Dillon helping Brady take more risks

Dillon helping Brady take more risks Boston Globe football writer Nick Cafardo answers your questions about the Patriots. Click here to submit a question for next week ...

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Hi Nick, thanks so much for this forum. I will get right down to it, watching Brady this season, he seems to not be as sharp in his throwing as he was last year, especially the last few games (ball thrown short or long). Brady has been listed each week as having an injured shoulder. Might this be the cause of this, or is it something else? Yes they won, and I am not trying to be a cranky old New Englander looking for something to complain about in my team that is doing so well, just wondering. Thanks much.
David, Gordonsville, Va.

A: Boy, I know he's missed a few throws, but I think he's having a great year. You have to remember that he's really playing a different offense this season. Prior to the advent of Corey Dillon, he used the short passing game as a running game. Now he's able to throw the ball down the field much more. I think it's much more exciting, but with it you take more risks. I'm not sure if that's what you're seeing or not, but he's able to get big chunks of yardage down the field, which he didn't do earlier in his career.

Why are the field conditions at Gillette so poor? I'm not just talking about the game against Baltimore when it was raining but in general. In it's short existence the field has a reputation as one of the worst in the NFL. It just seems odd that a stadium that is state of the art in all other areas would have such a lousy playing field.
Matt, Providence

A: It's always been difficult to maintain a nice field in New England at this time of the season especially when there's a lot of rain. The other aspect of it is the Patriots like it to be sloppy and muddy. It's to their advantage, just as the poor condition of Heinz Field is to the Steelers' advantage and I believe had a role in the Patriots' loss to the Steelers. The league made the Patriots re-sod the field last year before the AFC championship game and I know the powers-to-be weren't too happy about it because it's an advantage lost. The field is supposed to be state-of-the-art, able to absorb moisture much better than the old field.

Hi Nick, Great discussion forum -- I always get the best, gut-level instincts and insights from you and other fans in this forum. Now that Butch Davis has resigned, do you think the road is now clear for a Scott Pioli-Charlie Weis or Pioli-Romeo Crennel combo in Cleveland? I personally wish that city a good management staff -- they are as good a football town as Boston (given the recent poor performance of the Indians), and they deserve a run at the big show. Also, if we lose such high-caliber people, how will the Pats offset this loss?
Ram, Nashua, NH   Continued...