Raj: There is no doubt in my mind that some of the blame belongs to Tom Brady. He mentioned in his press conference yesterday that he’s just trying to be the best qb for the team. However, you can’t blame him too much if the offensive line is week and only one receiver (Julian Edelman) is doing all the work. Where are all the other guys like Kenbrell Thompkins, Danny Amendola, and Brandon LaFell? These guys really need to step it up. I would also like to see Rob Gronkowski be a regular in games because he’s also a big asset for Brady. People will be quick to blame Brady for some Pats losses (and yes, that’s true – look at week 1!). But if he doesn’t have the physical support of the rest of his offense, there’s only so much he can do.
Kyle: Brady is a part of the problem. His accuracy on intermediate passes is not what it once was and his deep ball accuracy seems non-existent. The o-line struggles are in his head and it seems like he has developed a bit of a quicker than normal trigger. I’d like to see how well he can do at this age with the proper amount of time to let a play develop fully. Maybe the arrival of The Stork will help.
Rick: I don’t think Brady deserves a lot of the blame, but he should take a small amount of it. Brady’s numbers have not been the same as years past and while the offensive line may be a big reason why, Brady does miss more throws that he usually makes, especially in the downfield passing game. The Patriots without a big play receiver on the outside are limited to short passes to receivers like Edelman who can rack up the YAC yards. I also think Brady has shown less patience with some of these wideouts, but its tough to blame him when the Super Bowl window is closing and he wants to get that fourth championship. The frustration is easily seen by #12, but he needs to show more patience and more trust in his other targets if the pass offense is going to get better.
Derek: There are definitely other aspects of the offense that are more culpable for the Patriots’ slow start. (Cough, cough, offensive line… Cough…) However, #12 is far from blameless. There have been several times where he’s missed a wide open receiver or been inaccurate in the red zone and turned a touchdown into a field goal. Again, it’s hard to find a rhythm and feel comfortable in the pocket when you’ve got defensive linemen breathing down your neck at every drop back, but Brady hasn’t lived up to the high standard he’s set during these past three weeks.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
