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.

Man up Vince Young

On Sunday, another spectacle in the arena of sports immaturity occurred in Tennessee. Once again, the leader of this three ring fiasco was none other than Vince Young, whose inability to handle anything remotely resembling adversity is starting to achieve legendary status. This time, Young was upset about being removed from the game and not permitted to re-enter, despite the fact that he had severe problems gripping the football and did not mention to anyone that he wanted to play.

So VY reacted to this as only VY can. He took his jersey and shoulder pads and threw them into the crowd. Then he followed that up by walking out of the post game meeting. When his coach, Jeff Fisher, told him that he was walking out on the team, he replied with 'No, I'm walking out on you.' Absolutely classic line right there. And people were concerned about Randy Moss being a problem in the clubhouse.

Then on Monday, Young attempted to enter the team meeting as though nothing happened. Only now, Fisher placed VY on the IR, since his thumb is going to require surgery and he will not be recovered by the end of the season. As such, he is not required to attend these meetings. In order to drive that point home, Fisher had Young removed from the facility, and told him not to come back. To be honest, I think Young handled that part well, in that no one had to contact the suicide hotline or put out an APB to locate him afterwards.

Finally, it dawned on our wayward quarterback that he should apologize to his coach. So, how does he choice to accomplish this task? In a way that only Vince Young and other people that are too cowardly to do so in person would - he sent a text message. Now, I realize that I don't know Jeff Fisher personally, but based off the Tom Selleck mustache he has, I'm thinking that Fisher doesn't quite know how to text. In fact, to quote Coach Fisher: "I'm not a real big text guy. I'm not really into this new-age stuff," he said. "I don't Twitter or tweet. But I think face-to-face is a man thing, OK?" In fact, when he was asked if a text was better than no apology at all, Fisher said: "Someone could have grabbed his phone."

So Vince Young, man up. It would be the first time you did.

Randy Moss Trade

As I am certain that everyone has heard by now, Randy Moss was traded to the Vikings yesterday for a third round pick. On the surface, this is not a trade that appears to make any sense for New England. Presently they are sitting at 3-1 on the bye week, have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs, and yet they trade their primary deep threat.
So, why would they do this? On the surface, it would appear that there are two distinct reasons for the trade. First, to acquire an asset for a player that does not fit into their long-term plans. Moss is in the final year of his contract and wants an extension, which the Patriots were quite unwilling to give. He was not going to be there after this season - pure and simple. Secondly, this is simply what the Patriots do. They get rid of players that want more than they feel that they are worth. This follows their pattern. Look at the examples: Deion Branch, Asante Samuel, Richard Seymour, and now Randy Moss. And this does not even reflect the current holdout of Logan Mankins or the almost holdout of Vince Wilfork this offseason.
However, what does this mean for the offense as it stands now? Theoretically, this makes Welker the primary receiving option, even if he stays in the slot. Brandon Tate would move into the position vacated by the departure of Moss, but can he really be counted on? Granted, Tate has been impressive this season, but he has a history of injuries. Last season, he began the year on the PUP list, played in two games, then ended the season on the IR. Even if Tate stays healthy, then who is the number three receiver? This is a fairly important part of the Patriots offense. Looking at their depth chart, this job would fall to Julian Edelman (who is a Welker clone as a slot receiver), Matthew Slater (who is a special teams player with a grand total of ZERO career receptions over this three years in the NFL), and Taylor Price (who hasn't seen the field this season). Does anyone truly feel comfortable with any of those options?
My thought is that the Patriots will be running a lot of two tight end sets. Hernandez and Gronkowski appear to be legitimate targets, and Hernandez has shown potential as a playmaker (he already has two plays of 40+ yards this season). The running game should also be more of an option. It feels as though the Patriots are attempting to recreate the offensive gameplan from 2001-2006, where they would control the ball with short passes and the running game.

On the Vikings side of the ball, this is a trade that absolutely makes sense. Acquiring a receiver that is still amongst the best at his position for a third round pick is an easy trade to make most times. But to acquire Randy Moss in a contract year after he's been traded and feels disrespected by the Patriots? Moss is going to be motivated. Expect huge numbers from Moss by the end of the year.
This also makes the Vikings offense truly impressive. Not only do they have one of the top three backs in the NFL in Adrian Petersen, but they have dramatically improved their receiving corps. Adding Moss to a roster that already includes Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Greg Camarillo, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Sidney Rice (when he comes back)? That is a formidable group right there.

It will be interesting to see how this trade impacts the end results of both teams, but it certainly appears that the Vikings are now the favorites to come out of the NFC and make the Super Bowl.