Despite Slow Start, Tom Brady On Pace For Big Numbers in 2009

When this season started, many doubted that Tom Brady would return to the form he displayed when he brought salvation to Foxborough in 2001, 2004 and 2005.

According to Boston.com's Albert Breer, however, Brady is on pace to match the numbers he put up in his Super Bowl seasons. And no, that doesn't include his ridiculous MVP season in 2007. 

As of now, the Patriots quarterback is on pace to throw for 4,645 yards, which would be a career-high if it wasn't for 2007. The same goes for his projected 65.9 completion percentage, his projected 34 touchdowns and his projected nine interceptions. Even better news: He's on pace to take just 18 sacks, which is three less than the career-low 21 he took in 2007.

So basically, if it weren't for a superhuman 2007 season which Brady will probably never come close to equaling — knee surgery or not — he'd be on pace for a career year, just over a year after tearing his ACL.

Even so, Brady isn't patting himself on the back just yet. In typical Patriots fashion, he's downplaying the team's success until it has something to show for it — namely, a trophy on the mantle.

"What we've seen all year is when we execute well, we produce points, we move the ball, we get first downs," he told Boston.com. "And when we don't execute well, we don't move the ball, we don't convert on third down, we don't get the ball in the red area. If you're the quarterback and you have guys open and you overthrow them by five yards, you're not going to score points."

And while some ex-Patriots have complained about playing in the midst of the media scrutiny in Foxborough (we're talking to you, Ellis Hobbs), Brady savors it. He knows he's lucky he hasn't been afflicted by the same media criticism his NFL peers have endured — and he knows it is a result of being surrounded by a sound team and a spectacular coach.

"I haven't heard a whole lot of criticism," Brady told the Web site. "I think I've been very lucky over the years to play on a great team where we won a lot of games."