Tom Brady: What's Happened to New England Patriots Quarterback, and What's Next?

The way some in the media have talked about Tom Brady after the New England Patriots lost Super Bowl XLVI, you'd think the guy kicked a puppy, robbed a bank and hit a grandmother in the head with a bottle of Stetson cologne.

Nope. All he did was everything he could to will his team to win not just all season long, but in the second-biggest game of his career, only to fall short of the ultimate prize once again.

In an article on Cold, Hard Football Facts, Scott Kacsmar says, "No longer has Brady been able to consistently pull out playoff wins, or even perform admirably in these games as he’s increased his regular season standards to much loftier levels."

That got me thinking—just how much has he raised his standards? It turns out, he's raised his standards so drastically that there are actually two very well-defined eras of Tom Brady, clearly divided in two by one playoff game: a divisional round road game against the San Diego Chargers back in 2006-2007.

A game which, ironically, the Patriots won. 

Tom Brady, pre-Chargers

For years, the argument raged on over whether Tom Brady or Peyton Manning was the better quarterback. Manning's argument was stats and regular-season MVP awards, Brady's argument was rings and Super Bowl MVP awards. Since the Chargers game, the argument has leveled out a bit—Manning got a ring, and Brady got two-regular season MVPs and broke several passing records.

The difference between Brady then and Brady now, from a strictly statistical standpoint, is that Brady used to elevate his game in the playoffs, if only marginally so. Since then, his play has gotten worse in the postseason.

It's safe to say the best thing about Brady in the playoffs prior to the Chargers game was that he didn't throw picks. It turns out it was his first three-interception postseason game that turned the tide on his regular season and postseason numbers.

Tom Brady, post-Chargers

We arrive where everything changed: Qualcomm Stadium, Jan. 14, 2007. Not only was it Brady's first three-pick game in the postseason, it was also the first postseason game in which he had a passer rating lower than 70 (57.4).

Brady was able to shake off his bad start to the game, making a few big throws down the stretch to help the Patriots take the lead and subsequently escape with a huge upset by the skin of their teeth thanks to—wait for it—a missed field goal by a Pro Bowl kicker.

So that's it, Brady puts up Peyton Manning-like numbers, but can only win in the playoffs when the other team blows it. Throw kerosene on his "legacy" and light a match, right?

Not so fast.

What has happened?

Can we stop and take a look at the competition against which he has struggled?

Why, yes, we can.

And voila, one quick chart shows us that it could also have something to do with the Patriots running into a brick wall in one of the league's best defenses. Year. After. Year.

Top-10 scoring defenses left and right, front sevens that lead the league in sacks, secondaries that lead the league in picks—you name it, Brady has seen it. These are no slouch defenses Brady is losing to.

What's baffling, and somewhat troublesome, is that he was Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected for the first six years of his postseason career and rarely made mistakes in the big moment. Those mistakes are becoming more prevalent in the postseason with every loss the Patriots suffer.

But it can't all fall on Brady. Football is the ultimate team sport. That is, of course, unless your name is Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots just lost a playoff game. Then, it's all on him.

That's it. It's all on him. 

Of course, when you're in possession of one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, you want to air it out a bit. The Patriots' imbalance offensively, though, has come out in the postseason quite aggressively since that Chargers game. 

In 12 postseason games prior to the Chargers game, Brady had 401 pass attempts—roughly 33 attempts per game. In the 10 postseason games he's played since, though, he had 392 attempts for just more than 39 per game.

Compare those numbers to the chart above, detailing the Patriots' rushing stats in the postseason. He has taken on a heavier load, but as a franchise quarterback he has to be able to bear it in the big games.

His performances aren't just a product of some perceived "lost mojo" or poor performances individually, but they are a direct function of his competition as well as the burden he bears for the team.

What lies ahead?

Brady is still the franchise. There is no reason to go calling for Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer. He is still one of the best in the game, but the Patriots are losing precious time with Brady as their signal-caller. 

The Super Bowl proved that playmakers are necessary when the games get that close. If the Patriots are going to resign themselves to being a pass-happy team, they need someone that can win one-on-one matchups on the outside.

Not only that, but guys who can also come in and quickly get on the same page with Brady. They have wanted badly for a third receiving option for awhile.

The Patriots could use more balance in their offensive attack, but with BenJarvus Green-Ellis set to become a free agent, who knows what the future holds at running back. Stevan Ridley showed signs of hope, and Danny Woodhead remains a viable role-playing option, but what good is it if the Patriots don't commit themselves to becoming more balanced? 

Brady hasn't shown any signs of slowing down yet, but even John Elway handed off to Terrell Davis one day.

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