Signs, if any, that Brady is slowing due to age?

[PatsWickedPissah]

When TFB can no longer throw the ball and catch it too, I'll be worried.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

When another QB starts to catch up to him, then he's getting older. The guy is machine. I think we will see the best TB ever this season.

 

[ivanvamp]

When another QB starts to catch up to him, then he's getting older. The guy is machine. I think we will see the best TB ever this season.

I think he'll be tremendous this year, but I think we will see a decline in his stats. Why?

(1) I think they will run more.
(2) I think the youth of his receivers will lead to more mis-run routes (bad reads by the WRs, for example), and that'll lead to more incompletions, sacks, and interceptions. But those will be on the WRs, not Brady, even though his stats will be the ones that suffer.

So there will be critics out there that won't watch Brady but will see his lesser stats and think he's lost it, when in reality he'll be playing as well as he ever has.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Excellent observations, people

 

[chumpchange]

Hasn't Brady been on the injury list for all but two weeks of his career as a a starter? The man's shoulder has apparently taken 12 years to heal, so don't let that issue darken your day.

But look at the guys who've gone down to injury where Brady has largely stayed healthy over a decade of seasons (excluding 2008), and even brushed off a 300 pound rolling into his knee last week. Where guys like RGIII and now EJ Manuel have been in surgery their rookie seasons. Brady has been an iron man for us.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

But look at the guys who've gone down to injury where Brady has largely stayed healthy over a decade of seasons (excluding 2008), and even brushed off a 300 pound rolling into his knee last week. Where guys like RGIII and now EJ Manuel have been in surgery their rookie seasons. Brady has been an iron man for us.

TFB is the Tony Stark / Elon Musk of the NFL!

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I almost just posted the pic without comment.

There is no bigger Brady fan than me.

His 'fire in the belly', and his skills, are as amazing as ever.

I think it's his fear of being hurt (really hurt) that's increased as he gets older. And...I kind of get it. :nosmile:

 

[Tunescribe]

I think it's his fear of being hurt (really hurt) that's increased as he gets older. And...I kind of get it.

No, you don't "get it" at all. Brady is an incredibly fearless performer in and out of the pocket. Don't confuse his protecting himself with turtling or taking dives -- that's just smart QB play. In the course of a season he takes MANY hits in exchange for pass completions when he knows he'll be decked. Hell, the guy sprained his freakin' surgical knee in practice and two days later played lights out in a game. "Fear" my ass.

 

[Joker]

"now they will know why they fear the dark..."

 

[Tunescribe]

"now they will know why they fear the dark..."

Trivia question for you, J.: what did he say immediately before letting that snake-arrow fly? (Hint: it was a one-word command.)

 

[Joker]

seek

I know...I'm pathetic

 

[Tunescribe]

seek

I know...I'm pathetic

:woohoo::eat1::thumb::clap2:

 

[AzPatsFan]

But look at the guys who've gone down to injury where Brady has largely stayed healthy over a decade of seasons (excluding 2008), and even brushed off a 300 pound rolling into his knee last week. Where guys like RGIII and now EJ Manuel have been in surgery their rookie seasons. Brady has been an iron man for us.

It helps that his coach doesn't countenance the ****amamie Read-Option, aka "Kill Me Please!" QB running plays. With EJ Manuel and Kirk Cousins going down now, maybe my injury estimate of 10 games/QB is Too High.

 

[Joker]

laughing....out....loud...the Kill Me Please offense....heh...I will plagiarize that in the future if you don't object..

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Obviously TB is not going to be as quick (ha ha ha...as if he ever really was) on his feet at this age like he was at age 25 but I think Brady is very energized by all the new faces on this offense. Think we're going to see a youthful exuberance Tom Brady this year and I think it's going to mean really good things for this team.

 

[Joker]

I too have noticed this "effect" that Brady looks energized and better than ever...but there's this unmistakable omnipresent "5 ton white comparison elephant" in the room that could be skewing our perceptions...and that is ,of course, a different "effect"...the Tebow "effect".

Watching and attending preseason more than I have in some time,I AM amazed at the wide,cavernous gulf that exists between a quarterback of Tom Brady's skill and the "skill" of a media creation like Tebow.I mean it's enough to make me want to get down on my knees and openly pray to God Almighty, thanking HIM for allowing all of us to experience this once in a lifetime football player. We ARE blessed to be witnessing this Hall Of Famer as he enters the last years of his career.

The way things just come so easy to him now probably makes it seem he isn't slowing down but ,in a vacuum, one HAS to acknowledge that his physical peak has been reached some time ago. Today he is what he is because of that EXPERIENCE...my God...just LOOK at the different NFL experiences he has weathered these past twelve years. The top of the mountain, the depth of the sea...and everything in between...and all the while, a PATRIOT.

I waited a long time in life to experience even a taste of the rarified air that fans of other teams took for granted. Thanks to this trinity of ownership, coaching and quarterbacking we've had the past decade and a half, I finally know what it's like to be a fan of the BEST....and it feels dyam fine, thank you very much. So if there's signs of Brady slowing down,I hope I'm blind to them until his fantastic once in a lifetime career is at an end...for ignorance in this case is certainly bLISS.

 

[TB12_laser designator]

I think the following two things have diminished:
Arm Strength --
he didn't seem to have any deep ball accuracy last year

Eh, what field stretching option did he have? Because we haven't had one since Moss left. And no, Brandon hit the deck Llyod doesn't count.

Running Ability --
esp in the Ravens game, there were a couple of opportunities to run for the first down and in the past he would've taken it but he seems less willing to do so now

I do remember thinking at one point that he could have ran on one play. But then I remembered why he probably kept looking to thread the needle and it was called his left ACL. Bottom line, since 2008 I only want see Tom running when he has to climb the podium to collect his 4th ring.

 

[sb1]

I think the following two things have diminished:

Arm Strength --
he didn't seem to have any deep ball accuracy last year
Running Ability --
esp in the Ravens game, there were a couple of opportunities to run for the first down and in the past he would've taken it but he seems less willing to do so now

Deep ball accuracy has very little to do with arm strength.

 

[Brady6]

Bottom line: The only area where I lean toward "Yes, Brady has already slowed a bit" is in his recovery from injury. And even that is quite speculative.

It did take him almost a full 24 hours to recover from his knee injury last week.

Brady’s preseason stats – 18/20 for a 90% completion percentage, 172 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 135.8 rating; without Welker, Gronkowski, Lloyd or Hernandez. I can only pray to age so gracefully :amen:

 

[Archeryaddict12]

Personally I think Tom is like a bottle of wine, gets better with age. So far this dude has looked as good as ever. And he is the goat. And he doesn't have gronk, welker or ahern catching his passes. As long as Brady doesn't get dinged up he can play into his 40's, and probably exceptionally well also.