Tom Brady: an honest take

[pheenix11]

This team with Stidham would be lucky to win 4 games. Belichick coached without Brady before. We all know how that ended.

11-5 in 2008
3-1 in 2016

Yeah just horrible.

Get a clue.

 

[Patstastic]

The 2006 offense was far better than this offense. The numbers back it up.

 

[CISGS]

11-5 in 2008
3-1 in 2016

Yeah just horrible.

Get a clue.

Oh, I'm sorry...

• 11-5 for Cassell? With the same talent that went 18-1?
• 3-1 in 2016? You mean with the same Jimmy G that has his team as the #1 seed in the NFC?

I meant when he was fired by the Cleveland Browns and was doing so well with Drew Bledsoe.

Get a clue.

 

[TB_Helmet]

I want Brady back until he says he’s done, without any hesitation or qualifications. I trust him to hang them up when he thinks he can’t help the team win anymore. I want to drag this thing out as long as possible.

ETA I understand the disagrees, everyone is gonna have their own opinion on an emotional topic. To me, it’s personal. Brady will be the greatest Boston sports athlete I’ve ever watched in my life and I just don’t want it to end.

 

[rogerthat]

I want him back. We've been in every single game this year. Offense looked a lot worse than it could have.... a lot of penalties that took away touchdowns, some of them very questionable. A lot of drops. No tight end, no speed.

At the end of the Miami game, I was thinking, put your fastest guy back to receive the kick. The answer: probably Jonathan Jones, a defensive player. On offense it's James White, and then.....??? nobody.

We need to retool with speed and offensive lineman that can pass protect. At this point in his career, Brady needs time and talent around him. If we can find a way to do it, I say he has 2 more good years. I'd give a 3 year deal with a team option on year #3.

 

[203Pat]

Maybe I am just a Brady homer but I don’t think he is the problem. Half the O-line played significantly worse this year, he had no real running game all year, the TE's offer absolutely nothing, and his receiving core is average at best.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

Kraft forced Belichick’s hand to trade Garropolo.

Kraft also listened to the negative 3rd string talking heads of the MSM to cut Antonio Brown.

 

[ohiopatsfan]

Well, everything eventually comes to an end and I thi

 

[fightingirish595]

With the completion of today's game, Tom's QBR this season will rest right around 88. In each of the last four seasons, starting with the suspension shortened season of 2016, Tom's QBR has declined. Tom's career average QBR is 97. He barely hit that last season and fell well below this season. Tom Brady will be 43 years old at the start of next season. If I'm BB, he doesn't get re-signed. I try to talk him into retiring as a Pat. He is playing well below Tom Brady averages now. He is no longer worth the investment. You can blame the offense all you want, but the steady 4-year decline is undebatable. It's not just QBR.. it's pretty much every stat that matters. They're all at 4 year lows this year. It's time to move on.

this is not QBR

 

[Rob0729]

I don't know how much is injuries and how much is old age, but Brady has declined as a QB since late last season. I think people are making excuses for the guy, but I see a guy who is definitely seeing negative signs of age. Here are what I see:

Mid range and deep ball accuracy - This has been an issue all year. The biggest myth of an aging QB is that they start to throw ducks like Peyton Manning. The truth is most declining QBs because of age still have good arm strength, what is lost is accuracy. They have to put a little more on the ball because of the declining arm strength and it screws up their accuracy.

Consistency - Many older QBs when their skills decline still can have stretches or games where they can look like their old self, but then can look like garbage or at least not look nearly as good on other stretches. People point to last week as proof he isn't old. I will argue although it was a great game for 2019 Tom Brady, it would be a good game for 2015 Tom Brady. But great game mixed into a stretch of a bunch of mediocre ones.

Injuries - Say it is an elbow injury that is making him play bad. That is another sign of age. We have have heard all the stories of Tom Brady playing with separated shoulders in his throwing arm where he needs assistance to take off his shoulder pads and still throw for 300 plus yards and 3 TDs. It doesn't look like he can do it anymore and I don't think it is just the talent around him. Being able to respond to injuries is also age related and he just may not be able to play through injuries like he used to.

Decision making - This is a bit harder to judge because of the talent around him is sub par for the most part. But even with protection and some receivers getting open, I am not seeing Brady make as fast as decisions and is missing seeing open receivers more often. Again, this one is graded on a curve because of the offensive talent.

Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying Tom Brady is done. He probably can play at least for another year or two. I just wonder if he is can ever be elite or top 10 anymore. He certainly isn't a QB who can carry an offense with mediocre talent anymore like he did in the past (most notably in 2006).

I am sorry, but I truly believe that age is starting to catch up with Tommy and we have to get used to the fact that this was either his last regular season home game or we will be seeing more of a game manager going forward with him. Tom has a high perch to fall from. So declining skills for Brady allows him to be at least an above average QB for at least a while unless he hits the age wall hard. But Belichick should have known that Brady needs talent around him at this stage of his career and he needed a TE he could rely on and another receiver or two.

 

[Patjew]

I’m sick of everyone blaming Brady. If only the front office got him some 13-foot tall receivers they might’ve caught some of those balls.

 

[ohiopatsfan]

Well, everything eventually comes to an end and I think the Pats' long run is about over. TB is showing his age and can no longer carry the offense all by himself. Injuries an

 

[patsfan13]

TB would have to rebound more than a bit just to get back to career average numbers. At age 43, such a revival is pretty unlikely. From a shrewd GM's standpoint, it's time to move on. Although, we don't know what we really have in Stidham yet.

BB knows a lot about Stidham at this point. I defer to his judgment.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Explain how the Patriots keep Garoppolo, given that trading Brady would have resulted in $14M in dead money in 2018 before paying Garoppolo.

Kraft didn’t directly force the trade. The trade was the inevitable, inescapable conclusion of extending Brady’s contract from ending after 2017 to ending after 2019.

The question is whether or not Kraft forced that extension.

 

[NE_Zealot]

I’m not ready to move on from Brady for an unproven Stidham or some scrap-heap QB. Kind of surprised people still expect him to elevate no-name WRs at 42.

The Oline was trash for the majority of the season and this was awful roster construction in the WR/TE room. When you have an older QB you can’t give him table scraps and expect him to excel. The loss of Gronk is incalculable and 38 year old Ben Watson isn’t the answer but I love him anyway.

Problem is Brady needs a contract and we’re pretty tight to the cap. I’m not up for figuring out who the cuts are and how much dead cap is there but it’ll be difficult to get an adequate supporting cast. Harry has to develop and we traded away a 2nd. Jules turns 34 next year and needs protection as well.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Can we kindly wait at very least that the season is officially over ?

 

[MainePatsFan26]

Kraft forced Belichick’s hand to trade Garropolo.

Keeping Brady helped net the team a Super Bowl. But eventually keeping Gandalf the Grey over the young talent will have its consequences.

I'm not as concerned by Brady's play this season as I am his leadership. I don't see him helping the new guys or cheering anyone on. Brady appears depressed on the sideline; maybe he needs a hug.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

I’m sick of everyone blaming Brady. If only the front office got him some 13-foot tall receivers they might’ve caught some of those balls.

If you want all the fame, you need to take some of the blame when your performance is not up to par.

I think he is taking some heat because of his attitude this year. You have to admit, Brady has never been this negative in the past.

I do sympathize with Brady on losing Antonio Brown.

 

[luuked]

I’m sick of everyone blaming Brady. If only the front office got him some 13-foot tall receivers they might’ve caught some of those balls.

At least it would be next to impossible for Brady to overthrow those players.

 

[Patjew]

At least it would be next to impossible for Brady to overthrow those players.

Maybe...