Archives for November 2009

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wrapped up a 13-minute session with the media here at Gillette Stadium.

He touched on a wide variety of topics, including the last time they were in the Superdome, a talk owner Robert Kraft gave.

The team today and his relationship with former starter Drew Bledsoe. We’ll have the full transcript along shortly, but in the meantime, here are a few highlights:

On the last time the Patriots were in the Superdome and the memories from that game…That was the last time we were there.

Mr. Kraft came in and talked to the team this morning about that. He talked about the special memories of that place. You’re right. You’ll never forget that day.

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The team that passes most efficiently (yards per attempt) wins more than three quarters of NFL games. Watching so many young quarterbacks this year, I’ve thought more than ever before about unforced errors in the passing game -- poor throws and drops.

So after our weekly rundown of the key offensive and defensive rankings for fantasy matchup purposes, let’s highlight this new unforced-error category in our player recommendations.

Last week, I came up with this stat when discussing Donovan McNabb. However, I set it as a percentage of incompletions, which potentially unjustly punishes quarterbacks who throw incompletions a relatively low percentage of the time.

The new way -- calculating the unforced errors as a percentage of attempts -- better measures the difference between a quarterback's current level of productivity and his expected level of productivity if his rate of unforced errors was closer to league average.

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Tom Brady has become a football version of Ty Cobb. You can count on him to hit 300. Brady’s 310 yards passing (thank you, Wes Welker).

In New England’s 31-14 victory over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday was his fifth straight 300-yard game, moving him to within.

A game of the NFL record shared by Steve Young, Kurt Warner and Rich Gannon. Young reeled off six consecutive 300-yard games with the San Francisco 49ers in 1998.

His streak was subsequently matched by Warner with the St. Louis Rams in 2000 and Gannon with the Oakland Raiders in 2002.

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When the Patriots [team stats] faced the Jets in Week 2, Tom Brady [stats] had his worst game of the season.

Appearing uncharacteristically rattled by the Jets’ blitzing defense, Brady completed just 23-of-47 passes for 216 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in a 16-9 Jets win.

That seems like a long time ago, especially after Brady carved up the Jets in a 31-14 victory yesterday at Gillette Stadium.

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If you're spending months -- or years -- planning your wedding, Gisele Bundchen's hubby has a message for you: You're doing it wrong.  In the December "Men of the Year" issue of GQ, in which he's voted Comeback of the Year, Tom Brady dishes about his very low-key, low-maintenance wedding to Gisele.

"We planned it in, like, 10 days, and it was perfect," Tom says. He adds that after the ceremony, "we went back to the house and I barbecued aged New York strips." (The actual wedding fare was limited to "champagne, a cake, some ice cream.)

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They may not have had a lavish Hollywood ceremony, but Tom Brady says his quiet Feb. 26 wedding to supermodel Gisele Bundchen was "perfect."

What made the intimate gathering a day to remember? "[After the ceremony], we went back to the house and I barbecued aged New York strips," Brady tells GQ magazine's December issue (out Nov. 24).

"We had champagne, a cake, some ice cream. It was a great night." "We planned [the wedding] in, like, 10 days, and it was perfect," the New England Patriots quarterback, 32, continues.

Brady, who has an 18-month-old son, John, with ex Bridget Moynahan, says only close friends and family were invited to the traditional Catholic ceremony -- and that's just the way he wanted it.

"I think you always have this idea that weddings need to be 200 people and you invite everybody, and I'm all for it if people want to do that .

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Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen didn't waste any time making their way to the altar after becoming engaged last January.  "We planned [the wedding] in like 10 days, and it was perfect," Brady tells GQ in its December issue, on newsstands Nov. 24.

Their Feb. 26 wedding, at Santa Monica's Catholic Church, was a small affair with only immediate family, including their parents and Brady's then-18-month-old son (with actress Bridget Moynahan), John, in attendance.

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It hasn't been the easiest of days for Patriots fans. Sleep was hard to come by on Sunday night, and Monday was haunted by endless coverage of "The Call" and Bill Belichick's comments to the media. Without question, the best part about the horrific events of Sunday night is simply that it's over. The game is over, the loss is in the past and the Patriots are moving on.

But before all the focus goes to this Sunday's matchup with the Jets, there are a number of positives from last week's game worth remembering. Left Tackle of the Future  Cris Collinsworth may have gone overboard with his admiration of rookie left tackle Sebastian Vollmer, but  high praise was certainly in order for the job Vollmer did on Indy's Dwight Freeney.

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Some questionable clock management at the end of the game hurt the Pats in real terms, but from a fantasy perspective, the offense was in high gear.

Specific to Brady, though he was sacked twice, he did show good pocket awareness, footwork and arm strength, all good traits for a QB bouncing back from a major knee injury.

It was one of the most satisfying victories I've experienced as a fan. Not since the Colts' 18-point comeback in the 2006 AFC Championship game have I experienced the kind of excitement that Sunday's Colts vs. Patriots game delivered.

Much like had been the case back during that 2006 AFC Championship game, the Patriots jumped out to a substantial lead early in the game. Logic had to tell you as a fan, the game is over.  But the magic of Peyton Manning and that Indianapolis Colts' offense is rarely logical.

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