Paul Kenyon of the Providence Journal writes that “there are signs the normal downhill trend has begun” in regards to the play from Patriots QB Tom Brady.
Kenyon points out that although Brady’s completion percentage was a respectable 63 percent this season, it was his lowest percentage since the 2006 season. Kenyon adds that the percentage of his passes that went for touchdowns dropped to 5.3 and yards per pass was 7.6, which is his lowest since 2008.
Kenyon believes New England should consider reducing Brady’s workload next season and lean on their young running backs Stevan Ridey and Shane Vereen.
There’s no question that Brady still performed at an elite level this season and should be able to come close to that production again in 2013. Pro Football Focus actually rated Brady as the No. 3 quarterback this season and it’s worth noting that three of the their top four quarterbacks are at least 34 years old.
With that being said, Brady’s stats are starting to trend downward, which probably isn’t surprising given where he is in his NFL career. By making a few adjustments to their offense, it seems realistic that they could be in the hunt for the AFC Championship again come next January.
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Stop it, just stop it. He just brought his team to its 2nd consecutive AFC Championship game – losing to a team that seems to have destiny on its side.
I’m not going to say a guy is on the decline when he posts a topp 10 completion percentage, 4th in passing yards, 4th in TDs, and only 8 picks.
Let’s not forget that he played 5 games without the most dominant receiving option in the NFL in Gronk. He’s getting older so he probably will start to lose some ability, but talk to me when his offense doesn’t look like a powerhouse anymore.