Is Brady Ready?
Steven Rawlins
Posted on: 03 September 2008 - 16:21
American Football
It’s always difficult to gauge the seriousness of an NFL player’s injury status based on a coach’s comments in the off season. Where the player concerned is of Tom Brady’s stature, and where the coach is as famously secretive as Bill Belichick, it’s even harder.
Will the steak end?
And so it is that football fans are left guessing as to whether Tom Brady will extend his massive streak of 128 games played, dating back to the start of the 2001 season. The three-time Superbowl winner is behind only bionic Brett Favre, the new New York Jet (with 275 games) and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts (with 173).
Brady confident
Brady is confident that he’s good to go, and says he could have played in all four of the exhibition games he sat out from if the Patriots’ coaching staff had let him. He says that he has been training hard throughout the offseason and completed agility drills over the weekend – but does that mean he’s ready for full contact football against the Chiefs on Sunday?
Belichik not giving anything away
“If it’s up to me, there’s no question. But those questions aren’t always up to me” Brady told the media yesterday. Getting any sort of closure on the subject from Bill Belichick is a lot like trying to get blood from a stone – the tight-lipped coach hasn’t even made it clear whether or not Brady’s present injury (a “bone bruise”) is in addition to the ankle problem he had in the Superbowl loss to the Giants in February.
No practice, no problem
Belichik’s decision to rest Brady during the preseason isn’t conclusive either. A two-time Superbowl MVP and four time pro-bowler doesn’t exactly need throwing drills. His team mate Randy Moss didn’t go to training camp last year and managed a record-breaking 23 touchdowns. Plaxico Burress, the Giants’ wide receiver hardly practiced at all last year due to a sore ankle and he managed to score a Superbowl-winning touchdown.
Lack of QB depth
No, Brady does not need the pre-season. But the Patriots sure do need Brady. Their lack of a quality backup in the quarterback position is a big problem. Matt Cassel, the New England number two, has had several forgettable exhibition outings and the third string Kevin O’Connell is still an unproven rookie.
Rumours
Pats fans will be even more focused on their quarterback options as rumors about Brady’s health start to circulate. One such report is that Brady might miss 2-4 weeks of the regular season which would be devastating news to a team still stinging from having their “perfect season” snatched away from them by Eli Manning and the New York Giants in Arizona.
Coaches like to play mind games, plain and simple. How many times have we heard before a big game that a big name player might not start, only to have him post up a career performance? If Brady does not start on Sunday, however, maybe his injury is a little more serious than he is letting on. Knowing Belichik, we’ll find out who the starting quarterback is about a half hour before kick off on Sunday.