I would hope so, but I think what we’ve learned is that it’s best to pick your spots with the no-huddle unless you’re down by a couple scores. The biggest thing is just getting everyone on the same page with the normal offense.
For all those piling on Brady because he had some stats that were down last year, the simplest truth is that the passing game was very much in transition last year and the offensive line didn’t do them any favors with a up-and-down year.
Add in the injuries to Amendola, Dobson, Thompkins and Gronk and it’s actually amazing they were as good as they were. I think 2013 is a feath in Brady’s cap, not a sign of deterioration.
So yes, with a full year in the system for guys like Dobson/Thompkins/Boyce (the latter two have stood out already in OTAs while Dobson is still rehabbing), things should only get better. If they can get Gronk healthy that’s a huge piece.
As always, the season is a process, so I’d expect the amount of no huddle to slowly escalate as we get into the late fall and winter. But it’s best utilized in short spurts to really turn the screws on a defense at specific points in the game.
Overuse it and the offense can lose it’s rhythm and get off track. I think we’ve seen quite a few instances of that in the last couple seasons. 2011 was a special collection of smart, experienced and versatile weapons that allowed them to do special things. I’m fine being a little more traditional now, they just need to stay healthy, but there are plenty of more potential weapons nows. Should be fun.
