Why did we lose Tom Brady with 2 games to go?

[RayClay]

Maybe there was Kryptonite around.

 

[Watson's IQ]

I don't know. AM I wrong? Did it look like Brady enjoyed much this season? Maybe it's just wearing thin. No need for anyone to get defensive, it's not an attack.

Tom Brady is never going to "lead the league in smiles" as Peter King so succinctly described Tony Romo. But he's never complained, and never taken off a down, so as long as he leads the league in "actual categories" like Touchdowns, I'll be fine with it.

 

[reflexblue]

I agree with DrewWho. I too have been wondering what has been up with Brady. I can understand the flu against the Chargers. But he exhibited no emotion in the Super Bowl. He is the team leader and has always been the guy to pump up the team when needed. He looked pissed off in the Super Bowl, which is not a trait we have seen in the past. There's more to this story beyond "he got his ass kicked" by the Giants.

Beyond Brady, the team just looked out of it for the Super Bowl. There was no emotion when entering the field. I thought initially that "they had their game faces on". But it was more than that. It may have been the pressure finally hitting these guys and the entire coaching staff. Let's face it, the Pats played and acted differently in the Super Bowl than at any point this year.

I've been waiting for someone to write about this.

I for one agree with all that you have said. He!! even my wife noticed something different about him. She said usually she see's Brady exhorting his offense on the sidelines. But in this game he wasn't, at times he was shown sitting quietly by himself.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I for one agree with all that you have said. He!! even my wife said that she usually see's Brady exhorting his offense on the sidelines. But in this game he wasn't, at times he was shown sitting quietly by himself.

Maybe he was too sore to exhort.

This is one more thread in the dumbing down of a fanbase.

 

[Ootball]

And how is this different than the other 7-8 years Brady's been on the team?

This year WAS different. It started w/ spygate, and the Pats - though quiet publicly - had a chip on their shoulder all season long, and played like it. Ultimately, that's a negative kind of emotion to carry for so long - the "us against the world" thing.

That, and the pressure of being undefeated, probably weighed on both TB & the rest of the Pats heavily, more than they'll probably ever let on (maybe a few will talk if they're interviewed 20 years from now for one of those 'greatest games ever' shows)....

 

[Watson's IQ]

That's funny, that's not what Matt Cassell said

I don't care what Matt Cassell said. Tom Brady has never in his entire career played the "gee golly shucks ma'am" routine that Romo and Favre do. He's an entirely different kind of person, and because he's more understated and quiet than other guys, you assume unhappiness. If that's the case, I'd say he's been unhappy his entire career, because he didn't act any differently this year.

 

[aluminum seats]

I see a lot of the reflexive responses here I knew would come up--he was getting hit too much, etc., along with the sneering "body language" quips. The only problem with that is that the OP is completely accurate in what he said, and it was said carefully and well.

Tom Brady is the leader of the team, and getting hit--even a lot--is not an excuse for--yes, I'll say it--his body language and demeanor during the Super Bowl. It was incumbent on him to lead that team, particularly when it appeared Josh could not. Maybe the rumours about McDaniels dismissing him are true, who knows. But if we're going to praise him as the best ever--and it's not unreasonable to have made that argument--we should be able to step back and say what we all saw. It doesn't mean we're not still fans, it doesn't mean we won't root--and expect--him to be amazing last year. But something did happen the last two games. Against SD, I believed the story about the flu, although that was never confirmed, as far as I know. He didn't have the flu this time. All I saw was him sitting on the bench next to Randy Moss looking gloomy.

 

[dhamz]

The only problem with that is that the OP is completely accurate in what he said, and it was said carefully and well.

Accurate? He said Tom Brady cashed it in mentally for the last 2 games - that he wasn't into it. And he is basing it on nothing more than speculation of what Brady's body language meant.

What he is saying but doesn't want to come right out and say because it is absurd is that Tom Brady did not care if the Patriots won the last 2 games. He didn't give his best effort. He is saying Brady quit on the team for some unknown reason. That is laughable.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

The whole superbowl I was wondering what was wrong with his passing. The ball didn't seem to have the zip on it that I normally saw with a Brady pass. Did anyone else notice this?

 

[aluminum seats]

Accurate? He said Tom Brady cashed it in mentally for the last 2 games - that he wasn't into it. And he is basing it on nothing more than speculation of what Brady's body language meant.

What he is saying but doesn't want to come right out and say because it is absurd is that Tom Brady did not care if the Patriots won the last 2 games. He didn't give his best effort. He is saying Brady quit on the team for some unknown reason. That is laughable.

The problem is, that is NOT what the OP said, that's just your spin on it. He did not say "Tom Brady did not care if the Patriots won the last 2 games." Language matter. Words matter. What the OP did was to comment on what he, as a fan, saw with his own two eyes. That Tom Brady was not the same as we have always seem him. That he didn't seem like himself. And apart from EVERYTHING else, I agree.

 

[dhamz]

The problem is, that is NOT what the OP said, that's just your spin on it. He did not say "Tom Brady did not care if the Patriots won the last 2 games."

He says that Tom Brady did not "bring it" in either game. And he is referring to emotionally and mentally. He says Brady let him down by showing no fire, emotion, etc. He also says he believes injury played no part in it.

You can try to spin that any way you want - what he is saying Tom Brady was not into winning the Super Bowl, that it wasn't important enough to him to show fire, that he didn't care enough to lead the team.

It is absurd.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I will get kicked in the nuts for this one but I will say it anyways. I still think Brady has a partially torn labrum as I have been saying for several years now. I think he has built up all his shoulder muscles to better protect the injury he already has. His velocity on deep balls is amazing compared to several years ago so no question he is way stronger than he was even in 2004.

The down side to all of this is that I have been thinking for some time now that Brady is hooked on pain killers. People who live on painkillers can all tell you about the mood swings they get from them. I do not think in any way that this has affected his physical ability to be the great QB that he is. I do not think it has affected his performance on the field. I think the pain is what affects his early throws ... nothing else. I do however think it has affected his personality and what we see on the field.

I do not think he takes them pre-game ... for fear of them hurting his performance and the team...Brady woulod never hurt the team in any way, he would and has sacrificed himself instead. I think he plays in pain every game and takes the medication right after the game ... that is why we see a super relaxed and very talkative Brady in his post-game interviews.

Okay ... kick away ... I've put the cup on.

 

[pheenix11]

I still don't know why Brady was yelling at Welker, even if he did run the wrong route, Brady overthrew him by 6 feet.

I would have laughed my ass off if Welker yelled back "you effin suck!"

Brady was definitely out of it.

 

[aluminum seats]

He says that Tom Brady did not "bring it" in either game. And he is referring to emotionally and mentally. He says Brady let him down by showing no fire, emotion, etc. He also says he believes injury played no part in it.

You can try to spin that any way you want - what he is saying Tom Brady was not into winning the Super Bowl, that it wasn't important enough to him to show fire, that he didn't care enough to lead the team.

It is absurd.

See, I think you're the one who's making the leap to "it wasn't important enough to him to show fire" etc. The OP is saying--and what I'M saying--doesn't go that far. Not nearly. We're saying the emotion wasn't there, and it's confusing as to why.....it's confusing for EXACTLY the reason that we know he DOES care. It makes his behavior stranger.

 

[Willie Andrews23]

I have to agree with Ootball on this one. The "Us against the world" feeling this team had after Spygate broke definitely led to the crushing of the Chargers, Skins etc, but if you think about this season game by game things got MUCH harder as it went along, and I don't mean teams gunning for us. I think the team got emotionally drained and it showed through the entire playoffs.
Those emotions can take a toll on anybody, and these guys are human. their accomplishments have been questioned all year. They have been the victim of a Media Witchhunt. Hell, I felt drained, I can't imagine being those guys.

 

[Clonamery]

I will get kicked in the nuts for this one but I will say it anyways. I still think Brady has a partially torn labrum as I have been saying for several years now. I think he has built up all his shoulder muscles to better protect the injury he already has. His velocity on deep balls is amazing compared to several years ago so no question he is way stronger than he was even in 2004.

The down side to all of this is that I have been thinking for some time now that Brady is hooked on pain killers. People who live on painkillers can all tell you about the mood swings they get from them. I do not think in any way that this has affected his physical ability to be the great QB that he is. I do not think it has affected his performance on the field. I think the pain is what affects his early throws ... nothing else. I do however think it has affected his personality and what we see on the field.

I do not think he takes them pre-game ... for fear of them hurting his performance and the team...Brady woulod never hurt the team in any way, he would and has sacrificed himself instead. I think he plays in pain every game and takes the medication right after the game ... that is why we see a super relaxed and very talkative Brady in his post-game interviews.

Okay ... kick away ... I've put the cup on.

Are you Sen. Arlen Specter or Phil Spector?

 

[godef]

Perhaps his ankle injury occurred BEFORE the San Diego game.

 

[karran_s]

Perhaps his ankle injury occurred BEFORE the San Diego game.

Bottom line..... the team didn't get it done this time...

I think we have discussed all of this to death.. It's time to move on and focus on a new season. Hopefully, with some new blood in and this stinging loss behind them, the team will perform much better in the big game ...

I don't see the team having much of a problem in making the playoffs next year, even with the loss of several players - Asante, Tedy, Junior (?).. I don't know if they'll franchise Moss or not... Anyway, as long as TB and BB are around, we can make the playoffs.

I would replace Matt Light though and get another O lineman. We also need a couple of linebackers and cornerbacks.

 

[Marko]

I don't know. AM I wrong? Did it look like Brady enjoyed much this season? Maybe it's just wearing thin. No need for anyone to get defensive, it's not an attack.

You obviously didn't watch any of the 50td 16-0 regular season, he enjoyed it very much! The op's point was that the last two games he seemed different than the previous 17, just that would indicate that your post lacks logic.

 

[PatriotsRule99]

I agree with the TC, Tom didnt look as into it as he normally did (that's what Giselle said...YES! I have started something new!!!). He normally would have pounded the ground in frusteration after the sacks...but he looked more like Adam Sandler in the Longest Yard when he had to lose...just kidding!