase "EM is better than TB"). But they did go EM's way and it's fait accompli. But when you can have that big of a swing based on the results of two skin of your teeth plays, the words "much more" are a patently false description.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Maybe a good ass-chewin from a former champion and future Patriot HOFer is excatly what this team needs. Get your Schmidt in gear. No more cheap losses to teams you're better than.

You guys ain't the Red Sux.

 

[BananaRepublican]

I have sit her for the past 7 minutes trying to recall "clutch throws" by Brady and I am at a loss.

Do you mean just playoffs? If so ...

1. Bomb to Branch in Pittsburgh.

2. Lots of clutch balls in the short to intermediate game to finish off the Rams and Panthers under extreme pressure.

3. TD to Moss.

4. Bomb to Bethel Johnson against the Titans.

5. Numerous clutch balls to Jermain Wiggins in the Snow Bowl.

6. A couple of clutch drives with Branch to finish off the Eagles.

 

[robbomango]

Maybe your memory isn't that bad. Most of the clutch moments from the championship years belong to the defense.

Your memory must be pretty bad, Brady was well known for late game comebacks in his early years. From 2001-05 he had 20+

 

[TheComeback]

I am right, they weren't "very good". Ranking means nothing, especially that year. Think being the highest scoring offense of all time might have something to do with it? Basically the whole defense with the exception of Wilfork was gone the next 2 years. Brady and the offense were spotting the defense 3-4 touchdowns per game every game, leaving the opponent to play catch up.

This theory's been torn apart tons of times. Last year's offense was historically good too, and it didn't magically make the defense rank 4th in the league.

People don't give that unit credit because of one drive, as if they lost that game all by themselves. They had some problems covering the middle of the field after Colvin got injured and AD moved to OLB, but they were elite compared to any of the defenses we've fielded since then.

And you have to be a huge Pats homer to not believe Eli is an elite QB, and probably the most clutch one in the league right now. Dude had 7 fourth quarter comebacks last year.

 

[TheComeback]

Your memory must be pretty bad, Brady was well known for late game comebacks in his early years. From 2001-05 he had 20+

Brady has 35 fourth quarter comebacks, which makes 6th all time. His career isn't over yet. I'd say he's pretty clutch

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Brady has the 35 fourth quarter comebacks, which makes 6th all time. His career isn't over yet. I'd say he's pretty clutch

Agreed (thanks for the stat look up).

Using "what I remember" to determine something is/isn't fact (especially something as involved as this) is a poor method. If one is going to say TB isn't clutch, one is going to have to do some research into late drives (not just last minute drives - not just games that are won). Otherwise you may end up looking like just another one of the many over emotional big mouth fans.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Please change your name to Pitt Jet. Its pretty obvious that you are a poser in disquise.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

This theory's been torn apart tons of times. Last year's offense was historically good too, and it didn't magically make the defense rank 4th in the league.

People don't give that unit credit because of one drive, as if they lost that game all by themselves. They had some problems covering the middle of the field after Colvin got injured and AD moved to OLB, but they were elite compared to any of the defenses we've fielded since then.

And you have to be a huge Pats homer to not believe Eli is an elite QB, and probably the most clutch one in the league right now. Dude had 7 fourth quarter comebacks last year.

Maybe you could explain how the theory has been torn apart?

I think you overuse the word elite, which describes the best above all others. The 07 defense wasn't elite and I don't have to call Eli elite because the media tells me I do or because it make a cute saying. He had a good season last year and a good game last week. He has played well in the clutch, with the help of his teammates, which was my original point.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Haven't listened to Bruschi but Eli, whom I can't stand, has been tearing it up and deserves serious props. He's been doing that "just winning" thing quite well.

 

[Fixit]

The "clutch" argument is where Brady loses points because he consistently plays well for the entire game and normally has given the Pats a good lead.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Can you name another ex teammate that has said that he prefers Eli over Tom?

That's this week. Ask him again after Eli digs them a hole he can't later lift them out of. Eli is still a putz, but he's also grown a set. They still at times have to win in spite of him, but increasingly he has found the capacity to overcome himself and at times will them to a win.

Interesting comments on Peyton, whom Tedy also remembers always threw some wobblers.

I don't always agree with Tedy the commentator. But I think this week he was pretty adept in his analysis. Eli and the Giants are the Cowboys if they were mentally tough. I'll still take my chances with Brady and the Patriots, at least when the staff isn't screwing around with chemistry experimentation in season creating the kind of randomness that Belichick has previously taught me to dismiss. I'm glad to see that after further thought Tedy has backed off his kneejerk reaction to the Welker situation from early in the week - which was Wes must have done something... Seems Tedy is like everyone grappling with rationalizing what ever posessed them to go down this road and the answer he's come up with is they are/were intent on testing a replace Welker on the fly theory that has now hit a roadblock that should end the experiment for at least the forseeable future.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Haven't listened to Bruschi but Eli, whom I can't stand, has been tearing it up and deserves serious props. He's been doing that "just winning" thing quite well.

It's more random than Brady, probably always will be because there is just that little touch of gunslinger in Eli that both flumoxes and saves him. His receivers seem to have a touch of it too, so potential is always there to go either way. Defense is kind of similar. Inconsistent at times but when they all pull it together in one quarter...