After All: He's Only 40!

egri · #1 01-25-2018, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the 'stache

The Patriots without "Tom Terrific" went 11-5. They suffered soooo mightily as Matt Cassel came in and threw for 3,700 yards and 21 TD passes. Somehow, without Captain America, Wes Welker and Randy Moss both managed to go for over 1,000 yards. Welker went to the Pro Bowl.

The season before, with the same receivers and playing a tougher schedule, Tom Brady put up 50 TDs and 4,800 yards. That is a major drop off, especially as all 5 of the 2008 Patriots losses were to playoff bound teams. In 2007, Randy Moss alone caught 23 TDs from Brady, 2 more than Cassel put up the entire following year. You can’t look at the stats and not see how losing Brady hurt them in a big way, especially on a team that missed the playoffs on tiebreakers.

As for the Patriots defense bailing him out all the time, he dragged the 31st ranked defense to Super Bowl 46, where Bill Belichick had so little faith in them he gave up a score to the Giants to get the offense back on the field sooner. Then two years ago, he lead the #1 offense even though all his favorite targets missed significant time that year. Gronkowski and Edelman missed several games as did Amendola, and defense captain Jerod Mayo was banged up so badly he retired after the season. In spite of this, in Denver, against the #1 defense with his center, Bryan Stork, tipping the snaps, they were a pair of missed PATs away from going to SB 50.

PowderedH2O · #2 01-25-2018, 08:42 AM

Bill, I believe that Brady caught a break on the tuck rule as well. But, if you are using Starr's 9-1 record, you also have to acknowledge the break he caught. In 1965, trailing 10-7 with 1:58 left in a playoff game against the Colts (in which Tom Matte, the running back, was the Colts' quarterback due to injuries to Unitas and Cuozzo), the Packers' kicker made a 22 yard field goal. Well, the referee said he made it, but television replays showed it was wide. There was no replay, so it stands. The Packers go on to win the game in overtime (with Zeke Bratkowski at QB for the Packers after Starr was injured, yet Starr gets credit for that win), and the following week, the Packers beat the Browns for the title. If the field goal is ruled correctly, it is a Colts vs Browns NFL Championship Game. Starr has one less ring. Maybe they dismantle some of the pieces and don't go on to win those Super Bowls. Who knows?

Peter_Spaeth · #3 01-25-2018, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PowderedH2O

Bill, I believe that Brady caught a break on the tuck rule as well. But, if you are using Starr's 9-1 record, you also have to acknowledge the break he caught. In 1965, trailing 10-7 with 1:58 left in a playoff game against the Colts (in which Tom Matte, the running back, was the Colts' quarterback due to injuries to Unitas and Cuozzo), the Packers' kicker made a 22 yard field goal. Well, the referee said he made it, but television replays showed it was wide. There was no replay, so it stands. The Packers go on to win the game in overtime (with Zeke Bratkowski at QB for the Packers after Starr was injured, yet Starr gets credit for that win), and the following week, the Packers beat the Browns for the title. If the field goal is ruled correctly, it is a Colts vs Browns NFL Championship Game. Starr has one less ring. Maybe they dismantle some of the pieces and don't go on to win those Super Bowls. Who knows?

You can always play what if. What if Tyree doesn't make that absurd catch, or the refs call one of the multiple holds that gave Manning time to throw? What if Welker doesn't drop an easy ball, or that other guy doesn't make another circus catch?

frankbmd · #4 01-25-2018, 01:53 PM

Every close game is subject to partisan second guessing of the officiating and conspiracy theories of their participation in bribery and/or collusion.

NB: This post refers only to football.

Oh, and by the way, "Kill The Ump, da bum."

Peter_Spaeth · #5 01-25-2018, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egri

The season before, with the same receivers and playing a tougher schedule, Tom Brady put up 50 TDs and 4,800 yards. That is a major drop off, especially as all 5 of the 2008 Patriots losses were to playoff bound teams. In 2007, Randy Moss alone caught 23 TDs from Brady, 2 more than Cassel put up the entire following year. You can’t look at the stats and not see how losing Brady hurt them in a big way, especially on a team that missed the playoffs on tiebreakers.

As for the Patriots defense bailing him out all the time, he dragged the 31st ranked defense to Super Bowl 46, where Bill Belichick had so little faith in them he gave up a score to the Giants to get the offense back on the field sooner. Then two years ago, he lead the #1 offense even though all his favorite targets missed significant time that year. Gronkowski and Edelman missed several games as did Amendola, and defense captain Jerod Mayo was banged up so badly he retired after the season. In spite of this, in Denver, against the #1 defense with his center, Bryan Stork, tipping the snaps, they were a pair of missed PATs away from going to SB 50.

From memory that was a weak 11-5 team that everyone knew had no chance of going deep into the playoffs. It's just pointless to try to minimize Brady's role in the Patriot's dominance.