The days when Tom Brady steps in the phone booth, puts on his Superman uniform and saves the day are over. There was a time not too long ago when the New England Patriots quarterback couldn’t be rattled. He was the cool, calm, collected gunslinger that could untie the ropes and rescue the damsel in distress just before the train struck.
But he’s no longer the Brady that could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The numbers suggest he’s having a season that’s comparable to that of his earlier seasons, and the offense is scoring nearly 28 points per game, but he’s lagging in the one number that has always meant the most: wins.
New England is 7-5, having lost two straight and three of their last four. No doubt the defense deserves the bulk of the blame, but it’s safe to say that the offense Brady orchestrates is a shell of its former self. And Brady isn’t without some blame. He’s missing open receivers and making bad decisions, things the “old Brady” never did. He's on pace to match his career high for interceptions.
In the red zone, the Patriots are no longer a lock to score - how many picks has he thrown in the end zone? I can count three off the top of my head - and three fourth-down calls have produced the same number of turnovers on downs.
The players say nobody in the New England locker room is panicking, and that’s probably true. But Patriots fans have to wonder when Terrific Tom will once again step into that phone booth and help save this sinking team.
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