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Posted by Mike Florio on December 12, 2009 12:30 PM ET
It's almost unthinkable to wonder whether one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history has lost something, years before his skills should be starting to deteriorate.
But Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com raises an intriguing question regarding Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Does he still have the ability to run the offense in a way that preserves second-half leads?
This year, the Patriots have lost four games that they led after two quarters.
And Brady isn't even on the fringes of the MVP discussion. Indeed, he's currently ninth in passer rating, trailing guys like Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers.
As Reiss points out, injuries might be a big factor in the actual or perceived decline in Brady's overall abilities, specifically in crunch time. Still, something's wrong with the Patriots, and it goes beyond the question of whether enough of the other teammates are doing enough to help.
Maybe, in the past, Brady was so good that he didn't need the help.
Regardless of whether he needed help in the past, he clearly needs it now.
Whether he gets enough of it remains to be seen.
It's almost unthinkable to wonder whether one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history has lost something, years before his skills should be starting to deteriorate.
But Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com raises an intriguing question regarding Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Does he still have the ability to run the offense in a way that preserves second-half leads?
This year, the Patriots have lost four games that they led after two quarters.
And Brady isn't even on the fringes of the MVP discussion. Indeed, he's currently ninth in passer rating, trailing guys like Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers.
As Reiss points out, injuries might be a big factor in the actual or perceived decline in Brady's overall abilities, specifically in crunch time. Still, something's wrong with the Patriots, and it goes beyond the question of whether enough of the other teammates are doing enough to help.
Maybe, in the past, Brady was so good that he didn't need the help.
Regardless of whether he needed help in the past, he clearly needs it now.
Whether he gets enough of it remains to be seen.
