Tag Archives: Tom Brady

Playing in January is a normalcy for Tom Brady

The playoff tradition continues for Tom Brady and the Patriots

Here we go again, January playoff football for the Patriots. It seems like it’s a tradition. Every year the Patriots are the number one or two seed and are hosting a playoff game in January. The Patriots will be hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday and the early forecast calls for snow. History tells us how Brady plays in the snow in January.

Tom Brady will continue to be dominant in the playoffs

If we rewind it’s obvious this team is not even close to the early 2000 teams. Playing in the snow against the Colts was something Brady loved, and the Patriots always dominated. Those teams would probably beat this year’s team. But for Brady, even at 41. anything is possible. Brady is 27-10 in the playoffs. He’s passed for 10,226 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions. He has a career playoff rating of 90.9. Brady loves playing in the cold weather and is dominant when the temperature is below 40 degrees.

The famous snow bowl game in the AFC Divisional Playoff game in 2002 is one that will go down as one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history. The way Brady was so calm and collected, and despite the weather, led the Patriots down the field to put Adam Vinatieri in the right position to make the game-winning kick. That was the start of many playoff victories for the future Hall Of Fame quarterback.

It looks like the Patriots made the right choice in choosing Brady over another quarterback for games like the one on Sunday. The Chargers have a great defense, but they have a lot of things going against them. Travel, the weather, and playing against Brady in the snow. If it wasn’t going to snow the game might be closer, but because Brady is so great in the snow don’t be surprised if the Patriots win big. He is the leader in that locker room and has been in these games numerous times. He will get the players relaxed and ready to go and Brady will be headed to another AFC Championship game.

Stephon Gilmore named First Team All Pro

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The Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore was named First Team All Pro by the AP today. The shutdown corner has been worth every penny since arriving in New England last year. Gilmore has proven to be one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL, and is arguably the Patriots MVP this season.

Stephon Gilmore By The Numbers

Gilmore only allowed a 71.8 passer rating, while braking up 20 passes, finishing second in that category. The two interceptions Gilmore had shows that quarterbacks were throwing away from him. Pro Football Focus already ranked Gilmore as the top rated player at his position. The First Team All Pro honor is no surprise, as Tom Brady also had plenty of praise for his teammate on Wednesday. Brady compared Gilmore to some of the greats, saying he is right up there with them. Players like Law, Talib and Revis, two of which are future HOF CB’s.

The Price was Right

This is Stephon Gilmore’s second Pro Bowl selection, but his first All Pro honor. Gilmore showed his value all year vs top notch opponents. The wide receivers Gilmore shadowed this year include DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, Stephon Diggs and Devante Adams, just to name a few. Gilmore raised the level of play from New England’s secondary as well. Jason McCourty and JC Jackson both have stepped up big time, and this secondary looks strong. The Patriots secondary has had some extremely impressive games in 2018 with Gilmore leading the way. The Vikings and Steelers dynamic WRs were no match for Gilmore and company.

Gilmore with the defensive play of the 2017 season

Stephon Gilmore started his Patriots tenure off slow, along with the rest of the defense last year. But as the season went on he improved each week, and made the play of the year breaking up a Blake Bortles pass attempt to finish the Jaguars off. Since that incredible play he continued to emerge as a top tier CB, and now is honored as the Top rated player at his position. The Patriots and fans hope that Gilmore won’t have anything to do with the Pro Bowl this year, as they’re all in for a Super Bowl run.

Brady’s at his best when spreading the ball around

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Who’s the Best Receiver? The Open One

Throughout Tom Brady’s illustrious career he’s always had the ability to find the open receiver, which is always the best option.

The Patriots played the lowly Jets on Sunday, a team that was depleted, and about to fire their Head Coach. Tom Brady looked sharp throughout the game, hitting four different players for TD passes. Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan saw an uptick in playing time and targets.

Brady’s Best Option In The Playoffs

The month of January has usually been dominated by Rob Gronkowski. Gronk has not seen his usual targets this season, but now it’s crunch time. He is the NFLs all time leader in targets (111), receiving yards (972) and TDs (12) by a Tight End in the postseason. He’s still a dangerous weapon for the Patriots when targeted.

The Patriots offense in 2018 has looked quite different then what fans are accustomed to. Tom Brady albeit against the Jets showed a glimpse of what’s to come in the playoffs. The key is to get back to what makes him great, spreading the ball around and getting guys involved early.

It’s Time For Everyone’s Best

The loss of Josh Gordon has now opened the door for Phillip Dorsett, Chris Hogan and Patterson. Hogan had 11 targets last week and was an overthrown ball by Brady from having a TD as well. Gronkowski didn’t see many targets again, but he showed everyone he still has gas left in the tank. One player to keep you’re eye on is Phillip Dorsett, he took a backseat when Gordon came to New England. The wide receiver now has a chance to be a big part of a super bowl run. He’s caught 16 passes on 16 targets since October, now that Gordon is gone Dorsett should be seeing more looks from Brady. TB12’s passer rating when throwing to Dorsettt is 120.1 and now the WR is in line for more action.

Super Bowl Bound

The running backs are also a major part of the passing game, each RB can take it to the house, or catch passes from anywhere on the field. Brady may not have all pro weapons at his disposal, but that’s never stopped the Patriots before. The collection of players at his disposal could make it back to the Super Bowl once again.

My personal thoughts on this offense-spread the football around to everyone, get Gronk involved early. The Patriots Dynasty is far from dead. January is New England’s month, and in February anything is possible.

Tom Brady wants to play in 2019 and beyond

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Tom Brady wants to play many more years

Every year at this time we come to question whether or not Tom Brady will play the following year or hang it up. Every year we get the same answer. He’s playing for many more years. He made his point clear to Jim Gray when he was asked if he’s playing in 2019. His lack of production this season could be because of his lack of weapons on offense. With missing key offensive guys like Amendola and Cooks this year, it could be the reason Brady hasn’t looked that great.

Brady will have to be all in

Tom Brady last offseason wanted to spend more time with his family and skipped OTA’s. He took a lot of criticism for skipping the offseason workout program. People thought he should be there because he’s trying to play into his 40’s and it’s not an easy thing to do. At some point, Brady needs to be realistic as to how many good years he has left. If he wants to play at a high level, there may have to be less family time in the offseason.

The injuries don’t help on offense either. Rob Gronkowski seems not himself this year and is rumored to retire at the end of the season. I like Brady’s confidence that he’s determined to play at a high level at 42 and beyond. He’s said before he wants to play until 45 so that’s three more years to develop a quarterback and build a championship team, so Brady can have receivers to throw to. One bad year for Brady, people will be talking about he’s falling off a cliff. However, there’s nobody with as much confidence as him in sports.

Patriots Finally Have The Motivation They Need

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The sky is falling for the Patriots. Just as people have started to come to terms with the loss to the Steelers, Josh Gordon is taking his ball and going home. In fact, this bad news is finally enough to get Belichick’s bedrock philosophy back in vogue. Bulletin board material is here, and just in time too.

Gordon is Gone

News story: Josh Gordon says he is stepping away from football to focus on his mental health; he is facing a potential suspension for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement under the NFL's drug policy. https://t.co/MiPiW5u8FL
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 20, 2018

The details are still leaking out, but Josh Gordon appears to be looking at a suspension of some sort. On the face of it, this is really bad news. The Patriots have had trouble at receiver ever since Danny Amendola signed with the Dolphins last off-season.

Furthermore, the Patriots have five losses for the first time since they lost six in 2009. That was the dreaded ‘I just can’t get this team to play the way we need to play’ team from A Football Life.

Things look bad. So how is this a good thing?

Bulletin Board Material

Remember the halcyon days of the beginning of this Patriots dynasty? Remember when teams took the Patriots lightly? The Steelers are the masters of gifting Belichick with material to rile the troops.

During the 2001 Super Bowl run, the Steelers were happy to announce that their bags were packed for New Orleans and the Super Bowl. The Patriots walked away with a 24-17 win in the AFC Championship.

The media at large was enough for Belichick in the runs to the 2001 and 2003 Championships. No one gave the Patriots a chance against the Rams in 2001. The hype machine for Peyton Manning was in full force in 2003.

There was a regular cornucopia of bulletin board material. Belichick simply plucked it out of the air.

The End Of The Underdog

By the time Rodney Harrison was flapping his arms in the waning moments of the 2004 Championship against the Eagles, it was clear this motivation tactic was wearing thin. The Patriots were favored in the game against the Eagles. They had to dig deep to find little used wide receiver Freddy Mitchell declaring he didn’t know the Patriots defenders’ names.

In every playoff game since, other than perhaps an AFC Championship in Denver in 2016, the Patriots have been favored. The media has begrudgingly given The Belichick’s their due. Brady is now the GOAT. Loosing to the Giants in two Super Bowls wasn’t enough to knock the luster off the great and powerful Patriots.

What Is Old Is New Again

It has been distressing to see Tom Brady go weird, and seemingly get Garoppolo traded. To see Gronk looking mortal, and more interested in retirement and the WWE, than preventing miracle game loosing touchdowns. Sure-handed Julian Edleman is dropping passes. It looks like the Patriots are slipping, from the D to the QB, the special teams to the coach.

However, right now there is an opportunity Belichick has been looking for. For the first time since 2003, the Patriots will be overlooked in the playoffs. Some are saying they might not even make the playoffs. This is despite the AFC East standings, which show the Dolphins two games back with two to play.

Bulletin board material has materialized, and Belichick will put it to maximum use. Need to break through to an aloof Brady, an unmotivated Gronk, a shaky kicker, or struggling D? No problem.

The Road Ahead

Currently the Patriots sit at 9-5. That leaves them fourth in the conference. But what was true yesterday is true today. The Patriots have the Jets and Bills left. The Texans, who sit in third at 10-4, have the Eagles and Jaguars. The Patriots hold the tie-breaker over Houston. The Patriots are entirely capable of going 2-0 and ending at 11-5. The Texans are entirely capable of going 1-1, and ending at 11-5.

Because the two top teams in the league, the Chiefs and Chargers, are in the same division, whichever ends with a worse record is the five seed. Divisional winners go one through four.

With bulletin board material at his back, Belichick could be looking at the Number 2 seed. He could also be looking a Divisional round game at home, then on to KC in the AFC Championship game. Win that one, and the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl.

Belichick just got his secret weapon back. The rest of the league will see it soon enough.

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Here is why Josh Gordon was on the sideline on final play

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New England has lost its second game in December, the first time since 2002. The Patriots decided to take Josh Gordon out for the final play of the game. McDaniels answered questions, and Josh Gordon’s absence on that play was a hot topic.

Josh Gordon Should’ve been on the field on Sunday

Where was Josh Gordon

The Patriots loss didn’t come down to one single play, but again player personnel was an issue. After the game Bill Belichick was asked about Gordon’s absence. The head coach said they opted for Cordarrelle Patterson instead, which didn’t answer anything really.

Patterson is another big, athletic, jump ball receiver. The answer from Belichick didn’t cut it for me, because having Gordon and Patterson in for the play would’ve made sense. But that wasn’t the case, Gordon who played 58 snaps compared to Patterson’s 4 were swapped for the biggest play of the game.

McDaniels Explains Gordon’s Absence

The Patriots found themselves in position to tie the game after driving down the field. The game looked like every other Patriots comeback, until the holding call on second down. That penalty on second down moved the offense from the 11 yard line, back to the 21 yard line and loss of a down. The Steelers took a timeout before Tom Brady’s final attempt to win. Gordon ran to the sideline during the time out and left many scratching their head.

McDaniels wanted fresh legs for the final play?

Via SI.com

Josh Gordon wasn’t made available to the media after the game. McDaniels said that “the offense had run quite a few plays in a row.” He Seems to be indicating Gordon was tired. He went on to say Patterson was sent in as a “fresh guy” to try and make a play. He stated there is no ulterior motive behind the decision.

Josh Gordon Gives The Patriots the Best Chance to Win

The whole situation is strange, and Tom Brady could have used Gordon’s big catch radius and play-making ability on 4th down. New England needs to win the final two games of the year, and Gordon needs to be on the field. Josh Gordon is the teams leading receiver, tied for most TDs, and had quickly become Brady’s go to guy. The Patriots need to play better on the field, but the play calling and coaching also need to be better moving forward.

Running Backs Will Be a Major Factor For This Offense

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Patriots Running Backs Need to Be More Consistent

Sony Michel has had great games when healthy this year. The rookie has been a stud, making opponent’s respect the run game. Last week in Miami wasn’t the same ground game as we saw against the Vikings. Sony Michel has the talent and football IQ to have great games. The rookie just needs to be more consistent, weeks 4-6 he was running like a veteran.

New England lost him for a few weeks after a scary looking injury. Michel returned in week 10, although limited as the team wanted to be cautious. He had 11 attempts for 31 yards, and the Pats lost to Tennessee.

New England came out of the bye with Sony looking great, as he rushed for 133 yards on 21 touches and a touchdown. The last two weeks the Pats featured running back hasn’t eclipsed 65 yards on the ground or a touchdown.

The Running Game With The Return Of Rex

Sony’s Numbers were expected to go down slightly with Burkhead coming back from IR. The Patriots brought Rex back in week 12, and Michel had his second best game of the year. Since then, the numbers show that Michel is still getting the same amount of touches as he did weeks 4-6. The yards and touchdowns haven’t followed. Sony should get back on track against the Steelers, in a huge game for both teams.

Rex Burkhead could be a huge playoff addition

Rex Burkhead came back from a long stint on the IR, looking to help the offense. The hope was to take some pressure off of Michel and James White, since they’ve been overworked most of the season. Rex didn’t play in week 12, while Sony and White ran all over the Jets. Burkhead’s return hasn’t been what I expected it to be. Rex has only 11 rushing attempts for 22 yards in two games, with 3 receptions for 24 yards. The Patriots could be bringing him back slowly, as they know what they’ve got in him from last year.

James White has been the glue, doing his job catching passes out of the backfield, also as the early down back on occasion.

White did have a good day running the ball alongside Michel in week 12, adding 73 yards on just 9 attempts. This was his highest total of rushing yards of the season. The following week, White had a great game against the Vikings. But last week against Miami he had his lowest output of the year rushing and catching the ball. New England’s on to Pittsburgh, and this running game should get back on track.

The Patriots Run Game Will Be Fine Moving foward

The Patriots have one of the best RB groups in the NFL, and they will need it against a tough Steelers run defefese. James White and Sony Michel could be used heavily this week to keep Pittsburgh’s potent offense on the sideline. James White and Sony Michel have been very impressive this year, but because of injury we’ve yet to see both at a high level consistently. The offensive line, and injuries to Gronk and Dwayne Allen, have also contributed to some inconsistencies in the run game.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

New England is as healthy as it’s been all year, and the Patriots RBs are going to use that to their advantage. James White and Sony Michel will most certainly be used heavily, since history shows this is when New England starts to lean on the run game.

Rex Burkhead could have a breakout game, or he could still be getting some rest for the home stretch. Bill Belichick is impossible to predict, especially when it comes to RBs. Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that. The Steelers are having a rough stretch as of late, and I expect Michel and White to run all over them. New England’s RBs will set up the play action pass, and the Patriots will need the run game the rest of the way to be SB contenders.

Patriots-Dolphins Preview

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The Dolphins’ Home Field Advantage

The way this Patriots team is built and the fact that the Dolphins’ best player, Xavien Howard, is out for the game will help Josh Gordon the most. The one issue is the game is in Miami, a place that always gives New England trouble.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Just in the past 5 years, the team is 1-4 in Miami. Historically the Patriots have not played well at Miami Gardens. The temperature is also expected to be relatively high too which may affect the game as well. The loss in Jacksonville is an example of the heat playing a factor against New England.

Bill Belichick won’t use the weather as an excuse, but we all know since 200, the Patriots have struggled in the heat. Former Patriot Tedy Bruschi said as much on ESPN when asked about why this team struggles in Miami.

Built for Success

The Patriots right now are just built for success. They are extremely healthy, have top 10 players in many categories including one of the best cornerback duos right now. Stephon Gilmore is questionable although Is likely to play, as he flew with the team for this matchup. The Patriots should be able to come out of this with a win. Look for Sony Michel and the running backs to have a big day.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

New England should look to set up the run game early, using all three backs. Rotating the running backs will keep them from cramping up and running out of steam from the heat. Tom Brady will be able to take advantage of the injury riddled Dolphins. The running game will set up play action passes, and more defenders in the box.

Patriots-Dolphins Prediction

The Patriots come in as heavy favorites despite recent history, and I don’t think it will be a blowout. Miami has played well at home this year, at 6-6 they will be looking for revenge from week 4. The rash of injuries to this Dolphins team, along with New England coming in almost at 100% will be the difference today. Not the heat.

The Patriots are really starting to look better on offense, defense and are only missing one player. The Patriots will win the AFC East again today, for the 10th year in a row. The players will get up for this “hat and T-shirt game” as they continue to try and get that number one seed.

(Patriots 28 Miami 17)

Brady and Gronk-Both Back at Full Strength

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Good News In New England on Thursday

The Patriots had a good practice yesterday, as Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were both removed from the injury report. Tom Brady has been dealing with a knee injury, and has been limited at practice.

Rob Gronkowski has been fighting through ankle(s), and a a very concerning back injury. The future HOF Tight End has had back issues dating back to his college days, involving multiple surgeries.

Patriots Superstars Not Held Back In Thursdays Practice

Via USA Today

The two Biggest Game-changers on the Patriots have been practicing, but both have been limited and listed on injury reports. Thursday was a nice change of pace for the team and the fans, as both superstars were Full Participants.

Tom Brady’s participation has always been important, although Patriot fans have always known nothing would stop him from playing that week.

The Patriots can always count on Brady, but today’s news that he is completely off the injury report as a Full Participant is great to see.

Getting Healthy at The Perfect Time

Rob Gronkowski has been fighting through injuries his entire football career, this season in particular has been frustrating for him.

Unlike his quarterback, whenever Gronks name shows up on the injury report, the Patriots need to prepare as if he may not play that week.

Gronkowski’s back-Not holding him back this week

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The news that both players were full participants today is noteworthy, as New England is looking to clinch the division Sunday.

New England’s track record against Miami away from home has not been great during the Tom Brady era. The Dolphins always play them tough, the Patriots can’t afford to drop a game in Miami as they often have. New England is currently the number 2 seed behind KC, with the tiebreaker on their side. So a win Sunday is very important if the Pats want home field throughout the playoffs.

Brady Passes Peyton For Another All-Time Record

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Tom Brady Breaks Another Record

Tom Brady continues to solidify himself as the GOAT. The 41 year old quarterback is breaking records on a regular basis, last Sunday he added his name to another one.

Brady took over as the All Time leader in passing yards in (regular season and postseason games.) The MVP passed Peyton Manning for the top spot in Sunday’s win over the Jets.

The record breaking pass went to Sony Michel, a running back who is still working on his pass catching. Brady got that out of the way in the second quarter, finishing the game with 283 yards. The Patriots quarterback now sits alone with 79,416 total yards, but Tom just cares about the win. After the game Brady was asked about the newest record.

“Just wins” Brady said, “ I mean that’s what we are here for, to win games. I’m trying to be a part of as many of these as I can.” No surprise Brady deflected questions about his own record, He ended his answer saying, “I’m just here to win.”

Brady Passes Manning as the All Time Passing leader

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Every Week Another Record is in Trouble

Brady also tied Peyton Manning on Sunday as he reached 3,000 passing yards for the 16th time. He is now second in NFL history, behind Brett Favre who reached 3,000 yards 18 times. Tom will easily break that record too, as long as he can stay on the field for three more years.

Tom can pass Peyton Manning again this Sunday, as another regular/postseason stat is up for grabs. One touchdown pass from Brady on Sunday will make him the All Time leader in combined TD passes.

Via Nj.com

Tom Brady already has the Super Bowls, the postseason records, and now is finishing off the rest of the regular season records. Of course he won’t play forever, but in the meantime no record is safe. Brady isn’t in it for these records though, right now his focus is all about his favorite ring. “The next one” number six!