Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a 35-14 victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
Shannon Sharpe couldn’t be any less impressed, handing the Patriots quarterback an “F” grade for his performance in Week 6.
The Patriots entered the contest as 17-point favorites and ultimately covered the number, but the game was much closer than the final score indicates, thanks in large to New England’s lackluster performance on offense. Brady completed 31 of 41 passes for 334 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns, but the 42-year-old also threw an interception and coughed up a fumble that led to a Giants touchdown. The Pats would’ve been in serious trouble if not for a special teams touchdown and a defensive score in the first and fourth quarters, respectively.
“If you watched that game, that interception to Julian Edelman, that’s not Edelman’s fault. You can’t blame that on Edelman. Edelman ran a great route. Tom Brady missed him. That strip-sack fumble led directly to seven points,” Sharpe explained Friday on FS1’s “Undisputed.” “Now, (the Patriots) got 35 points. They got 14 of those points on a scoop-and-score and a blocked punt. So Tom Brady, you’re talking about he played unbelievable, he put up 21 points against the Giants. Let that sink in for just a second. Tom Brady put up 21 points against the Giants.”
The Patriots’ win improved their record to 6-0. They’re also the reigning Super Bowl champions and have had unprecedented success under Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. Not to mention, this could be the best defense in franchise history.
But New England’s offense has looked out of sync at times. And it’ll be interesting to see whether that poses a problem once the Patriots start going up against stiffer competition. Of the six teams the Patriots have faced so far, only the Buffalo Bills (4-1) have a winning record. The Giants fell to 2-4 with Thursday’s loss, while the Miami Dolphins (0-4), New York Jets (0-4) and Washington Redskins (0-5) all are winless. The Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) have managed just one victory to this point.
“What’s happening with Tom Brady, any time you offer a harsh critique or analysis of Tom, people are like, ‘Oh, he’s got six Super Bowls.’ We’re not debating that. We’re debating his play. His play (Thursday night) was not up to what we’ve seen,” Sharpe said. “How many shovel passes are they gonna throw in a game? How many rim routes to the back are they gonna throw? How many shallow crosses? He’s not pushing the ball down the field.
“This notion that Tom Brady is playing great, I haven’t seen it,” the former NFL tight end-turned-analyst added. “Outside of the first game of the season against the Steelers, I don’t see what everybody else is seeing, and that’s one of the reasons I do not watch television with sound, because a lot of times if you watch with sound, (it’s like), ‘Oh my God, he’s playing unbelievable. Oh this guy did that. Oh that guy did that.’ No, he didn’t. No, no, no, no, he didn’t. With that being I said, I gave him an ‘F’ because that 43 QBR, that scoop-and-score that he gave up, that horrible pick and he’s starting to flinch — fourth quarter, 4th-and-5, the one he threw to Edelman, that defensive end brushed by him, he wasn’t close and (Brady’s) ducking, he’s hearing the gunfire.”
It’s hard to argue with the overall results as New England continues to take care of business and pile up wins. But Brady’s performance remains a lightning rod, with some lauding the greatest QB in NFL history while others, including Sharpe, attempt to pinpoint his demise.
