With the New England Patriots coming off a bye week and their season more than half over, it feels like a good time to take stock in the team's current standing. They're 7-2, leading the AFC East and likely postseason-bound. In that sense, it's been a typical Patriots season.
One thing noticeably different about this season, though, is that the Patriots are not succeeding because of Tom Brady; they are winning in spite of him.
Brady, mired in the worst season of his illustrious career, has been downright terrible. In the first eight games of the season, Brady threw almost as many interceptions (six) as touchdowns (nine). He had just one game with over 300 passing yards after averaging more than 300 per game in each of the past two seasons. His 52-game streak with at least one touchdown - just two shy of Drew Brees' record - came to an end in Week 5.
It's been tough to watch. Brady has not looked like anything close to himself this year, barely resembling a shadow of the elite quarterback he used to be. There are visible cracks in his typically poised, confident demeanor. Brady hasn't looked comfortable in the pocket and has been uncharacteristically shaky. He's made a number of head-scratching decisions, forcing throws to covered receivers when others were wide open. His accuracy has suffered. What makes the drop-off even more confounding is that just last year, Brady was a legitimate MVP candidate and arguably the best signal-caller in the league. This year, he's been one of the worst.
So, what exactly is wrong with Tom Brady? There are many theories for why Brady looks suddenly mortal under center. Let's explore the three big ones.
His receivers: Brady's had difficulty adjusting to a new receiving corps this year. He doesn't have his security blanket in Wes Welker, his former go-to guy. Rob Gronkowski, literally his biggest weapon, was hurt to start the year. Danny Amendola has missed time as well. Their replacements - several of whom are rookies - have been underwhelming, to say the least. They and Brady rarely seem to be on the same page. This is the most obvious reason for Brady's struggles and makes the most sense.
His age: Brady's 36, which isn't old in human years but lies somewhere closer to 100 in football years. At his age, every knockdown hurts a little more, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if Brady (who plays on a surgically repaired knee) was hiding some sort of injury. It's also possible that what we're seeing is the beginning of age-related decline.
His contract: Brady just signed a three-year contract extension this past offseason that will keep him with New England through 2017. Perhaps the job security has caused him to become complacent? Brady's competitive drive has never been called into question, but the man's married to a supermodel, has millions of dollars and is a three-time Super Bowl champion. If that's not living the good life, I don't know what is.
The good news is that Brady looked like himself in New England's 55-31 rout of the Steelers in Week 9. Aided by a healthy Gronk, Brady shredded Pittsburgh's papier-m??ch?© defense for 432 passing yards and four touchdowns. It was easily his (and New England's) best game of the season. Does that mean Brady's turned the corner? Or will he slide back into mediocrity against a formidable Panthers defense on Monday?
We shall see.
Tyler Maher is a junior who is majoring in economics. He can be reached at Tyler.Maher@tufts.edu.
