Tom Brady Report Card: Midseason Edition

Sunday’s deflating 25-17 loss in Pittsburgh hardly seemed that close as the Ben Roethlisberger passed all over the Patriots limited secondary and Tom Brady couldn’t match against a stifling Steelers defense.

No help came from fellow New England running backs as Tom faced a touchdown deficit and passing defense virtually the entire game. With the NFL’s worst-ranked pass defense, there is no doubt that the Patriots are a team destined for many shootouts and will need to score 30+ points regularly to survive.

Here is a midseason analysis of Tom Brady, the center of the New England offense and associated post-season dreams.

Accuracy

Grade: A-

Too much has been made of Tom’s career-worst inception rate (8 of 272 attempts) and not enough of the 67 percent passes he’s completed despite little threat of a running game.

The 2011 Patriot receiving core involves two wideouts that have played immeasurably better under Tom than their previous teams (Deion Branch and Wes Welker), two unproven young tight ends and…that’s it.

Chad Ochocinco is more famous for dropping a Tom touchdown than anything else in New England and considering the personnel at his disposal, this could be the most accurate season of Tom’s career.

Everyone in the building knows that the Patriots need an overwhelming passing attack to overcome their defensive shortcomings and in spite of this pressure, Tom is on pace for the second most accurate season of his career.

Timing

Grade: C+

Ten sacks in the last three games is not the fault of Tom’s supporting cast and he has to get rid of the ball faster in the pocket. The Patriots offensive line is a well-gelled unit and only improved in the offseason by adding first-round tackle Nate Solder, so while Tom has faced three solid pass-rushing teams recently (Jets, Cowboys and Steelers) he is sure to face similar caliber fronts in the playoffs.

Kevin Faulk could become the emergency option in the flat that would give Tom another valuable pair of hands, but three plus sacks a game is too many for a Pro-Bowl quarterback playing behind a Pro-Bowl line.

Leadership

Grade: A

Tom is the cog that Coach Belichick can always trust, the guy who always keeps the company line (“we need to continue to improve and play together as a team”) and never complains when the defense can’t defend, the runners can’t run or the receivers can’t get open.

Faith in Tom goes beyond any reasonable measure of his football talent and through the first seven games of 2011, Mr. Brady has been every bit the emotional captain of the team. No amount of defensive issues will ever thwart Tom’s optimism and his ability to inspire teammates (other than Chad Ochocinco) is renowned across the league.

Never doubt a leader of this caliber and don’t forget the potential of a team lead by Tom Brady.