Revisiting Tom Brady

Given the expections that began to creep around Foxborough through November and December, this season is being considered squandered in the minds of Patriots fans. However, at the start of this season, if Patriots fans had been told that their team would go 14-2, even they would have considered that person insane. Of the 53 man roster, 45 players had two or fewer years of experience. Major questions surrounded the offensive line with the hold out of Logan Mankins, the defense with the infusion of youth, and even the coach. Had the game passed Belichick bye? Did he lose the team last season? Can he still find those players late in the draft that he had before?

These questions were answered by an offense that, even with the mid-season trade of Randy Moss, managed to lead the league in scoring. The defense managed to come into it's own towards the end of the year, with a potential emerging superstar in Devin McCourty. Indeed, the future in Foxborough is bright.

However, back when the Patriots were winning championships (in those helicon years of 2001, 2003 and 2004), they were lead by a defense that was the strength of the team. Brady was, for lack of a better term, more of a game manager in those years. And yet, the formula worked: build a lead or keep it close, and let Brady win the game in the end. Being able to rely upon an impressive defense, a solid running game, and a quarterback that did not make mistakes will lead to wins, and, in this case, championships.

However, things changed in 2007. Perhaps this was due to the postseason failures of 2006. Perhaps this was due to Spygate. Perhaps it was due to a major infusion of talent on the offensive side of the football in Moss and Wes Welker. Perhaps it was a combination of the three. Yet, for whatever reason, Brady was asked to become more than a game manager - he was asked to fire the ball downfield with regularity as the Patriots rode his arm to the Super Bowl in 2007.

Since then, Brady has proven to be a great quarterback, and in the discussion of the top five of all-time. However, is it possible that the Patriots have been asking too much from him? Over his career, he has achieved his greatest success with play action. Until this past season (mainly when Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis became the starting running back and Moss was traded) teams did not have to fear the run. In fact, New England typically used a short passing game with Welker to simulate a running attack.

However, with this approach, there are problems. First, an incomplete pass stops the clock, so it provides more time for the opposition to be able to score. Second, it makes the team one dimensional, which allows defenses to key on one thing and attack. This was proven in the Super Bowl against the Giants, where the Giants defensive line was in pass rush mode exclusively the entire game. For Brady to be at his optimal level, there needs to be balance on the offense. This also helps the defense to rest during the drive, as drives would take more time off the clock, even if they do not result in scores.

New England needs to revisit the formula that worked for them before - a stellar defense and a balanced offense. It appears that they are getting there, and 2011 may end up being a championship season. But Brady should not be expected to do it on his own.