Most Underrated Part of Brady's Career

[Bradyking12]

Pat

Pats really should have just three-peated.

Banged up last year, before injuries I couldn't believe my eyes holy hell were on a roll, defending Super Bowl Champs undefeated run/ constant '07 comparisons every week talk about a dream come true ending the ten year drought starting the follow season hotter then hell looking like a 19-0 run and a repeat, crazy part is I kept telling myself as long Dion stays healthy we will win, once he went down my stomach twisted a bit then Edelman goes out, Gronk get banged up we lose to Denver drop one to the Eagles talk about seeing your dreams come crashing down

 

[mosslost]

They are sti

Banged up last year, before injuries I couldn't believe my eyes holy hell were on a roll, defending Super Bowl Champs undefeated run/ constant '07 comparisons every week talk about a dream come true ending the ten year drought starting the follow season hotter then hell looking like a 19-0 run and a repeat, crazy part is I kept telling myself as long Dion stays healthy we will win, once he went down my stomach twisted a bit then Edelman goes out, Gronk get banged up we lose to Denver drop one to the Eagles talk about seeing your dreams come crashing down

They are still unbeaten with Lewis playing

 

[sb1]

Brady was slight over-hyped actually imo that year. The team won games that year in all phases. His stats 2800 yard 18 TD 12 INT not spectacular. (14 games) The offense only score THREE total TDs in all the playoffs. He was great considering it was his first year playing, but he was actually just barely over rated for that season. (Just a tiny bit)

EDIT: And one of the three TDs in that post season was a Bledsoe TD Pass. Brady had one TD pass and one TD run in that post season.

I wouldn't say he was overrated nor underrated at the time, just "rated". Nobody was saying he was GOAT or even among the league's best QBs that season. We all saw that Weis/BB had the reins on him and he was not in a system that leaned on him to win football games yet. It was all about the west coast short passing game to Brown, Patten, Redmond and company, and A. Smith- who I think was an extremely underrated reason why the Pats were champs in 01.

 

[Bradyking12]

They are sti

They are still unbeaten with Lewis playing

Talk about a good luck charm, hopefully he's healthy all next year so we can go 19-0

 

[mosslost]

I wouldn't say he was overrated nor underrated at the time, just "rated". Nobody was saying he was GOAT or even among the league's best QBs that season. We all saw that Weis/BB had the reins on him and he was not in a system that leaned on him to win football games yet. It was all about the west coast short passing game to Brown, Patten, Redmond and company, and A. Smith- who I think was an extremely underrated reason why the Pats were champs in 01.

Yes I agree. I never thought he was over rated, but I do use the term over hyped some. Locally "the Brady Bunch" thing was big, but nationally no one really cared about the Brady aspect until the thing was over and his story was now legendary.

 

[bormio]

But the most important element was there already - leadership. The team came to believe in him. And the coaches trusted him on the biggest drive of the season. And coolness. Who else spikes the ball and then catches it with the other hand like after the last pass to Wiggins. One of the most boss moments I have ever seen in a game.

 

[mosslost]

But the most important element was there already - leadership. The team came to believe in him. And the coaches trusted him on the biggest drive of the season. And coolness. Who else spikes the ball and then catches it with the other hand like after the last pass to Wiggins. One of the most boss moments I have ever seen in a game.

There were a couple important players who went on record as saying that wanted Bledsoe to start the Super Bowl though, not that that means anything. I remember Bruschi admitted that at one point, but in the context of how wrong he was as it turned out. (All a long time after the fact)

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Brady was slight over-hyped actually imo that year. The team won games that year in all phases. His stats 2800 yard 18 TD 12 INT not spectacular. (14 games) The offense only score THREE total TDs in all the playoffs. He was great considering it was his first year playing, but he was actually just barely over rated for that season. (Just a tiny bit)

EDIT: And one of the three TDs in that post season was a Bledsoe TD Pass. Brady had one TD pass and one TD run in that post season.

Maybe I had under-rated Brady that year, but I find it hard to accept that he was over-rated that year. I don't think Brady was great that year, but I don't recall anyone claiming he was either.

He was managing the game, the team was winning with him, but I don't think anyone was proclaiming him to be the GOAT. So I didn't think he was overhyped at all.

I mean you mention the 3 total TDs in the playoffs, but that's not far off from his 18 in 14 regular season games either. It's not like he had a dramatically different playoffs. He was good, not great in the regular season, similar in the playoffs.

But if there was one area that kind of showed what his greatest strength was, it was in the close games. He was 4-1 in the regular season in one-possession games, the only loss coming to the Rams. And sure enough, he went 3-0 (with a hand from Bledsoe) in one-possession games in the playoffs. This was a huge difference from Bledsoe, who went 3-9 in one-possession games in 2000, and 0-2 to start 2001. The team started winning those close games with him.

And looking at the raw TD totals doesn't tell the whole story. That snow game against the Raiders was an incredible performance, but his 0 passing TDs don't tell that. Rich Gannon led a top-5 offense into that game and they threw for less than 160 yards and 13 points. Part of that was the D, but part of that was the conditions. And in those same conditions, Brady is slinging 52 passes for 312 yards. He had the pick, Gannon had an early TD, but Brady played a great game there.

So he obviously wasn't the GOAT that year, but he was incredible and exceeded all reasonable expectations after Drew went down. We weren't counting on him becoming a Pro Bowl QB or an MVP that season. And he was neither of those things in 2001. But he still did way more than any of us had any right to expect.

 

[mosslost]

Maybe I had under-rated Brady that year, but I find it hard to accept that he was over-rated that year. I don't think Brady was great that year, but I don't recall anyone claiming he was either.

He was managing the game, the team was winning with him, but I don't think anyone was proclaiming him to be the GOAT. So I didn't think he was overhyped at all.

I mean you mention the 3 total TDs in the playoffs, but that's not far off from his 18 in 14 regular season games either. It's not like he had a dramatically different playoffs. He was good, not great in the regular season, similar in the playoffs.

But if there was one area that kind of showed what his greatest strength was, it was in the close games. He was 4-1 in the regular season in one-possession games, the only loss coming to the Rams. And sure enough, he went 3-0 (with a hand from Bledsoe) in one-possession games in the playoffs. This was a huge difference from Bledsoe, who went 3-9 in one-possession games in 2000, and 0-2 to start 2001. The team started winning those close games with him.

And looking at the raw TD totals doesn't tell the whole story. That snow game against the Raiders was an incredible performance, but his 0 passing TDs don't tell that. Rich Gannon led a top-5 offense into that game and they threw for less than 160 yards and 13 points. Part of that was the D, but part of that was the conditions. And in those same conditions, Brady is slinging 52 passes for 312 yards. He had the pick, Gannon had an early TD, but Brady played a great game there.

So he obviously wasn't the GOAT that year, but he was incredible and exceeded all reasonable expectations after Drew went down. We weren't counting on him becoming a Pro Bowl QB or an MVP that season. And he was neither of those things in 2001. But he still did way more than any of us had any right to expect.

I pretty much agree with everything you just wrote. Also, just to be clear he was a better option then Bledsoe at that point, even with zero starts (and not because Bledsoe was in surgery.. just better)

I was just responding to the idea that somehow his 2001 is "underrated" in the OP, especially in the context of today, 2017. There is nothing about Brady at all that is "underrated" any more. He gets GOAT status from most corners, and though it is mostly because the truly great QB that he has become over 17 years. His first SB 36, with that final FG game winning drive going in as part of his cannon, does create a scenario where the relatively "average", "game manager", "just don't lose the game we will find a way to win it" nature of his 2001 season is not a focal point. ANd hence that season is kind of over hyped at a minimum.

 

[farn]

I agree w the original poster. That 01 season was impressive in the sense that even though his stats were so so by his standards, he kept his cool when the team needed him. Including replacing the franchise, established QB, VS OAK after the tuck, and against an excellent opponent in the SB after that team had tied the game with little time remaining.

 

[mosslost]

I agree w the original poster. That 01 season was impressive in the sense that even though his stats were so so by his standards, he kept his cool when the team needed him. Including replacing the franchise, established QB, VS OAK after the tuck, and against an excellent opponent in the SB after that team had tied the game with little time remaining.

not under rated though

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

I agree it's underrated. Brady had an 86.5 rating the first year he started. That doesn't look impressive today because all the highest passer ratings today came after the 2004 season.

However, for comparison from 1960-2004 the highest ever passer rating for a rookie was 83.3 by Jim Kelly.

For 2nd year players 1960-2004 Brady had the 9th ever highest passer rating. However, of the 8 QBs in front of him, all started their rookie seasons except one (Daunte Cullpepper).

So at the time stepping in for your first season and doing what Brady did, not just in wins but stats was nearly unprecedented.

Player Season Finder Query Results | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Player Season Finder Query Results | Pro-Football-Reference.com

And when Daunte did it, he threw to two HOF WRs.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

Brady had the 6th highest passer rating that year and 4th highest comp percentage. In terms of efficiency he was among the best guys with years of experience.

If anything, BB held him back from passing because he was young but everything about his numbers shows his stats are only low due to attempts.

 

[upstater1]

IMO, his most impressive year was 2012. That was one of the greatest offenses of all time. While it seems his TD totals may have been suppressed, the team scored 26 rushing TDs, 4 by Brady himself.

This was a great year for Aaron Hernandez. That team sliced through defenses like a hot knife through butter. It was awesome. And then the injuries set in--unfortunately. It did not end well.

But the offense was just tremendous and I've never seen Brady so consistently on point like he was that year.

His best year after 2007, IMO.

 

[MagicMarker]

2001 was magical. In April of that year Pro Football Weekly, wrote an article about which teams had the least chance of making the Super Bowl in five years. Number 1 was the Patriots!

I couldn't ESPN's power rankings, but I think after Bledsoe went down, the Patriots dropped to #32. It wasn't all Brady, but the Super Bowl wouldn't have happened without him.

 

[New England Pride]

IMO, his most impressive year was 2012. That was one of the greatest offenses of all time. While it seems his TD totals may have been suppressed, the team scored 26 rushing TDs, 4 by Brady himself.

This was a great year for Aaron Hernandez. That team sliced through defenses like a hot knife through butter. It was awesome. And then the injuries set in--unfortunately. It did not end well.

But the offense was just tremendous and I've never seen Brady so consistently on point like he was that year.

His best year after 2007, IMO.

That offense was definetly prolific, but I feel as though Brady was a bit jittery in the pocket in 12. People on this forum called it "seeing ghosts." I'm glad he has worked that issue out, I haven't seen him flinch in years now. It's the little things make Tom Brady the best, he's always getting better.

 

[bormio]

My recollection of the "wilderness years" of '09-'12 was that NE seemed to have trouble executing on offense late in games. Brady was terrific, and I know they had comeback wins, but they seemed to struggle closing out against good teams. And the D being bad made that a big problem. It seems humorous now, 4th quarter offense has been lethal the last 3 years.

 

[deroc5050]

That offense was definetly prolific, but I feel as though Brady was a bit jittery in the pocket in 12. People on this forum called it "seeing ghosts." I'm glad he has worked that issue out, I haven't seen him flinch in years now. It's the little things make Tom Brady the best, he's always getting better.

Yeah I think 09-13 Brady delt with his own injury and his offensive line wasn't as consistent as it as from 03-07. And in some of those years 09-13 injuries and drafted offensive talent (receivers that didn't pan out) hurt his passer rating. And he was seeing ghosts at times.. it wasn't like Brady but I figured once you start seeing ghosts your probably going to start declining.. he has done the complete opposite. He adapted his oline wasn't as good as his first 6-7 years but he got the ball out so fast it didn't matter.

2014 people stayed healthy and Brady had a great year. 2015 when they were healthy they started 10-0.. 2016 we lost Gronk but pretty much everyone else was healthy enough to play. And Malcolm Mitchell panned out to be a good receiver.

 

[Reubski23]

When did Brady start getting recognised as a top 5 QB in the game?

 

[RobertWeathers]

He was way bet

He was way better than Bledsoe, no doubt. Brady most definitely did not rescue that particular ship though. I do think that team woke up and played hard and rallied around their new QB though.

He is the GOAT now, was not the GOAT yet then though.

You are kidding yourself if you do not think TB12 salvaged the 2001 season.

They do not make the playoffs without him.