Life without Brady?

As backups struggle in preseason, fans have questions about QBs

Successful football teams usually have one common link – solid play from quarterbacks.

Few would disagree that quarterback is the most important position on a football team. It just might be the most important position in all of team sports.

Through two preseason games, the Patriots have experienced what life might be like without Tom Brady, and the results haven’t been exemplary.

So naturally, that’s where this week’s mailbag starts, under center, at the quarterback position. …

Hey Mike, I know you’re going to get a lot of questions on this, but do you feel Tom Brady is still feeling the effects of his foot from last season, and should the Pats try and get a veteran QB in case Brady needs to miss some games? Not to mention if we have no passing threat then we have no running threat.
Darryl, Florida

A: Darryl, in an interview on WEEI on Monday, Brady said the foot injury is not related to the right ankle that was bothering him last January. As for the possibility of a veteran quarterback addition, my question would be: “Might you be comfortable with Vinny Testaverde?” He’s probably the team’s top option at this point, unless an unexpected veteran becomes available when rosters get trimmed later this month (Aug. 26 to 75 players; Aug. 30 to 53 players). There aren’t many veteran quarterbacks out there. It’s why the position is easily the most important in the game – there are so few players who do it well.

What is it about Belichick and the Patriots that they refuse to even address the pathetic situation at backup QB? How can they continue to ignore the glaringly obvious? I know you said earlier if Cassel has a bad game at Tampa he might be done, but Cassel's time for getting cut is way overdue. He gets worse every year.
John

A: John, I think they partially addressed it by drafting Kevin O’Connell in the third round of the draft this year. At the time, I heard a lot of people saying “Why are they drafting a quarterback as high as the third round when there are other needs?” In terms of signing a veteran, the options aren’t plentiful, and weren’t plentiful when free agency started. I’m not a big Daunte Culpepper fan, and he’s one of the top guys out there right now. Maybe Vinny Testaverde makes a return, but I’m not sure how much of an upgrade that provides at this point.

I'm sick of everyone saying that the Patriots season will be over if Brady goes down. Yeah we don't have a clear backup that everyone has confidence in, but does anyone remember 2001? This team has much more talent than the 2001 team and that season ended pretty good after our "franchise" quarterback went down. Yeah our backups probably aren't going to be the next Tom Brady, but Brady wasn't throwing to Moss and Welker in 2001 either. If the unthinkable happens we still stand a great chance of winning, and think, wouldn't it be nice to be the underdogs once again?
Todd, Plymouth, N.H.

A: I see it as a fine line, Todd. In one respect, Brady is one of the all-time greats, so I think when people say the Patriots would be in trouble without him, it’s as much out of respect to Brady’s importance to the club as it is the backup options. In another respect, at this point, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez and Kevin O’Connell remain question marks in terms of their ability to produce in the regular season. A lot of clubs would be in trouble if their starter goes down, and I think it’s fair to put the Patriots in that category as well. That doesn’t mean the season would be a disaster, but I do think it would make the season more of an uphill climb than it would be with Brady. I think it would be hard to argue otherwise based on the information at hand right now.

Mike, I am thinking Gutierrez and Cassel have played themselves off of the team and the Pats will keep O'Connell and sign an experienced player as a back up after he is cut by another team. Maybe a Chris Simms? They have too much talent to go into the season risking it all if Brady goes down. What are your thoughts and who do you think might be available?
Griff

A: Griff, the main thing I took from Cassel’s performance is that the offense doesn’t seem to respond to him. The quarterback is the primary catalyst to an offense, and I just don’t see the spark when Cassel is in the huddle. I thought Cassel had two plays that really hurt – the initial third-down pass that was almost intercepted by Barrett Ruud, and on the second drive, the Nick Kaczur false start as Cassel was trying to get the offense into the right play. The reason I felt Cassel played a part in Kaczur’s penalty is that it’s the quarterback’s job to get the other 10 players on the same page before the snap, and as the play-clock neared 6 seconds, that hadn’t happened and Kaczur ended up jumping. On top of Cassel, I felt a lot of the offense’s problems were the result of ineffectiveness of other players (for example, it’s hard to blame Cassel for drops by Marcus Pollard and Heath Evans, or the negative plays in the running game). So I’m balancing two thoughts here -- I think it’s easy to pile on just Cassel, but I’d point out that he hasn’t always received help from those around him. The other thought is that at the end of the day it is the quarterback’s job to move the offense and score points, to provide that spark, and it just hasn’t happened for Cassel -- and so I do think that puts his roster spot in jeopardy. I wouldn’t count out Gutierrez just yet. I think the reason he didn’t play Sunday night was that he had missed practice time during the week with what Bill Belichick described as a bruise. As for acquiring someone like Chris Simms, I think that he’d be an upgrade. Otherwise, I just don’t see any names out there that are that appealing.

Where was Adalius Thomas in Sunday’s game?
Lory

A: Lory, Thomas was dressed but did not play a single snap. Pierre Woods played in his place. Thomas was in and out of practice last week, presumably due to an injury, so that probably contributed to the decision regarding his playing time.

Mike, I know it's only the preseason, but we're seeing our defensive starters getting completely outplayed. I think we all knew that our backup QBs were incapable of taking over, so the lack of points isn't as concerning as the fact that our defense has yet to make a single big play. What's going on?
Jason, Melrose

A: No sugar-coating it Jason, that was a poor performance Sunday night by the top defense (minus outside linebacker Adalius Thomas and safeties James Sanders and Rodney Harrison). They did not play their run fits well, which meant they were out of position at times (inside linebacker seemed to be the primary trouble spot), and the Buccaneers took advantage. The tackling was suspect, players lost leverage at times, and the ‘D’ couldn’t get off the field consistently enough on third down. If we see more of that type of performance, this team will be in trouble. On the flip side, the Patriots weren’t scheming and played vanilla coverage, so I don’t think it’s close to a reflection of what we’ll see going forward. Football is an emotional game and the Patriots’ defense played with little emotion Sunday night. I don’t expect it to be the norm in the future.

Hi Mike. I was wondering if you had a feeling on how many of the rookies will make the team. Do you see all the drafted players making it -- Kevin O'Connell, Jonathan Wilhite, Matthew Slater, and Bo Ruud? Do you see any of the undrafted free agents making the team -- Gary Guyton, Benjarvis Green-Ellis, Jonathan Stupar, or Vince Redd? Also, how would you feel if Billy Yates and Wesley Britt ended up starting for the Patriots much of the season? Do you see them able to fill the line spots in that situation?
Nathan, Andover

A: Nathan, if I had to make a prediction right now, I’d say all the draft picks, minus Bo Ruud, will make the 53-man roster. I think Ruud will probably be on the practice squad. As for the undrafted free agents, I’d tentatively give both Gary Guyton and Vince Redd roster spots, with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Jonathan Stupar among those landing on the practice squad. Of the lesser-heralded group, Guyton has caught my eye in training camp practices. He arrived with a reputation as a fast linebacker – we’ve seen that on special teams – but I’ve also noticed he shows potential as a take-on, downhill-type of player as well, lining up at strongside inside linebacker spot. I thought he was better in the preseason opener than Sunday night, when he struggled to shed blocks. I think Guyton is physical enough to do it, but it’s a work in progress. I think he beats out veteran Victor Hobson at this point.

It seems from your reports of training camp that there have been a few interesting surprises in terms of who might make the team and where certain players will be. Certainly injuries will play a part, but right now, what are a few of your top surprises for positional and roster battles that you didn't see coming heading into training camp?
Jason

A: I’d start with the linebackers, Jason. I expected more out of veteran Victor Hobson and now I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t make the club. Rookie free agents Gary Guyton and Vince Redd have also caught my eye at linebacker, and – while it’s still early – I’d put them on the 53-man roster at this time (Guyton before Redd if only able to choose one). In terms of other surprises, none really jump out at me. Rookie Kevin O’Connell is further along than I anticipated at quarterback, and could quickly elevate to be the No. 2, partially based on his performance and partially based on Matt Cassel and Matt Gutierrez not emerging.

Hi Mike, I've been a football fan for a while, but one thing I've never been truly clear about is what differentiates the skill set of an offensive guard from an offensive tackle. The reason I bring it up is I see the o-line for the Patriots as being an important weak link in the team. Is it easy for a player to switch from guard to tackle or tackle to guard and perform well? As thin as the line has been I worry that defenders could bust through and get to Brady, and the Pats could be stuck with Cassel, Gutierrez or O'Connell, none of which I feel confident driving the team. Do the Pats have enough options and flexibility on the unit that protects the franchise?
Scott, Boston

A: Scott, I’ve asked Keith Kidd of ESPN Scouts Inc., to answer this question for you. Kidd has 14 years of experience working in NFL personnel departments and I respect his talent evaluation: “Hey Scott, great question, I also have concerns about the Patriots offensive line heading into the 2008 season. However, as we all know Tom Brady is easily the best quarterback in the NFL and the Patriots have the best offensive line coach in the NFL in Dante Scarnecchia, which takes a tremendous amount of pressure off the Patriots offensive line. Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots have always done a great job of utilizing moving parts on the offensive line (meaning versatility is a major key in a player's development). I think it is much more difficult to play offensive tackle in the NFL than offensive guard because the skills sets are different, and to me you have to be much more athletic out on the edges at tackle than inside at guard due to the match-ups. So, even though the scouting specifics are somewhat similar in what you’re grading (strength, run block, pass block, positional traits), the coaching specifics (the type of player that best fits the system) are different as it pertains to the position. In the end, the Patriots offensive line will improve once they get their franchise quarterback back on the field.”

Mike, how's the linebacker situation shaping up? From a long-distance view, I'd say Alexander and Hobson are gone, leaving room for a guy like Guyton to make the squad, and maybe even Redd. How many linebackers do you see the Patriots keeping and any guesses what the pecking order is right now?
Jan

A: Jan, it’s a difficult question to answer unless you go through the entire 53-man roster. So I did that and came up with 10 linebackers (giving Vince Redd, who is probably on the bubble, a spot). I usually like to wait before making a specific 53-man roster prediction – an injury can change a lot, and the injury status of players like Sam Aiken and Brandon Meriweather clouds the current picture – but here is how I’d break down my thoughts now on how many players the Patriots will keep at each position:

• Quarterback: 3

• Running back: 5

• Wide receiver: 6

• Tight end: 2

• Offensive line: 9

• Defensive line: 6

• Linebackers: 10

• Cornerbacks: 5

• Safeties: 4

• Kicker/punter/long snapper: 3

Hi Mike. Not sure on the role John Lynch has here with the Pats. Who does he start over, or even gets snaps over? I like our safeties and just think $1.5 million could have gone in a better direction. Your thoughts?
Corky

A: Corky, I happen to believe the Lynch signing was a good one. I know there are a lot of people who disagree with me, including some general managers around the NFL who say that Lynch has lost a step. And I can’t state that I’ve watched Lynch that closely over the last year, so take my opinion with that in mind. Part of my feeling is that I think the Patriots’ coaching staff will know exactly how to use Lynch to accentuate his strengths and cover up the weaknesses he might now have at age 36. Another part is that when I see what Junior Seau accomplished when he signed here, it reminds me that age is just a number in some cases. It’s my feeling that Lynch, whose passion, knowledge of the game, and veteran savvy is similar to Seau, can produce similar results. With Brandon Meriweather sustaining a leg injury Sunday night (severity unknown), Lynch could be called upon more than initially expected.

Hi Mike. It seems like many of your observations regarding Brady throwing for big plays in training camp are followed by comments that if full contact had been allowed he would have been sacked. Do you think that O-line protection is a concern, or is it just a matter of the Patriots very talented defensive front-7 winning a few individual battles?
Nate

A: Nate, I do think the offensive line is a concern among the team’s coaches. At the same time, there is still time before the season starts. The offensive line has been the team’s trouble spot in terms of injuries. The depth is a bit thin. I thought the line struggled in the preseason opener, but improved a bit on Sunday night. The problems came against blitzes, but I think part of that is that the Patriots aren’t scheming to combat those blitzes.

Hi Mike. I wish the Patriots had drafted Leodis McKelvin or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with their first pick and then taken a linebacker in the second round. Why does Scott Pioli keep drafting small cornerbacks? Asante Samuel was the only DB who played at the level of a Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy. The current secondary group really concerns me.
John, Boston

A: John, I don’t think the Patriots could have gone wrong by picking a cornerback like McKelvin and Rodgers-Cromartie, but after watching Jerod Mayo in training camp, it’s hard to dispute the pick. He looks like a stud. Scott Pioli, in an interview with Mike Felger of Comcast Sports Net earlier this year, addressed the size issue with cornerbacks, saying that size isn’t everything. Here is what Pioli told Felger: “Part of it is that the bigger a player gets - the taller or longer sometimes a player is - the less fluid they are in changing direction. When you're looking for a corner, they have to be reactive athletes -- to see changes, know what's going on, plant their foot, and drive toward the football. The longer, taller bodies have more difficulty being reactive type athletes."

With Brett Farve in the division now, does that change the way BB approaches his defensive schemes as compared to the Jets without him?
SusanvillePats Fan

A: Hi Susanvillepats fan. I think it does change the defensive plan against the Jets. One of the main differences between Favre and former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington is that all three levels of the field are now in play – short, medium and long. I always felt Pennington was a master at the short and medium game, but he wasn’t as much of a threat in the third level. Because of that, defenses could take some more risks in terms of cheating up closer to the line of scrimmage. Do that now against Favre and the Jets, and defenses are more likely to pay for such a decision.

Mike, there has been no mention from the Pats brass as to what the injury to Matt Light is. I don't believe he missed any of the offseason workouts or mini camps yet he has not appeared in camp. Are the Pats just resting him or should we be concerned about a serious injury? Also why the secrecy with what his injury is?
Brian, Bridgewater

A: Brian, the Patriots, like most other NFL clubs, are generally secretive about injuries. I think they feel it sacrifices competitive advantage. As for Light, I remember seeing him at a walkthrough practice (shorts, T-shirts) a few weeks back and he wasn’t wearing a cast or anything of the sort. So I don’t see it as anything too serious.

Hi Mike, during training camp practice Aug. 14, I noticed all four QB's wearing white offensive jerseys. My question is why would the QB's not wear a non-contact red jersey in a practice? I thought it was an automatic for QB's to always wear these.
Marc

A: Marc, Bill Belichick explained that the quarterbacks usually wear red as a reminder that they are not to be hit. By the time the quarterbacks switched to white jerseys, Belichick said that he felt defensive players were more conditioned to pull up on the quarterback, so the red wasn’t as necessary.

I think Bill Belichick and his staff are even smarter than we thought. It seems to me that most NFL coaching staffs, sometimes even the same team across different staffs, have a specific manner of strategy: A strong running team vs. a strong passing team vs. a strong defense, whatever. This common theme that teams take on makes it relatively easy for most teams to game-plan against them from year to year. Not that all teams are like this, but many seem to be. But the Patriots morph like no team I've ever seen in the 30 years I've been watching the game. From an overwhelming defense as the offense, to a powerful spread pass offense, to a short pass control game, to a ball control running game, the Patriots have done it all in different years depending on their player mix. The question I have for you is whether you think BB does this on purpose to prevent teams from developing routine game-plans against him, or does he do this based on the availability of players from year to year?
Mike, Westborough

A: Mike, while I agree that Belichick is going to go down as one of the game’s all-time great coaches, I always like to answer these questions by noting that even the best coaches can’t get it done without great players. I never want to overlook the importance of players, especially great quarterbacks. The Patriots have great players, and one of the NFL’s all-time best quarterbacks. With that said, I believe you’ve hit on a point that, in my opinion, makes Belichick one of the most innovative minds in the game today. It starts with the chameleon-like approach, which makes them one of the hardest teams to prepare for in the league. My feeling is that the answer to your question is a little bit of both – the approach is by design, and it’s also dictated by the availability of players from year to year.

Hi Reiss. In last week’s mailbag, there was a question on the deferred coin toss decision. Bill Belichick said: "We'll defer just about every time, unless there is some overriding circumstance that would cause us to do it differently. … It will take some type of extreme conditions or a very unusual situation to not do that if you win the toss." And you went on to explain about the 14 points before your offense even gets a chance to touch the ball. My question is, two questions really, why don't teams now elect to kick off first when they win so they will receive in the first half? What is actually being "deferred"?
Don, Nashua, N.H.

A: Thanks for bringing this back up again, Don. A high school official took the time to email after reading last week’s mailbag and mentioned that I didn’t exactly answer the initial question about deferring. I edited the answer last week the day after the mailbag was posted, but it’s good to bring up again. To answer the second question first, a team is deferring its decision to kickoff or receive until the second half. So if the Patriots won the toss and elected to kick off, they made their choice. Then the opposing team would have the choice at the start of the second half – and would elect to receive, thus giving them the advantage of receiving at the start of both halves.

I have a question on the injured reserve process. It's not uncommon in baseball for a player to ride the bench for a few days while a team decides whether to put him on the DL, and that's only going for 15 days. It seems strange to me how quickly the Pats move to place a player on the IR, when that ends his season. Is it to hide players? I've heard a lot of talk about the Tank Williams experiment, and it seems like they put him on the IR before the swelling even went down. Why couldn't they have just PUPed him for a few weeks in August to get a better read?
TC, Westford

A: In most cases, TC, I don’t view the Patriots placing of players on injured reserve as hiding players. The system really isn’t set up that way. Because players are lost for the season when they go on injured reserve, I don’t see a “hiding” benefit unless it’s a younger player with whom a team is trying to buy another year to develop. In the case of Williams, I think his injury was diagnosed as serious to the point that he wouldn’t be ready for action this season, and that was the basis for the decision to place him on IR. Players can only be placed on the physically unable to perform list if they begin training camp on that list. Since Williams did not, he wasn’t an option for PUP.

Mike, with so much being made about the 80-man roster limit, what is the big deal with not allowing an extra six bodies for training camps as in past years? Roster cut-downs are coming up anyway so why wouldn't the NFL want to update the rule? It's just for training camp and it seems like most teams would be in favor.
John

A: John, my personal feeling is that it’s related to the looming labor negotiations between owners and players. I think the owners are making a statement of sorts to the players by saying they don’t want the additional six roster spots. They’re basically saying “we can cut 192 jobs just like that, so work with us at the negotiating table.”

Why hasn’t Ty Law signed anywhere yet?
Paul

A: I think Law’s contract demands are probably higher than teams are willing to pay at this time, Paul. All it takes is for one injury to change the picture, however, and I’m sure Law isn’t too upset about missing the grind of training camp.

Does the signing of John Lynch end any possibilities for Junior Seau or Ty Law?
Stu, Middleborough

A: I don’t think it does, Stu, but the more I look at the current roster, I don’t see Seau and Law coming in unless there is an unexpected injury.