PatsPropaganda

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NFL Films: Tom Brady 21st Best Player of All Time

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NFL Films: Tom Brady 21st Best Player of All Time

Here’s the video segment for Tom Brady on NFL Films Topp 100 Players series (hey NFL.com how about some embed codes up in here?). I’m sure it bums a lot of Bostonians out to have Derek Jeter doing Brady’s commentary but if there was a baseball equivalent of Brady it’d probably be Jeter, right?

If Brady’s at 21 now who knows how high he could go by the time his career is over. That could be another 5-7 seasons considering he’s said many times he wants to play until he’s 40. Let’s just say if he gets one more Super Bowl there’s no way he can still be behind Peyton Manning in any universe. He shouldn’t even be behind him now. But whatever.

CHFF: Brady-Moss Statistical Death Spiral

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CHFF: Brady-Moss Statistical Death Spiral

I can’t believe I’ve actually gotten to the point where I’m excited for our offense without Randy Moss. Tedy Bruschi echoed some of the points made in this article on his podcast with Mike Reiss saying basically 2007 was an anomaly, and trying to achieve that type of offense against is pretty much impossible. It was lighting in a bottle, and while it got them within 2:31 of being the greatest team of all time it’s time to get back to the bread and butter that won Super Bowls.

Let’s not forget in 2006 we had far less talent at wide receiver than we have now and nearly got to the Super Bowl, if it wasn’t for that second half meltdown in Indy.

Patriots Weekly Must-Listen Interviews

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Tom Brady on WEEI

Bill Belichick on WEEI

This week more than usual was an exercise in asking questions you know won’t get answered the way you want them to. Dennis and Callahan do their best to make their interview with Brady unlistenable, but Brady’s ability to dance around their stupid questions saves the day.

The Belichick WEEI interviews are always must-listen. Usually the hosts (Ordway, Deossie, Smerlas) ask pretty good questions, and Belichick is relaxed and a little more open than his usual press conference appearances.

This week we get a heavy dose of Randy Moss questions, but no real new insight or information. Shocking, I know. I don’t know why the hosts of these shows don’t just stop wasting their time asking things like ‘any news on the Logan Mankins front’, which has become a running joke on Belichick’s weekly spot.

Dennis and Callahan still seem to think that they’ll get Brady to crack one of these days and say something to the effect of “yeah guys, Randy Moss was a locker room cancer and I’m glad he’s gone”.

If you listen to just one, make it Belichick’s…

The Five Stages of Randy Moss Loss Grief

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Stage 1: Denial

When Bill Simmons first accidentally tweeted about a rumor of Randy Moss being traded to the Vikings most of us didn’t believe it. But that one little tweet set off a firestorm of activity that raged well into the night. Trading Moss didn’t make any sense. When has a team ever traded their number one receiver, not to mention the “greatest downfield receiver of all time” in the middle of a season? It seemed inconceivable even for the Patriots who rarely go more than a few months without dropping some kind of a bombshell. “No way this is true!”, we hold ourselves.

Stage 2: Anger

By late Tuesday night multiple sources were confirming that Moss to Vikings was pretty much a done deal and would be finalized by Wednesday morning. There were two camps of Patriots fans. In one corner we had the Hoodie Heads like myself, who simply mutter “In Bill We Trust” and thank Randy Moss for some amazing football.

In the other corner are the fans who feel like Belichick just traded away any chance the team had at a Super Bowl for a measly 3rd round pick. They wondered how Wes Welker would be affected without Moss pulling coverage. And how did Tom Brady feel about losing his record setting receiver in the middle of the season?

Stage 3: Bargaining

No matter what corner a Pats fan was in, speculation about the Pats making a run at Vincent Jackson seemed to be the only thing that made the Moss deal sensible. Jackson is a big, physical receiver, and reportedly the Patriots’ highest ranked NFL receiver. If the Pats swung Minnesota’s 3rd and one of their own 2nds perhaps they could land a younger version of Moss. Okay, maybe that would make sense. But slowly those rumors were been shot down leading us to…

Step 4: Depression

As far as the non-Hoodie Heads are concerned expectations for the 2010 season just went from a potential Super Bowl to maybe playoff contention. Sure, we’ve seen crazy moves countless times from the Patriots, but never in the middle of the season like this. Watching Brady to Moss was special, and it’s pretty depressing to know that chapter is now over. 

Step 5: Acceptance

Maybe I just made peace with how the Patriots do business somewhere between Deion Branch getting traded and Mike Vrabel getting traded, but it didn’t take too long for me to accept this. I’ve never had a problem with Randy Moss as a player on or off the field. Yes, he’s a little high maintenance and needs coddling from time to time, but I think for the most part he’s done his job and given us some amazing things to cheer for.

But ever since this summer, when Moss hinted this would be his last with the Patriots you had to know he wasn’t going to retire in New England. Yes it’s shocking it happened as quickly as it did, but we a) controlled where he went and b) got a decent draft pick out of it. I do think the Patriots have enough weapons now to continue to be challenge for the AFC East crown. I also think that when we look at the big picture there is no other team in the NFL that has set itself up for success over the next decade like the Patriots have.

As I’ve said for a while now, the 2011 draft will be the final major factor in setting up the Patriots for another dynastic run. Now, with another high pick BB has even more ammunition.

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel almost like a weight has been lifted from this team with the departure of Moss. I can’t quite explain it. Like I said I had no complaints about him while he was here. But now it’s starting to feel like the old Patriots.