Been saying this for years. I am certain that if Garappolo played all 18 games for the Pats this year, they would be in the exact same position. Probably wouldn't go 14-2, but would win the division and beat Houston and Pitt. No doubt about it.
Well, that's also because Garappolo is pretty damn good. Assuming he lands in a decent situation, I expect that to be born out over the next few years.
When Casell came in that one year for Brady, his stats weren't anything special. They won games because of the D. Remember, that was a championship caliber defense, one that was part of one of the best teams we've seen in decades the year before.
Brady is great. But you could take a middle of the road average NFL qb and they win 10-12 games in the Pats system every year. Brady is worth an extra 2 wins.
This is how it is for all great QBs actually, if you take into account WHEN the wins occur. The great ones win games consistently when it counts. I don't care if a guy gets 14 wins and then drops first round of the playoffs with a pedestrian performance (Peyton 9 first playoff game exits).
Your point above could be said about Joe Montana and the 49ers. If you plugged in some guy throwing to Jerry Rice, with Roger Craig in the backfield, all those other HOF types, and Bill Walsh at the helm, they'd rack up 10+ wins too. It doesn't actually take away from the QBs greatness.
[Whereas Rodgers takes a 6 win team and they win 10-12 games. Same with Peyton and the Colts all those years.[/quote]
Brady carried plenty of average teams in his time. They didn't win the Superbowl with those teams of course. 2006 was a great example, where is No 1 receiver was Reche freakin Caldwell. Peyton never played with such a cast of characters in his career. In fact, he played with better weapons damn near his career.
Brady sat back in the pocket all day yesterday surveyed the field and then threw it to a receiver who was 3 yards from the closest Pitt defender.
Brady gets the ball out faster than most QBs in the NFL. That's by the numbers. He's also the best at feeling and operating inside the pocket that I've personally seen.
One of the reasons Rodgers offensive line gets so much crap, is that he is outside the pocket so much. His first instinct is to scramble--Brady's first instinct is to move to open space in the pocket.. Once a QB is outside the pocket, any the O line is essentially absolved of any wrong doing. Unless it's by design, lineman are supposed to block so that a QB has (an always changing) space in the pocket somewhere. When a guy is outside, they have no idea where to block.
Russell Wilson's Oline gets maligned for same reason, because he prefers to scramble. Although he has gotten better in that regard. They might not be a bunch of All pros, but they are better than they are given credit for.
