NFL
The QB Sweepstakes
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the recent exchange of quarterbacks between the Rams and Lions becomes finalized, it looks like the NFL’s offseason has started a week early.
With other quarterbacks (Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers) either requesting to be traded or hinting they may look elsewhere; this offseason is shaping up to be a memorable one.
So, with that in mind, which of those two quarterbacks should each NFC South team go after, hypothetically speaking.
Atlanta Falcons: On the surface, Rodgers seems like the obvious choice.
He is currently the better of the two quarterbacks and comes with a price tag that will probably be a little less hefty than the two 1’s, two 2’s, and two young defensive players the Texans are reportedly asking for.
Of course, having said all that the correct choice is Watson.
The Falcons will need to draft a quarterback within the next year or two with one of those draft picks anyways, and I’m sure they would happily give up two 1’s if you were guaranteed a player the level of Watson; giving up two 2’s would hurt, but it’s not the end of the world.
There’s just enough talent on their roster to be able to absorb the loss of two defensive players and not completely set them back. It’s not going to happen, but I don’t think the idea is too far-fetched.
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers going after Rodgers would be as much of a waste of time as Eminem recording an avant-garde jazz album- not that it wouldn’t be interesting to see the end result.
I know Carolina is interested in Watson, it’s just whether or not they’re willing to pay the ransom Houston is asking for.
Similar to Atlanta, they’ll be drafting a quarterback this year or next, but unlike Atlanta they aren’t in the position to lose young talent. (The Panthers did have interest in Stafford, but as a friend of mine texted me “I’m overjoyed the Panthers “lost” the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes”. I couldn’t have agreed more.)
New Orleans Saints: I wanted to go with Watson here too, but I actually like Rodgers in this situation.
As strange as it to say, Rodgers would be an upgrade from Brees and the Saints are already Super Bowl contenders.
Neither Jameis Winston nor Taysom Hill are the long-term answers so I wouldn’t blame New Orleans if they made a run at Watson.
However, adding Rodgers would have a very 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers feeling to it, only with a better starting off point.
I don’t believe Atlanta is going to be a player for either quarterback and Carolina will throw their name in for Watson, but probably come up short.
I wouldn’t be surprised though to see the Saints name come up with at least one, if not both guys. Besides all the financial and roster considerations, they are probably the most attractive team in the division.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence, some quarterback that hasn’t even been born yet; it doesn’t matter who would be the better fit because Tom Brady is never going to retire and we all just need to deal with it.
With the way this season has gone everything yet nothing surprises me anymore.
The only thing I’m hanging my hope on is if Aaron Rodgers somehow ends up in Charlotte there will be an Eminem/Herbie Hancock album soon to follow.
Spreading Their Wings?
By: Buck Blanz
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Looking around the NFL as the Super Bowl gets closer, teams that didn’t make the playoffs this season have begun making beneficial moves for their future.
The Atlanta Falcons, much like the Jacksonville Jaguars, had some soul searching to do while figuring out how to put their best foot forward.
Leaving the fans to speculate on what will happen throughout the crucial 2021 offseason for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons franchise has a clean slate, without a General Manager or a Head Coach, to make the 2021 offseason the most important in Franchise history.
First, the Falcons hired former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who throughout the past two seasons led one of the most balanced offenses in the NFL.
This past season Smith’s offense ranked second in defensive efficiency, fourth in points per game at 30.7 and third in yards per game at 396.4.
Looking at Smith’s numbers alone is encouraging for Falcon fans as they have seen their best offense turn into a stand still through the last four seasons.
Unfortunately for Smith, Falcons fans are not going to be easy to work with as the young offensive minded coaches before him (Sean Mcvay, Matt Lefleur, and Kyle Shannahan) have set the bar very high with little time to make their mark.
Arthur Smith will look to do something very similar in Atlanta as he hopes to turn around a franchise with a horrendous record of 4-12.
After the Falcons found their guy to lead them out of the locker room on Sundays, their next mission was to find the best fit for General Manager for the future of the Franchise.
The Falcons decided to hire 40-year-old Terry Fontenot, who has spent the last 18 years working with the New Orleans Saints in various positions.
Fontenot was most recently acting as the assistant general manager and began in the marketing intern before moving his way up through the ranks.
Fontenot attracted the Falcons attention considering the position by demonstrating tough decision making that resulted in championship contending teams year in and year out.
Where does this leave the Falcons?…
For starters… Anyone that is entering the 2021 offseason $37 Million over the salary cap after going 4-12 the season before is in a rough spot.
That is exactly where the Falcons are sitting, so Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith have their work cut out for them in their first season.
Fontenot’s New Orleans experience shows that he has been a part of an organization that has prioritized winning over money and finding ways to make it work. Given his background and the recent success in New Orleans, it seems like the Falcons franchise is in good hands.
The only question that remains is whether or not the Falcons are going to try and win now or begin to rebuild for the future.
From ownership down to newly hired head coach Arthur Smith the goal is to make it possible for the franchise to establish consistent success.
As far as Matt Ryan and Julio Jones’ future in Atlanta, Owner Arthur Blank says that those decisions are completely in the hands of Smith and Fontenot to be able to create their own clear path for success within the Franchise.
The Big Game
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The matchup for Super Bowl LV is set, Kansas City (14-2) versus Tampa Bay (11-5).
Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team and his tenth appearance in the big game.
Tampa Bay will be the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
When it comes to this it seems like a technicality because there have been teams that played in their hometown but not stadium.
For instance, the 1979 Los Angeles Rams played Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl. The 1984 San Francisco 49ers played Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium.
This is a matchup of the young upstart QB against the greatest of all time.
The Chiefs are defending champions, led by Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes was second in the league in passing yards with 4,740, 38 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Brady was third with 4,633, 40 TD’s and 12 picks.
Both teams are loaded with offensive weapons. Tight end Travis Kelce is fifth in receptions (105) and second in receiving yards (1,416) in the league, which includes wide receivers. He also had 11 touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Tampa Bay’s star play makers have missed a few games this season with injuries.
Mike Evans had 70 catches, 1,006 yards and 13 TD’s. Chris Godwin played in 12 games with 65 receptions, 840 yards and 7 touchdowns. Rob Gronkowski had 45 catches, 623 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Buccaneers also have two talented running backs, Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones.
These teams met in Week 12 in Tampa. Kansas City won 27 – 24, but the game did not seem as close as the final score.
The Chiefs led 20 – 7 at halftime and the Bucs scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Hill had 13 receptions, 269 yards and 3 touchdowns. The number one priority will be to stop him in this game.
Tampa Bay is 6th in total defense and Kansas City is 16th. The Chiefs are average on defense but in today’s NFL they just need to outscore opponents.
The road to the Super Bowl was very different for these teams. The Bucs were the fifth seed in the NFC, so they had to play three road games. They beat Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay to get here. The NFC Championship was a hard fought 31 – 26 win over the Packers.
“Tom is the GOAT (greatest of all time),” said Bucs receiver Scotty Miller, who caught a 39-yard touchdown pass with 1 second left until halftime. “Last year, we ended 7-9. This year, we’re going to the Super Bowl. He’s the biggest reason.”
The Chiefs were the number one seed in the AFC so they had home field advantage and a bye week in the first round.
They played Cleveland in the divisional round and won 22 – 17. Mahomes was knocked out of the game with a concussion.
In the AFC Championship they beat Buffalo 38 – 24. There were several times in the game where both teams got into scuffles.
I think this is going to be a very close game. Losing the first meeting should give Tampa Bay an advantage because they know what to expect.
Also, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienimy is the hottest candidate to get a head coaching job. This has to provide some distraction for him going in to this game.
Changing Winds
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When it was announced the Atlanta Falcons had hired Arthur Smith as their new head coach I immediately thought “‘the guy who wrote Dueling Banjos is still alive…and he’s going to coach the Falcons?”
Ok, so maybe the latter part is a bit of an embellishment, but that is the first Arthur Smith that came to mind.
Even with my knowledge of Smith’s football career limited to his last two years as Tennessee’s Offensive Coordinator, the hire shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise.
Atlanta has a history, particular in recent years, of hiring first time head coaches. While some organizations seemed determined to only hire former head coaches, Smith’s hire will be the fourth consecutive time the Falcons have handed the reigns of their team over to someone with no NFL head coaching experience.
Even when they have gone the “recycled” route, the last two coaches to fall under that category were Jim Mora and Dan Reeves- neither of which were considered bad hires at the time.
Whether that is the best is way for them to proceed or not is completely subjective, but I do give them credit for not falling in to the relationship trap of “oh, I know who they were beforehand, but they’ll be different with me.”
What intrigues me more about the hire is what it might say about the direction the franchise is heading and what exactly the expectations are for Smith.
Typically, when you see a young head coach join a team that has several high-profile players on the backside of their career, you automatically think it’s time to tear down and rebuild.
In Atlanta’s case, bringing in a highly regarded offensive coordinator, combined with an aging quarterback and the fourth overall pick in the draft, is the ideal situation to start moving onto the next phase of the franchise’s future.
However, with Matt Ryan hopefully still having another 2-3 productive years left, and Smith’s record of success in Tennessee, however limited it may be, it wouldn’t shock me if those plans are simmering on the back burner for at least another season.
If the Falcons are trying to make one last push before their franchise quarterback rides off into the sunset, bringing in someone who revived a lesser quarterback’s career isn’t a bad place to start.
If I had to guess, how the Falcons choose to use that fourth pick will give us a pretty good indication of what their plans are, and how much leeway their new head coach is going to received.
Trevor Lawrence won’t be available, and I imagine Justin Fields will be off the board as well, so is Atlanta enamored enough with either Zach Wilson or Trey Lance to draft them that high, knowing they probably won’t see the field for a year or two?
Obviously, there are other aspects to take into consideration when you’re trying to figure out the direction of a football franchise, but none will speak louder than Atlanta drafting a quarterback that early.
Like with any hire there will always be questions- are two years enough to judge how Smith will run a team? Were there better options out there?
Regardless of how you answer you those questions, the hire falls right in line with who the Atlanta Falcons have been. Now it’s just figuring out exactly what that means.
Changing Times
By: Buck Blanz
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Change is coming in Jacksonville and it’s coming fast.
After concluding the 2020 NFL season with a horrendous record of 1-15 (earning them the first overall pick) the Jaguars have quite a bit of soul searching to do.
The Jaguars are looking to hire a new General Manager as well as Head Coach, and with the number one pick most people are looking at this offseason as one of the most important offseasons in franchise history.
The first two items on the list for the Jaguars this offseason is to find a Head Coach and General Manager, but not in a rush.
Jacksonville has been given an extremely unique opportunity to gut the franchise and rebuild to a talented roster all in the same offseason.
While it is a unique opportunity for Jacksonville, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a tall task. Ideally, the Jaguars would like to look for candidates that will be able to engage with the young talent within the franchise getting them to buy in, in order to create a winning culture.
The Jaguars met with former Ohio State and University of Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer about the Head coaching position. Meyer has since begun to put together a coaching staff in case he is able to get the job.
If the Jaguars do decide to go with Meyer, the Jacksonville fans as well as Meyer are going to have to deal with a few changes.
Meyer would come out of college having won three National Championships and a record of 187-32 as a college coach, which is incredible. However, in the NFL a three loss season is terrific where at Ohio State he might’ve been fired after three losses in a season, so both the fans of Urban Meyer and Meyer himself will have to be ready to handle some tough losses.
Also, throughout Meyer’s coaching career he has been one of the best recruiters, but that won’t transfer to the NFL very well, Jaguars fans will quickly be able to see how Meyer is able to develop the talent given.
All-in-all, whoever is able to get the Head Coaching job for Jacksonville next year is faced with turning around the worst record in franchise history.
The Jaguars are looking for leadership throughout the offseason, the franchise needs a clear vision and a plan of action for the franchise to get back on track.
For many fans, getting back on track would mean executing with their first overall pick this year.
Having said that, the Jaguars don’t have a good track record in recent years with quarterbacks, Jacksonville has passed on two marquee picks in Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
With the Jaguars getting their first number one pick in franchise history this upcoming draft they are looking to capitalize on it, helping change the culture.
However, fans will get more insight as to how Jacksonville will use their first overall pick after they find a General Manager and Head Coach.
Jacksonville is looking to greatly improve their status heading into the 2021 season and hoping to compete in another AFC title game in the near future.
Shot Caller
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL regular season is over, and the Atlanta Falcons finished 4 – 12.
Atlanta has the No. 4 pick in the upcoming 2021 draft. They fired Dan Quinn earlier in the season and they need to hire a new coach (and GM).
Let’s take a look at some of the candidates and see who the best fit is.
I’m going to say one thing before I start. I’m not a big fan of hiring coordinators for their first head coaching position. The reason is players make them look much better than what they actually are.
For instance, Brian Billick was labeled an offensive genius as the Vikings offensive coordinator. When he coached the Baltimore Ravens, they were never good on offense.
We can also say the same thing about Quinn coaching the top defense in Seattle and coming to Atlanta.
Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator in New England also before becoming a head coach.
Eric Bienemy is the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator and he’s the hottest candidate. He has the benefit of coaching Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
This is another case of the talent he coaches that makes him seem like a great play caller. If the roster stays the same there will be talent at the skill positions for the Falcons, except at running back. This might be a decent fit for both.
Josh McDaniels is back in New England in his second stint as OC from 2012 to now. He was also there from 2005-08 as the play caller. He was the head coach for Denver from 2009-10 and his record was 11 – 17.
In 2018 he was announced as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and the same day he withdrew from the position to stay with the Patriots.
I think this would be a very bad fit. McDaniels coached Tom Brady, who is one of the best quarterbacks of all time. That has helped to bolster his status, but it hides the fact he’s not an elite coach. The Patriots were 27th in total offense this season after Brady left town.
Lincoln Riley is the Oklahoma head coach. He’s had that position since 2017 and he’s led the Sooners to a 45 – 8 record.
His offense is explosive and continues to have success with whoever plays quarterback.
He has coached NFL starters like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.
This season with Spencer Rattler as the signal caller they were still one of the best offenses in the country.
I think this would be the best fit because offense wins championships now.
He’s also an experienced head coach. A few years ago, college coaches had a tough time transitioning to the NFL. Now the NFL has adopted so much from college football that it is not as difficult.
We have also seen former college coaches have success in the NFL with Pete Carroll being the most successful.
Brian Daboll is the Buffalo Bills OC. Before getting hired for that position in 2018 he spent one season as the co-offensive coordinator and QB coach at Alabama.
He also served as OC for Cleveland (2009-10), Miami (2011) and Kansas City (2012).
I think this would be an average fit with the Falcons. He helped develop a young quarterback, Josh Allen. Allen has improved in each of his three seasons and he is drastically better this year.
Tampa Bay Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich is also a possible candidate.
Hopefully Atlanta can hire a good general manager and head coach. The franchise needs a turnaround badly.
Southern Charm
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Week 11 of the NFL season is in the books.
The contenders are starting to rise to the top and separate themselves at this point.
Let’s take a look at the AFC South and grade the teams thus far.
Jacksonville: The Jaguars (1-9) have the second worst record in the league behind the winless New York Jets.
The lone win came in the season opener, so they’ve lost nine consecutive games.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew fractured his right thumb in Week 7 against the Chargers.
Jake Luton has been playing since then and he’s struggled. In his last two games he’s 34 of 72 passes for 320 yards, 1 touchdown and 5 interceptions.
Minshew may return next week against Cleveland. One bright spot has been rookie running back James Robinson. He’s rushed for 762 yards (3rd) and 5 touchdowns.
The Jags are 27th in total offense and 30th in total defense.
The best thing they have going for them is they can possibly land the top pick in the draft. At this pace they should pick no worse than second. Grade: F.
Indianapolis: The Colts (7-3) are tied for the division lead.
Veteran QB Philip Rivers is in his first season in Indy.
He has a problem turning the ball over and he has thrown 8 interceptions up to this point.
They don’t have a big-time playmaker on offense. The Colts have a couple of talented backs in Nyheim Hines and Jonathan Taylor.
They are coming off of a good overtime win against Green Bay Sunday.
The defense is elite, ranked second in total defense. They allow less than 300 yards per game and 21 points per game.
The offense isn’t bad, ranking 13th in total offense. This team is a contender because they have a great defense that can keep them in any game. Grade: B+.
Houston: The Texans (3-7) fired head coach Bill O’Brien after an 0-4 start.
He also traded All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is a very good young quarterback, but he does not have much to work with. Wide receiver Will Fuller V has over 700 receiving yards and Brandon Cooks has 634.
Houston is 18th in total offense and defense.
They are 2 – 1 in their last three games. The one loss was 10-7 to the Browns. They can realistically win half of their final six games that include Detroit, Chicago and Cincinnati.
They are not going to make the playoffs so that might be pointless. Grade: D.
Tennessee: The Titans (7-3) look like they are picking up where they left off last season.
They play old school football by running the ball and controlling the clock.
Running back Derrick Henry leads the league in carries (229), rushing yards (1,079) and he has 3 rushing TD’s (3rd).
QB Ryan Tannehill is good enough to make plays when the run game isn’t working. He’s thrown for 22 touchdowns; 4 picks and he’s completing 71% of his passes.
They just beat the Ravens in overtime, so they play well against good teams.
They did lose to Indy 34-17 two weeks ago. They play again this week and they cannot afford to get swept. Grade: B.
Making The Grade?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Going into the season many experts thought the NFC South would be the toughest division. Now that we’re a little more than halfway through the season let’s take a look at how each team is doing and grade them on their midseason report card.
Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers (6-3) have a lot of hype surrounding them.
As you know they signed the greatest quarterback of all time Tom Brady in the off-season. They also traded to get his favorite target, tight end Rob Gronkowski. They already had Pro Bowl wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
They also signed running back Leonard Fournette and recently acquired future Hall of Fame receiver Antonio Brown.
They are stacked with talent, but the Saints are their kryptonite. They were swept by New Orleans and they did not play well in those games.
This past week they were pummeled 38 – 3 by them. The week before they barely beat the 1-7 New York Giants 25 – 23.
The defense is pretty good, ranked fourth in the league in total defense.
The Bucs are a playoff team but not as good as we expected. Grade: B-.
New Orleans: The Saints (6-2) are flying high. Their tied for the best record in the NFC.
They have the potential to be the top seed and have home field advantage in the playoffs. I will admit that with limited crowd sizes this season due to the pandemic it might not mean as much as it has previously.
Star wide receiver Michael Thomas has missed several games due to a suspension for a fight in practice and a hamstring injury.
In the two games he’s played in he has 8 catches and 68 yards. On the bright side he should be well rested.
The defense is 3rd in the league in total defense, allowing 312 yards and 25 points per game.
New Orleans is the total package. Grade: A.
Atlanta: The Falcons (3-6) got off to another slow start, losing the first five games of the season.
Head Coach Dan Quinn was fired, and Raheem Morris was named the interim head coach.
In those four games they are 3-1. I look at it as too little, too late. Quarterback Matt Ryan is leading the league in passing yards and he’s on his way to another Pro Bowl.
Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are both on pace to have over a thousand yards and they both have missed games.
Running back Todd Gurley was signed as a free agent and he’s having a decent season.
Gurley is fifth in rushing yards (584) and second in rushing touchdowns (9). The defense is 28th in total defense, allowing 410 YPG and 27.9 PPG.
Grade: D-.
Carolina: The Panthers (3-6) got rid of Cam Newton and signed Teddy Bridgewater to replace him.
The best running back in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey is their only real threat on offense.
McCaffrey injured his ankle Week 2 and missed 6 games before returning Week 9.
They signed former Jets receiver Robby Anderson as a free agent and that was a great move. Anderson is fourth in the league in receiving yards with 751. DJ Moore is also having a good season with 640 receiving yards and 3 TD’s.
The defense is average, ranking 17th in total defense. They give up 362 YPG and 25 PPG.
Grade: D.
Swimming Forward
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Miami Dolphins are having a season better than most people would have expected before the season started.
They were 3 – 3 with starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. They won two consecutive games with him and were second place in the AFC East. Kind of a strange time to bench him for rookie Tua Tagovailoa.
The last time we saw Tagovailoa his final season at Alabama was cut short due to a devastating hip injury.
It was so bad we don’t even factor in the broken nose he also suffered on that play. That injury was so bad it could possibly end his football career so it’s impressive the fifth overall pick has kept battling.
The biggest factor for this QB change is the potential for a high 2021 draft pick.
They traded disgruntled tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Houston Texans and they will have their first-round pick.
The Texans are 1 – 6 and heading for a terrible season. The front office probably wants to find out now if Tua is the answer. If not, they might have an opportunity to Draft Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields.
Let’s recap Tua’s first start. I didn’t think they did him any favors with letting him play against the Los Angeles Rams.
As you know LA has super star defensive tackle Aaron Donald and corner back Jalen Ramsey. Not very quarterback friendly. Miami shocked us with an upset win, 28 – 17. Delving deeper though we see Tua was not the reason.
Tagovailoa completed 12 of 22 pass attempts for 93 yards and 1 touchdown.
Those sound like 1970’s stats. He also had one fumble. The Rams had 471 total yards and Miami only had 145 yards.
They also had 31 first downs and the Dolphins only had 8. The difference in the game was turnovers and special teams.
Los Angeles had 4 turnovers and Miami had 2. Miami scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery. They also returned a punt for a touchdown.
Here’s some of what Tua had to say about his first start. “I don’t think I played to the standard of what this offense is capable of. There were certain plays where I could have stepped up and made the right throw, made the right decision. But I’ve heard it many times from the guys in the locker room: I’s good that we still came out with the win. Aside from that, thank God we’ve got a good defense, so when we do start to string good plays together, we know that we can be able to make plays and then get the ball back and continue to try to do the same.”
Tua also added, “It was fun just being able to go out there and play a full 60-minute game now. Being that it was my first start in the NFL. We really faced a really good defense. I’m proud of what we’ve got to do offensively, but I do know that there’s still a lot of things we need to correct come Monday. But you can’t say that this defense isn’t really good — they’ve got [Michael] Brockers, they’ve got Aaron Donald, they’ve got [Taylor] Rapp, Jalen Ramsey and all these other guys — and not expect to be stopped a good amount of times. That’s just not realistic.”
Miami is now 4 – 3 but they won’t have a winning record for long. The next game is at Arizona. Kyler Murray is playing very well and living up to being the first overall pick in 2019.
I hope Tua can continue to improve because he’s on a very short leash.
Rooting for Tom Brady?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the past eighteen years, I’m not sure if there’s an NFL player I have liked less than Tom Brady. (I don’t count the year he took over for Drew Bledsoe because both he and New England were underdogs, and even I enjoy an underdog story.)
When other quarterbacks around the league yelled at their teammates or got in their face for making a mistake, a la Dan Marino back in the day, I viewed them as motivators who cared about winning. When Brady did it, I vilified him as a jackass.
While I applauded players for their business endeavors outside of football, I thought Brady was pompous for basically everything that had to do with his TB12 brand.
He was the rare player where I knew I viewed him through a hypocritical lens, but I didn’t care.
Yet, to my own dismay, there I was a few weeks ago watching Tampa and Chicago play on a Thursday, actually rooting for Brady.
It was as if I was having an out of body experience and my soul kept yelling at me, “No, don’t do it!”
Obviously, one of the reasons for my change of heart is that Brady no longer plays for New England. I’ve always put Patriot players in the same category as New York Yankee players- I can’t pull for them while playing for their respective teams but have no issue rooting for them once they leave.
But the main reason I’m starting to see Brady in a different light has to do with the year he’s having. Up to this point of the season, when you look at some of the major categories we use to determine a quarterback’s success- completion percentage, td/int ratio, yards per completion) the 43 year old is above his career average in every one.
And it’s not like this season is the continuation of a downward trajectory that still happens to be better than average. You could’ve made that argument over the last two or three seasons, but statistically speaking, Brady is on pace to have his best overall season in five years.
There’s no denying Brady and Belechick had a great run together with the Patriots but entering this season I was interested to see how each would adjust without the other.
My original hope was that both would implode, and I would revel in their struggles; it’s good to know New England is holding up their end.
It’s probably been four or five years since I allowed myself to admit that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to have played in the NFL.
Since that time, all he’s done is win a couple more Super Bowls and continued to be one of the best in the game.
The fact he’s doing this at an age when most of his peers have either already hung up their cleats or are barely clinging to a team, makes what he is accomplishing even more impressive.
I know there will be some that will argue he was surrounded by great talent and coaching, but so was Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, John Elway, and basically every other Hall of Fame quarterback you can mention.
And of course, there are those who will scream “Deflategate” at the top of their lungs, and while I won’t disagree with you, in my mind Brady has done enough to overcome that rebuttal in regards to him being the best ever.
That said, I still cringe a little saying these nice things about him, just not as much as I used to.
