There’s no other way to put it: Tom Brady is struggling. The New England Patriots quarterback has been inconsistent, which runs contrary to everything we know about Brady, the best player to ever play his position and the owner of six Super Bowl rings.
But the stats show Brady is having his worst season since the early 2000s when he had just taken over for New England. His touchdown total in 2019 (24) is the least since 2003, his completion percentage (60.8) is tied for third-worst in his career, and his 6.6 yards per attempt is second-worst since he came into the NFL.
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who played with Brady during those early years, didn’t dwell upon those negatives while on a conference call with New England media on Tuesday.
“I still see a lot of accuracy. I still see a quick release, decisive throws,” Vrabel said. “Been able to win a lot of football games, get the ball to a lot of people to get everyone involved. He’s got an uncanny ability to find the guy that’s open, execute the game plan plays, the play action. (He’s) very, very good.”
The question is whether this statistical regression is a signal of Brady’s physical decline. The 42-year-old is the first quarterback to finish a full season at that age. What he’s doing is unprecedented. But age may only be a part of it. Brady has had to carry his offense while relying heavily upon his defense, much like he did in 2013. Brady rebounded from that 2013 season just fine (and has won three Super Bowls since).
Regardless of whether Brady can put together a comeback season in 2020, the quarterback will have to put reverse the trajectory with greater immediacy. He’ll have the Tennessee Titans on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. Vrabel’s defense will be doing their best to make sure he can’t make use of his uncanny ability to find the open receiver. If the game goes Vrabel’s way, there may be no open receiver to find.
[vertical-gallery id=77566]