NFL1000: Is This the Scariest Tom Brady Yet?

Tom Brady is back, America. And he’s pissed off. He’s got that look in his eye again. And that’s very, very bad news for the rest of the NFL.

Remember 2007, the year of Spygate, when the Patriots were slammed down by the NFL, and Brady responded with a vengeance? He had two new targets in Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and he used that offense to set all kinds of scoring and yardage marks? New England’s loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII obviously diminished Brady’s overall accomplishments, but a decade later, at age 39, Brady looks to have the talent, and the targets around him, to be just as terrifying as he’s ever been.

Reprising the two-tight end offense led by Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski from 2010 through 2012, Bill Belichick finally replaced Hernandez and gave Gronk a perfect foil in Martellus Bennett, the former Cowboys and Bears tight end who was acquired in March from Chicago for a fourth-round pick. The Patriots also got a sixth-round pick in return, and right now, that deal looks like one of the bigger heists in recent league annals. Armed with his new best buddy and fresh off his four-game DeflateGate suspension, Brady completed 28 of 40 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns – all to Bennett. New England beat the Browns 33-13, carving them up as if they were the… well, as if they were the Browns.

But let’s set the weak opponent narrative aside for a moment. Yes, the Pats found help from some head-scratching decisions made by Cleveland’s defense, but this Brady-Bennett combo is the real story, along with Brady’s triumphant return to what he does best. And let’s start there. Brady said after the fact that he was still blowing off some rust (and it showed a few times), but he made a couple of tight-window throws that very few NFL quarterbacks could complete with consistency.

Brady’s Accuracy

Brady has developed scary-good accuracy throughout his career, and has been able to maintain it through different offensive lines and targets, because he’s so mechanically sound. He knows how to use his lower body to create velocity, he understands how to rock from his back foot to his front foot in the timing of the throw, and because his mechanics are repeatable, he doesn’t have to adjust in his head for this or that situation. It’s one of the things that separates him from the Jay Cutlers and Joe Flacccos of the world – Brady has married his arm talent to a comprehensive understanding of mechanical proficiency.

The first example from the Browns game comes with 13:11 left in the first quarter. It’s Brady’s second throw of his season, and he hits Gronk on a perfect throw  over the middle. Brady turns to run play-action, turns around to find Gronk accelerating from the closely-covering linebacker, Chris Kirksey. Gronk does a great job of establishing position to the middle of the field as he runs, giving Brady a clear concept of where he needs to place the ball. Brady lets timing and rhythm do the rest. It’s a quick-snap throw Brady must complete before he’s taken down.

Kirksey is a good all-around linebacker, but he’s been a liability in coverage this season – coming into this game, per Pro Football Focus, he’d allowed 15 catches in 21 targets for 144 yards, a touchdown, and a 106.1 quarterback rating. Brady wasn’t done with him yet – on this day, Kirksey was responsible for six receptions on his six targets for 85 yards, a touchdown, and a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating.

The second pass we’ll show that demonstrates Brady’s outstanding combination of timing, accuracy and velocity is Bennett’s …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com