Replacing Tom Brady, 'Insert QB Here'

A friend of mine posed this question to me: "With the New England's Patriots offensive line, could any quarterback be 'Tom Brady' behind them?"

In football you hear the saying all the time, "everything starts with the offensive line!"

It's one of the biggest truths in all of sports, if your offensive line does not open holes in the running game, it doesn't matter who you have running the ball, it will be difficult to gain yards on the ground. And if they can not hold the pass rush or pick up the blitz, you will have a hard time moving the ball through the air.

With that said, this is a very valid and interesting question. Although the question sounds simple, the answer is complex. Complex due to the fact that there are so many factors considered in grading a quarterback.

First, lets look at this offensive line. They seem to keep Tom Brady free of pressure at all times. They are extremely good at making changes, picking up the blitz, and recognizing defensive packages.

They do get some help though. The Patriots usually line up with four or five wide receivers. When this happens, the offensive line will usually only have three or four defensive linemen rushing Brady. Even if the defense blitzes another person, it is still five on five up front. Not to take anything away from the offensive line, but when you line up and there are only four to five defenders to block, you have the edge.

When the Patriots started to "struggle" late in the season it was against teams that send consistent pressure. The Ravens almost stunned the Pats, and it was through massive pressure on the pocket. The Giants, in the season finale, almost did the same thing using the same tactic. So, the offensive line has been amazing, and in these tough games, they showed that they are a legitimate unit that can prevail in tough times.

Another factor that needs to be considered is the overall scheme of the Patriots. Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff run one of the more diverse offensive schemes in the NFL. The way that the Patriots practice is unlike most teams in the league. They practice longer and harder, allowing them to implement more plays and adjust the scheme for the next opponent.

Their methods give them a large edge going into each game. When you watch a Patriots game, they seem to have one-hundred different ways to win a game...One game it's Brady and Welker, the next it's Moss and Maroney.

But how does all of this tie into the possible success of another quarterback stepping in? Could he play as well as Tom Brady?

Every quarterback is different, and Brady is exceptional at managing the game, changing plays at the line, and reading the defense as the play unfolds.

But not all quarterbacks were created equal.

A lot of the success that Brady has is due to his own work ethic and physical abilities! Does the dominance of of the offensive line add to to that success, you bet! But Brady is the one making the throws, reading the defense, and connecting with the wide receivers.

There are quarterbacks who you can put in in place of Brady and they would have great success. The majority of them are already having their own success where they are now. But, then there are the quarterbacks who are not successful now, or are young and need more playing time. These players would need to be able to adjust and comprehend the scheme before they play at the same level of Brady. They could get there, but it would take great amounts of growth. As it is now, even Tom Brady wasn't playing at his current level until recently.

So, can another quarterback just step in and win? Not just any quarterback.

It will take a quarterback that is capable of playing with the discipline, drive and leadership...those may sound like a natural things for a quarterback, but if that was the case, then the league would be full of Tom Brady's.

Let's take a look at a few of the quarterbacks that may be able to have similar success behind this offensive line. This list will be of players that are in the league, on teams that are currently "underachieving."

Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Jay Cutler, Drew Brees, Matt Leinart, Mark Bulger and David Garrard. These QB's have the ability to make the throws, the vision to read the defense, and with the New England offensive line in front of them, they may be the best fit to step in and have immediate success.

Players that would more than likely would not have great success: Micheal Vick, Philip Rivers, Vince Young, Steve McNair, Donavon McNabb and Dante Culpepper. A running quarterback would not fit well. They may have more success than they're having now due the the rest of the factors, but they are not pocket passers for the most part and this offense is built around having the QB in the pocket.

Now, I have obviously left out players like Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre as these guys are having the major success with what they have now. They can fit in anywhere and have the success.

In analyzing this subject, I realized that it would not be as much of a difference for most quarterbacks as it would for a running back. There is very little doubt that if Barry Sanders would have ran behind the same Dallas Cowboys offensive line that Emmitt Smith ran behind, the NFL rushing mark would be so far away, that the next running back to try for the record would need to play for 20 years!

Either way, the New England Patriots, their great offensive line, and Tom Brady are on their way to the Super Bowl.

Blog originally posted on www.thebwrightreport.com on 1/20/08